By Lindsay Powell; Photography by Anna Routh

Borrowed Style

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Floral fabrics and wallpapers, pleated lampshades, chintz with wicker, and rattan and bamboo pieces layered over vintage rugs are all elements combined to create a decor style often described as Granny Chic—more recently dubbed Grandmillennial by a younger generation interested in mixing family heirlooms and vintage finds with modern design elements—keeping the look fresh instead of dowdy.

“I’ve spent countless weekends over the past two decades scouring vintage and second-hand shops for furniture and accessories I can only imagine have fascinating backstories,” explains Raleigh designer Lauren Hood of Progeny Interiors. “Wicker baskets, burnt bamboo shelves, intricate quilts, unique pieces of pottery, inlaid side tables, kitschy seashell boxes, vintage rugs, paintings (old paint-by-numbers!)—just a snippet of what I see when I look around my home and realize how many of my things first belonged to someone else.”

Clients Julia and Matt Peterson enlisted the talents of Hood to transform their downstairs guestroom into a cozy and relaxing oasis. “Julia’s guest bedroom had existing floral wallpaper that we thought was lovely, but we wanted to use a more contemporary fabric for the window treatments to avoid the room feeling stuffy,” explains Hood, choosing Schumacher Deconstructed Stripe by Miles Redd paired with a vibrant red-tape trim. The brass wall lamps were outfitted with custom pleated lampshades in a block-print pattern from North Carolina–based Cruel Mountain Designs. A Christopher Spitzmiller lamp in lavender sits atop a burl-wood bedside table. Vintage books and family photos line the built-in shelves. A custom chaise lounge from Lee Industries sits in the corner of the room on top of a colorful vintage rug—a perfect place to relax with a cup of tea and a good book.

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