Coastal California has been rebranded as Coastal Grandmother style. Why now? Nancy Meyers films (Something’s Gotta Give, It’s Complicated, etc.) spawned the term; talk about a delayed reaction. The Coastal Grandmother trend has been ubiquitous for, like, ever.
It’s not just in California; New England is inundated with breezy coastal decor. So is much of the rest of the country; one look at Instagram confirms it. Why so popular? It’s fresh, pretty, and accessible.
Serena & Lily nailed the look years ago and the brand’s social media presence has helped perpetuate the look. Call it Coastal California style or the Coastal Grandma trend, either way, the look lives on.
EVERYTHING atSerena & Lily is 20% off until May 31, 2022, even new arrivals and sale items. (Excludes art.) USE CODE: GOFORIT. There’s now a flat delivery rate making shopping & shipping more efficient.
These pieces from Serena & Lily are easy to integrate into any space:
StyleCarrot partner Serena & Lily dropped its Fall 2021 collection today. New pillows, lumbar pillows, wallpaper, natural fiber rugs, and upholstered furniture with fringe included. Colorways include the ever popular coastal blues and fall-friendly, olive-y greens, along with a touch of russet. Old favorites in updated
What types of accessories will you use to update your rooms for fall? Peruse these Serena & Lily fall introductions for inspiration.
Blue and white is pretty, but without pattern can be a little boring. How about some blue and white wallpaper? These hand-painted leafy waves from Serena & Lily’s wallpaper collection are feminine but not froufy.
Perhaps Serena & Lily’s most on point piece for fall is the Buchanan fringed bed in gold washed linen. The headboard’s art deco shape is simple enough to go the long haul. That Woodland wallpaper adds a tropical-meets-the-subcontinent vibe.
Serena & Lily’s new neutral rugs in natural fibers: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
Serena & Lily’s quintessential SoCal furniture with natural accents, like this Mercer nightstand, straddles the seasons depending on how you dress the bed.
Serena & Lily is one of my favorite design partners. So, when I needed to kickstart my bedroom makeover, Serena & Lily was an obvious source. New Englanders embrace the coastal Cali look, Serena & Lily even opened a shop in Chestnut Hill, just outside Boston, a couple of years ago.
I love how Serena & Lily’s pieces blend seamlessly with the decor in our more traditional Back Bay condo as well as in our more contemporary Cape Cod house. As you’ll see below in the photographs, it also works well in a midcentury modern setting.
About a year-and-a-half ago, I ordered a green Granada quilt for our preliminary Boston bedroom makeover. I suppose it was more of a refresh at that point. As soon as I spread the quilt on the bed, the room felt brighter and more vibrant. This was exactly the effect I was going for with the bedroom makeover, given our bedroom is located in the basement and lacks abundant natural sunlight.
As much as I love all-white simplicity, the bedroom really benefited from the rich color, rhythmic pattern, and jaunty details of the quilt. The overscale, Indian-inspired botanical pattern is a nice juxtaposition to the geometric wallpaper on the wall behind the bed. The emerald green pops against the upholstered white headboard and plays off the pale green walls. Finally, the quilting, embroidered details, and tassels are fun touches.
The Granada quilt is made from cotton and linen. There’s enough linen that there’s a textural quality to the fabric, but enough cotton to give it some weight and ensure it doesn’t feel scratchy. It’s gone through the washer and dryer a number of times and looks great. It will hold its own through another makeover.
I brought the quilt out to Cape Cod this summer to dress up the sofa bed in my yoga studio / workspace. I may even cozy up with it on our outdoor patio in the evening. I’ll be posting these variations in my Instagram stories soon.
In the meantime, I thought I’d experiment with the Granada quilt by doing an impromptu bedroom makeover in a midcentury modern home in the Cape Cod National Seashore. I thought, if this quilt can transform an urban bedroom and fit perfectly into a contemporary space, how would it work in a midcentury one? Turns out, really well!
Instant midcentury modern bedroom makeover compliments of the Serena & Lily Granada quilt
A family member kindly let do a bedroom makeover in her midcentury modern home. The house was designed by architect Charlie Zehnder in the 1960s. Have a look at this post on my @StyleCarrot Instagram feed to see the clerestory window and beams above the bed. The furniture has a southwestern flavor that works well with the botanical print.
I haven’t read this book, have you? I picked it up off the homeowner’s stack of books because the cover looks perfect against the quilt. Always judge a book by its cover. A bed too. Turkey feather found in the wild.
The pattern is printed on both sides of the cotton/linen quilt which has a clean, knife edge. The pairs of triangles in taupe embroidery thread add to the hand-crafted feel, as do the trio of tassels at each of the four corners. Not only do these details elevate the look, they add texture, and help the palette meld with natural decor elements elsewhere in a room.
The original wide-plank floor has so much character. I love how the edges of the old, tattered book look against it. The embroidery and tassels accentuate the effect.
Meet Bella, a new rescue puss. She’s fluffy, sweet, and a little bit shy. She looks grumpy here, but she is even tempered. The shoot had to pause for a few minutes because Ms. Bella takes her meals bedside.
Photos by Marni Elyse Katz/StyleCarrot
S C H E M I N G
Create a chic, neutral bedroom makeover with 16 pieces from Serena & Lily.
Our bedroom in Boston has a feature wall with white wallpaper that has a silvery geometric pattern , pale green walls that read as light and bright, neutral wool carpet with pattern and texture, and a glossy white lacquer dresser with polished chrome studs. (You can see a photo of the dresser in my bedroom here.) Yes, it’s about time for a bedroom makeover.
I’d love to do a full bedroom makeover around the Granada quilt. I devised a neutral bedroom makeover scheme using 16 Serena & Lily pieces, including a rattan-wrapped dresser that I adore. What do you think?
What’s blue and white and natural all over? Serena & Lily furniture and decor, of course. StyleCarrot partner Serena & Lily just launched their great, big, summer sale. Your summer decorating can start now. Phew.
Blue and white accessories and rattan furnishings from Serena & Lily make any house feel like a summer home. Use code DIVEIN for 20% off from May 27 through June 1, 2021. Some exclusions apply.
Here are some favorites from the Serena & Lily Summer Sale:1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6/ 7 / 8
Is your bedroom a haven? It should be, especially if your kids will be homebound this fall. StyleCarrot partner Serena & Lily is having a sale on pretty much everything you would want for a serene bedroom makeover.
All bedding, beds, headboards, nightstands, and dressers are on sale at Serena & Lily through the end of Tuesday, August 18, 2020. They’ve also jintroduced 150+ new arrivals across multiple categories, including bedding, sofas, outdoor furniture, wallpaper, and accessories.
Serena & Lily’s coastal Cali vibe meshes well with New England coastal sensibilities and can freshen up tired, traditional decor too.
