Home by Katherine Emery

Grandmacore is a recent trend embracing knitting, crochet, and baking to unplug, de-stress, and enjoy slow living. Homes are often cozy, nostalgic, and whimsical in their style. Grandmacore has become popular because it evokes a feeling of comfort. Generation Z (people born between 1997 and 2012) have found kinship with Grandmacore because it helps them feel safe and believe that adulthood might not be that bad.

Patchwork quilts, chintz wallpaper, novelty teapots, and doilies are now popular items being sold at Target and Walmart. This trend draws inspiration from a grandmother’s cozy and eclectic aesthetic. Laura Ashley is the perfect example of the style, embracing floral patterns and vintage furniture. Grandmacore has been a part of my decorating style for my entire life.

Most of the furniture in my family was inherited and had a story. These stories brought a sense of a life and love of each piece. My maternal grandfather was a great collector of art and antiques, I can still recite the cities where he bought most of the treasures in my home. I grew up knowing the difference between a spider, Federal, or Sheraton table leg. I learned that sconces hung on the wall and candelabra sat on a table. I loved my Mom’s Regency style settees and her Louis XVI arm chair. Mom’s vatrine had cabriole legs and held tiny silver baby rattles and Aztec carved heads. Her eighteenth century burl wood break front displayed many generations of Wedgewood and Coalport china as well as her collection of Demitasse cups, (demitasse cups are perfect for tea parties with grandchildren). My Dad’s dresser was a favorite, it was a “tall-boy”with canon ball feet.

I was horrified when visiting my sister’s house years ago. She had actually gone to a furniture store and had bought most of the contents of her home. The only antique was my family’s marble topped wash stand from Florence, Italy. My great grandmother’s portrait was leaning against a wall in her basement and in its place in the living room was a huge mountain lion.

My children also grew up in a house full of stories with their family history all around them. Chair cushions needlepointed by a great aunt, bronze end tables with marble tops and early American dressers. The bed frames that they slept in nightly were their grandmother’s childhood beds that had traveled around the globe. Our dining room table was handmade in South Carolina before the Civil War.

It makes me very happy to see evidence of the love and coziness of their childhood home reflected in all four of my children’s design aesthetics. No one wants anything to do with my antique silver, all four spent too much time polishing it, silver is a lot of work. However, with the new taper candle movement, Cece has accepted some silver candlesticks.

As people continue to seek spaces that offer solace and a connection to the past, Grandmacore offers a charming and nostalgic escape. Grandmacore style can create inviting, personalized rooms that celebrate the beauty of history and the comfort of home. Grandmacore’s key components are thrifting and up cycling which increase awareness of sustainability. Repurposing vintage furniture and decor items align with eco-friendly practices. In this era dominated by technology, Grandmacore brings back memories of simpler times and the charm of well-loved, lived in spaces. This aesthetic is not just about decoration; it’s about creating a warm and inviting sanctuary.

I’ll be here in my sanctuary, with my husband and dogs, sitting by the fire, drinking tea, eating homemade soup, and knitting mittens for my grandchildren, waiting for the next snowstorm.

Kate Emery General is a retired chef/restaurant owner who was born and raised in Casper, Wyoming. Kate loves her grandchildren, knitting, and watercolor painting. Kate and her husband, Matt are longtime residents of Cambridge’s West End where they enjoy swimming and bicycling.