Do you love the Coastal Grandmother decor style? If you’re not familiar with it yet, you’re in for a treat. Today I’m sharing why I love this timeless decorating trend, how it overlaps with coastal grandmillennial decor, and how to create a cozy, collected home style that feels elegant, welcoming, and effortlessly beautiful.
The best part? You don’t need to live by the ocean—or be a grandmother—to embrace this charming aesthetic. Whether you love blue and white decor, traditional summer decorating, vintage finds, or classic coastal decor, the Coastal Grandmother style may be exactly the inspiration you’ve been searching for.
Have you thought about what your “defined” home decor style might be? To be honest, people always ask me and I’ve always kind of thrown out a bunch of words to try to describe my home decor aesthetic: vintage, coastal, cottage, a little of this and a little of that. All along, my style could really be summed up in the “Coastal Grandmother Home Decor Style” or “Coastal Grandmillennial Home Decor Style.”
Now, mind you, I’m only in my early 40’s and I’ve got a whole lot of living to do! While grandchildren sounds great someday, I hope it’s not for a good, long while! Since we live in a Florida beach town, though, I do have that coastal part naturally going for me.
But, guess what? You don’t need to be a grandmother or live in a coastal town to enjoy the coastal grandmother aesthetic in your home, or even simple touches of the coastal grandmother and coastal grandmillennial home decor look!
If you’re new to this decorating style, this post is part of my Ultimate Guide to Coastal Grandmillenial Style, where we explore timeless decorating that blends coastal charm, traditional elegance, and collected vintage character.
What is coastal grandma decorating style?
Before we dive into all of the fun of the “how”, let’s quickly touch on the “what.” Have you seen Father of the Bride? Confession: it was one of my favorite movies in my late teens and I even took elements from that to inspire my own wedding in 2003! When I think of the coastal grandmother lifestyle, I picture two things.
First of all, I picture Diane Keaton in Father of the Bride. There is something about that comfortable lifestyle with all of the beautiful, simple home decor details that appeal to my senses. Fresh flowers, natural materials, classic style, cozy interiors, big windows with lots of natural light, classic pieces that never go out of style, bowls of fruit on the kitchen island, and breezy white linen curtains gently blowing. You get the picture, right?! What’s not to love?!
Even though their home doesn’t have the beach house vibes, it has all the elements of timeless decorating style of the Nancy Meyers movies. It incorporates an interior design style that is welcoming and thoughtful…kind of like your favorite grandma’s house.
Secondly, I picture the picturesque little beachside cottages and shops we visited in New England and Cape Cod on our honeymoon and again in 2021 on vacation with our kids. Seersucker shorts, linen dresses, coastal colors, homemade ice cream from the quaint, family-owned shop, nautical accents, and cute little wicker basket purses. Am I doing a good enough job painting the scene for you?
However, I think to really incorporate the coastal grandmother home decor trend into our homes, we really have to be able to embrace the feeling of the coastal charm and style. It’s casual, comfortable, with no one in too much of a rush. Coastal living feels like it has time for family games, lounging by the pool with a good book, taking a walk downtown to get ice cream, and popsicles in cute pajamas. Basically, it is everything I want our home to feel like in the summer months.
So, bring on the coastal grandmother vibe! Call it whatever you want but I LOVE it!
Why the Coastal Grandmother Style Is So Popular Right Now
The popularity of Coastal Grandmother decor reflects a growing desire for homes that feel warm, relaxing, and collected rather than perfectly styled. Similar to the rise of grandmillennial summer decor, this decorating style embraces a mix of fun and traditional pieces, natural textures, blue and white accents, vintage-inspired details, and classic coastal decor with a timeless look that never feels trendy or dated.
At the same time, the coastal grandmother or coastal grandmillennial decorating style is easy to create on a budget. Key pieces, such as blue and white decor, ginger jars, natural textures, chinoiserie accents, soft linens, and wicker baskets are pretty easy to find at vintage boutiques, antique shops, and even with patient hunting at local thrift stores. .
Many homeowners are moving away from stark minimalism and embracing a more welcoming home filled with meaningful collections, comfortable furnishings, and layered decorating for a timeless interior style. The coastal grandma aesthetic checks all of the boxes of cozy, relaxed, comfortable, elegant, welcoming, and peaceful! What could be better?!
How to get the coastal grandmother look?
Now that we know the coastal grandmother decor style is all about evoking a cozy, casual, slow living, welcoming feeling in our own home, how do we get the coastal grandma look without redoing all of our decor?
I have good news. Apparently, I have been embracing the coastal grandma look in our home decor every summer for many, many years. However, while there are certainly overlapping elements with my vintage home style during the other three seasons, I don’t keep the coastal vibe all year long. There are some easy ways to incorporate coastal decor into your home without changing everything.
Here is a list (though not exhaustive) of some of the main ways I bring the coastal grandmother style into our home decor each year:
- Neutral color palette
- Add touches of light blues and colors of the sea
- Blue and white decorative accents, like ginger jars and crocks
- Natural textures like jute and sissal
- Natural fabrics like linen
- Straw hats
- Sea shells, coral, and other beach treasures
- Natural wood accents and furniture
- Antique furniture
- Vintage home finds
- Floral patterns, like throw pillows and floral prints (though not as bold as in cottagecore or grandmillenial decor styles)
- Woven texture, like wicker furniture and baskets
- A touch of gold/brass accents
- Mixture of a classic design style with casual, “lived-in” elements
The list could continue, but I think this is a really great start! Let’s chat about some specifics and I’ll show you around a few things I have added to my own home decor for a coastal grandmother aesthetic this summer!
34+ Easy Ideas to Use the Coastal Grandmother Home Decor Style
Coastal Grandmother Color Palette: Blue & White Decor and Coastal Cottage Style
The coastal grandma style has a simple color scheme that mirrors the outdoors. This outdoor scene likely takes place in a quaint beachside coastal town, in a cottage with views that open to the ocean. One of the defining features of both coastal grandmother decor and coastal grandmillennial style is the use of a soft, timeless color palette.
The colors of sand, sea shells, water, dunes, and flowers can inspire the perfect color palette for the coastal grandmother home decor trend. Shades of blue, white, ivory, taupe, earthy neutral tones, and soft greens will give an instant coastal grandmother look.
Shades of blue and white decor have become especially popular because they feel fresh during summer while remaining classic all year long. Whether incorporated through ginger jars, striped textiles, chinoiserie accents, or hydrangeas, blue and white decorating instantly creates a cozy coastal cottage atmosphere.
The coastal grandmother trend can be incorporated with either small touches or large installations. However, if you start with a neutral base and work in this soft color palette, whether in large or small pieces, you can achieve the coastal grandmother home decor style.
Coastal Grandmother Home Decor: Rattan and Natural Wood Elements
Honestly, you can’t really call the style “coastal grandmother home decor” if you aren’t using at least some small elements of rattan and natural wood. Fortunately, there are a lot of great options for rattan finishes throughout your home. From beautiful picture frames to budget-friendly furniture,, it is pretty easy to incorporate rattan into your home decor.
Pro Tip: Watch at thrift stores, yard sales, and Facebook marketplace sales for used outdoor wicker or rattan furniture that you can clean up and bring indoors!
Natural wood can range from a pretty wooden dough bowl on the kitchen island to light wood nightstands to dining room chairs. There are so many ways to bring natural wood into your home. One important element of the coastal grandmother home decor style is mixing and matching furniture pieces. Bringing in a natural wood dresser or table from the thrift store to mix with your upholstered pieces is exactly the look you’re going for.
Pro Tip: Check out THIS post to learn how we strip paint from furniture to reveal the natural wood underneath.
This method has become popular in recent years but we learned it many years ago from an antiques dealer and have been using this great method for a long time. THIS blog post will give you a simple tutorial to turn a thrifted furniture piece into a gorgeous antique-European style natural wood piece
Coastal Grandmother Home Decor: Fabrics and Patterns
If you are even reading a blog post about coastal grandmother home decor, there is a really good chance that you already have all, if not most, of the elements you need for fabrics and patterns. If not, there are some easy ways to add the coastal grandma decor style with your textiles.
This is one of the most easy ways to start transitioning your decor style and make your house feel like it has that coastal style.
Coastal grandmother interiors share many similarities with grandmillennial summer decor, particularly when it comes to fabrics and patterns.
Soft florals, ticking stripes, block prints, and blue and white textiles create an effortless layered look that feels both cozy and sophisticated. These traditional patterns have remained popular because they create a home that feels collected over time rather than decorated all at once.
Coastal grandmother interiors will be filled with white accents, particularly on the furniture, with slipcovered pieces that are light, breezy, and easy to maintain. This is why all of my sofas have white washable slipcovers! I even bleach mine and put them in the dryer!
In the past, slipcovered furniture could mean a really big investment. However, there are a lot of great options available now to get the coastal grandmother vibe on a low budget. Last year, we updated our family room sectional to the Nixon Cloud Sectional from City Furniture. Not only is it incredibly comfy and cozy, but the extra large size is perfect for our entertaining needs in this season of raising teenagers in our house!
Your fabrics can also include things like a simple white linen drape or throw pillows with covers in a soft color palette. All of these textiles will help create the coastal grandmother home decor look like you’d find in a Nancy Meyers movie. or architectural digest magazine!
Pro Tip: For the luxurious feeling that accompanies the coastal grandmother home decor style, replace the regular pillow inserts with down inserts in your pillow covers!
Patterns are also an essential element of the coastal grandma style. I enjoy combining solid, stripe, and floral or block print style throw pillows on my white slipcovered sofas. The throw pillows can literally be “tossed” around (which totally happens with 3 kids!) and still look pretty in whatever order and combination they may land on the sofa!
You can browse more ideas for fabrics, patterns, and finishes HERE.
Ginger Jar Decorating Ideas for Coastal Grandmother Style
No discussion of coastal grandmother decor would be complete without talking about blue and white ginger jars. These timeless accessories are one of the easiest ways to add chinoiserie summer decor to your home while maintaining an elegant, collected look.
I love using ginger jars on bookshelves, coffee tables, kitchen counters, and summer mantels. They are some of the best ways to add height, pattern, and classic charm without overwhelming a room.
One of my favorite ways to use some of my smaller thrifted ginger jars is to set them atop a stack of pretty coffee table books to add layers and texture to my coffee table styling in the living room.
Tip: I mix vintage thrifted ginger jars and new ginger jars found at favorite stores, like TJ Maxx or Marshalls. Especially if you are decorating on a budget, like me, mixing old and new coastal grandmother home decor finds is a great way to achieve a high-end look without breaking the bank!
Coastal Grandmother Home Decor: Use of Natural Fibers and Textures
Any coastal style relies on the use of natural fibers and textures. The coastal grandmother home decor style also incorporates pieces that give a nod to the heavy rope and nets of fisherman out to sea. Pieces like jute rugs, jute ottomans, and driftwood are perfect ways to bring the natural fibers of the coastal grandma style into your home.
I am partial to any elements that incorporate a scalloped edge. This is probably because it makes me thing of the soft waves as the tide comes in! However, there are many decor elements using natural fibers that have the scalloped edging.
Here are a few easy decor ideas:
- Jute rug with scalloped edge
- Woven tray with scalloped sides (perfect for decorating vignettes or entertaining too)
- Rattan picture frames with pretty scalloped sides
- Scalloped edge door mat
- Pendant lighting with a scallop edge
Coastal Grandmother Home Decor: Natural Elements
Something that many coastal homes have in common is a collection of sea shells accumulated from family beach days. Our home is no different!
In fact, ever since I started creating a huge centerpiece on the coffee table with my antique wooden trencher and shell collection, a few more get added every time we make a trip to the beach! Honestly, it is these kinds of little things that help bring the coastal grandmother home decor state of mind to a home!
Other natural elements that I love bringing into our home for coastal cottage decor are sea fans, coral, sea sponges, large conch shells, sea glass, various sea shells, oyster shells, pretty pieces of small driftwood, and whatever other treasures the kids find along the way!
Here are a few fun ways to style these coastal elements in your home:
- Line up large shells on a shelf to feature a collection
- Hang flat natural elements, like a sea fan or starfish, on the wall
- Drill a tiny hole and combine smaller shells to make a sea shell garland
- Group all of the shells together in a large wooden bowl
- Place extra pretty pieces, like coral or sea fans, under a glass cloche
- Glue small shells onto a plain mini wreath to make special napkin rings
- Add sea glass to thrifted glass apothecary style bottles and use as shelf decor
Pro Tip: Coral is one of my favorite sculptural items to use in coastal decor.
However, real coral can be extremely expensive. THIS faux coral looks incredibly real and is so easy to style, as it has a flat side so it can stand on its own. I used my realistic faux coral on my summer mantel! You can find other very realistic coral HERE and HERE for awesome prices!
Chinoiserie Summer Decor Ideas
If you love classic blue and white decor, you’ll probably love chinoiserie summer decor as well. Chinoiserie has remained a timeless favorite because its elegant blue and white porcelain, ginger jars, decorative bowls, and traditional patterns bring beauty and character to any space.
Chinoiserie can be used in a wide range of decorating styles, from traditional to farmhouse to modern and everything in between. Even though they do not have specific coastal vibes, these pieces work especially well in both coastal cottage decor and grandmillennial summer decor.
One of my favorite things about chinoiserie is how easily it adds a designer-inspired look to a room. A few blue and white ginger jars styled on a bookshelf, a porcelain vase filled with hydrangeas, or a decorative bowl on a coffee table can instantly elevate a space. The classic blue and white color palette pairs beautifully with wicker, rattan, natural wood, linen, and other natural textures often found in Coastal Grandmother interiors.
The best part is that you don’t need a large collection to make an impact or bring the feeling of the coastal style to your living space. Just a few carefully chosen chinoiserie accents can create a timeless look that feels elegant without being formal. Whether you’re decorating a summer mantel, styling open shelves, or creating a beautiful tablescape, chinoiserie summer decor is an easy way to add charm, sophistication, and classic coastal style to your home.
Favorite chinoiserie accents for a Coastal Grandmother home:
- Blue and white ginger jars
- Porcelain vases with hydrangeas
- Decorative blue and white bowls
- Chinoiserie planters
- Framed chinoiserie artwork
- Blue and white table lamps
These timeless pieces are one of the easiest ways to incorporate blue and white decor into your home while creating the cozy, collected atmosphere that makes the Coastal Grandmother style so appealing.
Are you ready to start decorating now?!
What I love most about the Coastal Grandmother decor style is that it isn’t really about trends at all. It’s about creating a home that feels warm, welcoming, collected, and timeless.
Whether your style leans toward coastal cottage decor, classic coastal decor, traditional summer decorating, or grandmillennial summer decor, the Coastal Grandmother aesthetic embraces all of those elements beautifully.
Through blue and white decor, natural textures of shells and coral, vintage-inspired finds, ginger jar and chinoiserie collections, and relaxed coastal charm, you can create a home that feels both elegant and effortless.
And honestly, that’s a decorating trend I don’t see going out of style anytime soon.
Are you ready to become a coastal grandmother? Well, at least in your home decor style?! Haha!
You can browse my favorite coastal grandmother home decor style items HERE on my storefront! I love it so much that I have a whole curation dedicated to it at the top of my storefront!
You can see more of my coastal grandmother and coastal grandmillennial finds on my LTK storefront also, found HERE!
Happy almost-summer and happy decorating (in whatever your style is called!)
You may also enjoy these home decor blog posts:
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- 10 Best Home Decor Things I Wish I Had Bought Sooner (2024)
- 21 Ways How to Decorate with Summer Coastal Style: Summer Home Tour
- Simple Patriotic Decorating Ideas for Summer Under Five Dollars
- How to Decorate for Summer: 34 Ideas to Thrift for Summer Decor
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