How to Design with Grandpa Chic

Shaw Builder SF SW753 Utmost - 17047 Grounded 52659 Canvas 322 Flatlay flooring
Jul 29, 2024 Tracy Daves — Regional Manager of Design & Marketing

Trend alert! What’s old is new again, literally. Yes, Coastal Grandmother has made a splash, but Grandpa Chic is hot on her heels. This may remind you of your own dad or grandpa, steady as an oak tree. Caring, durable, strong, just like hardwood floors.  

This grandpa style doesn’t evolve overnight. It is gathered over time. It has time-worn character, like old books and masculine yet traditional fabrics like plaid and warm flannels.

Let’s break down what this style embodies in our world of new home construction and multifamily design.

Nostalgia

This is a relaxed style. It isn’t fussy or modern. It has collected treasures over a lifetime, such as a vintage chess set, refinished club chairs, hats from vacations, and beloved matte framed pictures of loved ones. This look encourages you to take some of those cherished items your relatives passed down to you. It might be a desk, a lamp, a coin collection, or a curated bookcase with thoughtful pieces on display. Grandpa Chic even flows to your backsplash. This Unrivaled 2x4 glass in color Balanced Taupe warms up this multifamily kitchen in Shaw Floors own Living Labs.

Shaw Builder SF Ascendant 445TS-00700 Balanced Taupe 2x8 room scene  

Comfortable

Sink your toes in the textured thick carpet, park yourself into the oversized recliners, and wrap up in a tartan throw. Rich browns abound from your hardwood to your leather chairs. Imagine timeless rug and fabric patterns in menswear inspired prints, like paisley and chevron, reminiscent of yesteryear. I see this coordinating on a rug runner down a rich walnut stained staircase. Can you smell the old spice? How perfect is Anderson Tuftex’s iconic herringbone Always Yours in color Muslin as a Grandpa Chic stair runner?  

Shaw Builder SF Always Natural ZZ289-00753 Fossil Joinery AA835-9048 Overhead flooring

Saturated Color

Add rich warm tones with paint, throw pillows and tiles. Strong tones that are not too flashy, like navy, tobacco, deep yellow, and emerald come to mind. These colors define the space when paired with crisp white molding. For mirrors and hardware, keep the warmth going with old world gold and antiqued brass. Check out the dynamic duo design team from Girl Creative with their cozy multifamily living room at The Belk Gallant by Barrett Properties. These original 100-year-old hardwoods were restored and topped with a Shaw contract Chisel Tile area rug in color Pebble. It looks and feels like a chunky chenille sweater. 

(Belk Gallant)

Strength 

Time and time again, when we think of timeless floors, we are reminded of the investment of hardwood in a home. Hardwood has the highest ROI, return on investment, in a home. Hardwood is durable, strong, and stands the test of time. All other hard surfaces strive to achieve the look and realism of hardwood – it’s classic and dependable. The longer it is lived on, the better story it tells. 

Life was made to be experienced on your floors. Shaw Builder + Multifamily is now adding Repel splash proof technology to many of our made in the USA hardwood styles, because life is messy! So why not bring the beauty of nature inside the home with warm beautiful hardwood floors? A favorite of mine is Mariner Oak. It’s regal and the graining and colorations are unmatched. It screams #GrandpaChic. 

Shaw Builder SF Grandfarther and boy sitting on Mariner Oak flooring playing

Grandpa chic offers an invitation to feel at home, relax, kick your shoes off, share a meal. It’s a safe haven, cozy and relaxed. You don’t need an invitation because the door is always open for you. No need to dress up — come as you are, and you will get a big, warm, enveloping hug from this comfy style. 

Reach out to your Shaw Builder + Multifamily sales rep to learn more about these styles.