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People are Going Crazy for the Coastal Grandmother Trend (And Why You May Want to Join it, Too!)

Find out how the coastal grandmother decor style became a trend, what it is, and how to add it to your home.

The other day I was perusing my Instagram feed when a post from Martha Stewart caught my eye. In bold letters it read, “Coastal Grandmother Style is Making Waves in the Design World“.

“What in the world is ‘Coastal Grandmother Style’?”, I questioned.

My question quickly led me down the rabbit hole of research and I absolutely loved what I discovered!

The coastal grandmother look has interiors with coastal vibes, lots of natural light, cozy interiors, rustic textiles, and vintage decor. It can be incorported into all sized spaces – from small apartments to a big beach house.

How did Coastal Grandmother style become trendy?

Screenshot of Lex Nocoleta's TikTok channel that made the Coastal Grandmother style so popular

From what I’ve researched, it seems that the Coastal Grandmother trend was started by the brilliant 26-year-old influencer Lex Nicoleta through her viral tiktok channel.

Her short and clever videos define what the Coastal Grandmother style is and how to incorporate the asthetic in your lifestyle, clothing, decor, food, and entertainment. It’s gone crazy on social media and people are going crazy for it!

What is Coastal Grandmother Style?

Collage of elements of coastal grandmother style like flowers, white open kitchens, ginger jars, bucket hats, wicker baskets, and dinner parties.
“Coastal Grandmother” style is portrayed in many Nancy Meyers films.

I’d define coastal grandmother style as a close cousin to the cottage core trend. Lex Nicoleta defines the coastal grandmother as someone who:

  • loves elegant, cozy decor
  • embraces neutral and flowy fashion (think classic white button down shirt and bucket hats)
  • putters in her backyard garden
  • cooks tasty and delicious Ina Garten inspired food

She basks in her slow living lifestyle, enjoys shopping at the farmer’s market carrying a wicker basket to put her purchases in. She loves her kitchen island where she spends time whipping up chic recipes for casually elegant dinner parties.

However, you don’t need to be a member of the wealthy middle-aged women club to embrace the coastal grandmother vibe. Many young ladies far from Grandmothering age are loving this design style in their home and lifestyle.

The Coastal Grandmother style is emulated in many Nancy Meyers’ movies such as Diane Keaton in Father of the Bride and Meryl Streep in Somethings Gotta Give. All the simple details in those movies often touch a soft spot in our hearts, and now it’s becoming popular to add them to our homes.

How to add Coastal Grandmother Style into your decor

I had a great time adding some trendy coastal grandma decor into our own home decor. You already know that I love cottagecore-style furnishings, and this goes right along with it!w “trendy” style into our home.

I’m proof that you don’t need a giant mansion on the sea to add this cozy style to any sized home! I used pieces of decor that I already own and put together an edited version with beachy blue hues, white accents, and wicker baskets.

Here are some simple Coastal Grandmother style ideas you might want to try, too. In fact, there’s a good chance you already have quite a few of these elements already!:

  • Blue & white – Coastal grandmother style incorporates lots of blue & white into its mostly neautral setting. It makes sense, as it is the colors of the sea! I noticed that there are also quite a few ginger jars in the spaces. Since I didn’t have exact ginger jars, I pulled out all the vintage blue & white dishes and pitchers I had and sprinkled them throughout my bookcase decor.
  • Florals – Mix and match florals through fabrics (like throw pillows) and floral arrangements are sprinkled throughout a Coastal Gran’s spaces. I’m sure the “coastal grandmother” herself has a giant field of fresh flowers to pick from, but in the absence of that reality for me, I mixed fresh flowers from the grocery store & faux flowers into my decor.
  • Coastal art – Since this style is “coastal”, it only makes sense to add some seascape art. Large art prints can go on the walls and small prints can lean in the back of bookcases and on shelves.
  • Wicker accessories – A wicker basket on my living room shelf hides our tv remotes, and a wicker tray on the coffee table corrals a floral arrangement and candle. Since coastal grandmother style often starts with a neutral background (our walls are white), natural elements like wicker and wood add warmth to the space.
  • Baskets of fruit and veggies – Since our coastal gran loves to both garden and cook, it only makes sense that there should be bowls of fresh fruit and veggies sitting out. I always love a happy bowl of lemons, but apples, pears, and artichokes also look great as decor, too.
  • Shelves of books – Nothing says “cozy” to me more than a shelf of books and some candles lit around a room. Pull out some books and incorporate them into your decor…and you just might be tempted to read them, too!
  • Breezy linens- Think breezy white linen curtains, linen tableclothes, table runners, and vintage linens under vases of flowers for decor. And the breezy linen theme can be incorporated into your wardrobe, too with breezy linen pants (I have a pair that I love!), breezy button-downs to throw on, and of course, one of those bucket hats to keep the sun off our faces while we pick flowers or go for a boat ride!;)

Shop Coastal Grandmother Style

Disclosure: The following are affiliate links.

I put together a collection of coastal grandmother style products in this Amazon Shop List.

And, if you have access to a Target store, here are some Coastal Grandmother picks from there:

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8 Comments

  1. A great starting post to teach us about Coastal Grandmother. Will there be more? I am mostly looking for decor and fashion. I don’t cook and don’t garden. Maybe I will have to watch the Dianne Keaton movie again. Thanks for all the inspiration.

    1. Hi Pamela, I will be doing a video “reel” series this week on Instagram showing how I added Coastal Grandmother decor to my own home. And, more Coastal Grandmother posts are in the works.😉 Thanks for stopping by!

  2. What a great blog….so helpful! Thank you for doing the research and informing us “real” grandmas!
    God Bless you!

  3. This makes me want to embrace my inner grandma and deck my house out in florals and wicker. Thanks for explaining what this is, Rita – it seems to be popping up everywhere!

  4. I’m not a grandma, but this stile Of dressing and decorating is southern to me. Since I’m from the Deep South and live there now, it’s just the most perfect way to dress and decorate. I love what you’re sharing! This isn’t original to me, it’s “Romancing the Ordinary. “
    💗

  5. I’m not a grandma, but this style of dressing and decorating is southern to me. Since I’m from the Deep South and live there now, it’s just the most perfect way to dress and decorate. I love what you’re sharing! This isn’t original to me, but it’s all about “Romancing the Ordinary. “
    💗

  6. This took me on a walk down memory lane. My granny was, apparently, a coastal grandma. My granddad had picked up a “beach shack” in southern California back in the 30’s for next to nothing & it became their obsession to remodel. It was a lovely piece of land that faced the beach. This was before they installed the hideous long cement boardwalks which my grandparents abhorred. What started out as a tumbling wood shack over the coming 40 years became a gorgeous brick & wood beach cottage. There were rambling brick pathways through beautiful gardens – flowers & edibles! Bougainvillea & cottage roses were in abundance. I remember her delft china – the beautiful blue& white in her china cabinet. Her delft China came to her from my grandpa who was stationed in Holland in the 40’s mailed her a couple pieces each week the entire time he was there and brought home with him the last pieces she needed to complete her set. Their story of their Delftware is so charming. Granny learned to lay brick while he was gone & she and her 2 sons/2 daughters built a new face to the house & added the most of the back living room. Using the left over brick she began laying the pathways. Long story short their home was styled in what today is known as Coastal Grandmother style. Lots of baskets, blue pillow ticking was abundant. Gosh, what a wonderful stroll down memory lane. The house was finally sold after my granny passed away and grandpa soon followed. I don’t think I can ever forgive my aunt & uncle (executors of the estate) for deciding to sell the home even though it’s value had grown to an astronomical amount. Their charming home was replaced by a gaudy huge glass & stucco monstrosity.

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