Granny Chic Returns to the Mountain House

Inside Kendall Jenner’s Cozy Mountain Home | Architectural Digest--see video tour Photo Source: Architectural Digest

Are Floral Sofas Back? Granny Chic Returns to the Mountain House “I have always had this dream and vision of just a very exotic, kind of crazy couch that becomes the statement in the room.” — Kendall Jenner

When I read that quote in Architectural Digest, I smiled — because it perfectly captures something we’re seeing again in design: a return to joyful, expressive upholstery that becomes the heart of the room. And nowhere does this feel more right than in a mountain home.

Photo Source:  Architectural Digest

Today, The Statement Sofa In her mountain retreat, Kendall Jenner embraced a bold floral sectional upholstered in Lee Jofa’s legendary Hollyhock pattern--a fearless, confident choice that anchors the entire living room. It’s playful. It’s cozy. It’s unapologetically granny chic — and it works beautifully.

After years of quiet greyed neutrals and minimalist mountain interiors, this feels like a shift: charm, color, and personality are welcome back.

Hollyhocks Handblock Linen in Lemon and Aqua Photo Source:  Lee Jofa

View our Hollyhock Fabrics, Wallpapers and Pillows

A Little History: Why Hollyhocks Handblock Endures Hollyhocks Handblock is one of the most beloved floral patterns in design history. First introduced in the 19th century and later produced by Lee Jofa, it has been printed almost continuously for more than a century — still made using traditional hand-block techniques. Designers from Mario Buatta to Joy Moyler have used Hollyhocks generously, wrapping entire rooms in it. As one Lee Jofa creative director famously said, “It’s never left the hand-block tables for a hundred years.”  That kind of staying power doesn’t happen by accident.

Photo Source:  Istock Hollyhocks Handblock in Linen White/Pink, right Photo Source: Lee Jofa Lee Jofa produces Hollyhocks in both linen and cotton, with 18 different colorways, making it surprisingly versatile. And it’s not the only version worth loving.

Why I’ve Always Loved Hollyhocks Personally, hollyhocks have always been a favorite of mine. I grow them in my own Tahoe garden, and every summer people strolling by stop to ask about them — what they’re called, why they feel so old-fashioned, and yet so cheerful. That reaction says everything. Hollyhocks are nostalgic, yes — but they’re also joyful, generous, and full of life. That’s exactly why they work so beautifully indoors.

Sanderson makes a classic and affordable Hollyhocks pattern. Below is Hollyhocks in Petrol Blue/Multi Source: Sanderson

Source: Schumacher

Schumacher’s Pyne Hollyhock offers a modern update with larger scale, contemporary palettes, and even little pine sprigs woven into the design — perfect for cabins (with a matching wallpaper, too)

This is granny chic reimagined!

Sue's Mountain Mix-- Granny Chic A simple layering idea for creating granny chic in mountain homes: start with a joyful floral, ground it with plaid, add an ethnic accent, and finish with a cozy wool Pendleton throw for warmth. Choose a hollyhock colorway you truly love — not the safe one, the one that makes you smile. Designer's Budget Tip: Get the Hollyhocks look by using a plain upholstered sofa spread with a generous collection of Hollyhocks pillows.

Source: Dragonfly Designs

Source: Schumacher Jahanara Carpet in Jade, above. Greta in Turquoise, below Source Pierre Frey

Source: Sanderson

Hollyhocks in Sage/Rose, above. . Pendleton Blanket, below.

Source: Pendleton

What could be more cozy than curling up on a hollyhock sofa under a cheerfully snug wool blanket, surrounded by wood, stone, and firelight? That’s granny chic at its very best: layered, confident, and deeply comfortable. Have Courage With Color in Mountain Homes One of the quiet secrets to Kendall Jenner’s home is her fearless use of color — repeated throughout the house. Reds, blues, and greens appear again and again: in tiles, a fabulous enameled range, light fixtures, quilts, and accents. These colors are grounded by stained wood and stone — and that’s the key. In mountain houses, wood ceilings, floors, and walls absorb color. A scheme that might feel too bold elsewhere often quiets down beautifully in a cabin. Without enough color, rooms can start to feel cave-like. So my advice is simple: have courage with color. In a mountain home, you almost can’t use too much.

Visit our Hollyhock Fabrics

Granny Chic, Confirmed Designer Miles Redd recently upholstered nearly all the soft furnishings in a client’s living room (including another huge sectional) in a fern-patterned fabric — a nod to the 1980s that somehow feels completely fresh. Cozy, layered, joyful. Granny chic isn’t dated. When it’s done well, it feels alive.

Source: Architectural Digest  Ferns in Indigo and White

Explore Floral Upholstery for Mountain Homes If you’re feeling inspired, I’ve gathered beautiful floral and botanical fabrics — including hollyhocks — curated especially for cabins and lodges. I’m also building a dedicated Hollyhock Collection in the shop, bringing all available fabrics, wallpapers, and pillows together in one place — a true labor of love.

Visit our Floral Fabrics

Visit our Hollyhock Fabrics, Wallpapers and Pillows

Source: Schumacher

Don't forget the hollyhock wallpaper! This is Pyne Hollyhock in blush And below, Hollyhock Wallpaper in Metallic Gold and Tan

Source Sanderson

Questions about yardage, samples, or mixing patterns? Email me anytime at spipal@att.net — I’m always happy to help.  — Sue Pipal

Visit our Hollyhock Fabrics, Wallpapers and Pillows Source Schumacher

Adirondack Charm Meets Fresh Style — A Miles Redd Living Room I Love

Some rooms stop you in your tracks—not because they’re dramatic or showy, but because they feel instantly right. This Adirondack living room by designer Miles Redd, photographed for Architectural Digest, is one of those rare spaces that balances comfort, tradition, and freshness all at once. It feels lived-in, loved, and welcoming… yet wonderfully stylish.

A Fresh Take on Cabin Upholstery

What struck me first was the upholstery. Every major furnishing is covered in a Lee Jofa fern fabric, and instead of feeling repetitive, it creates a harmonious, collected-over-time look. The pieces themselves look like they came from different eras—some older, some newer—but the unified fabric ties them together beautifully.

If you love this style as much as I do, I carry the same fern print in my online shop — it has the same woodsy charm and works wonderfully in cabins, bunk rooms, and cozy sitting areas.

Ferns in Indigo and Linen   Photo Source: Kravet

It’s a reminder that mountain homes don’t have to follow the beige-brown-leather formula. Pattern can be cozy, not busy—especially when the palette is natural and the print references the landscape outside.

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 Adirondack living room by Miles Redd with Lee Jofa fern upholstery and traditional cabin decor.  Photo: Architectural Digest / Miles Redd  Noe Dewitt

(For more classic Miles Redd cabin decor style see my previous post on Miles' own rustic cabin.)  

Adirondack Style, Done the Right Way

The second thing I noticed: those wonderful Adirondack stick-style elements. The stair railing, with its classic twig pattern, adds an instant sense of place. It roots the room in traditional mountain craftsmanship without feeling rustic or heavy.

Adirondack details like this have so much charm—and when paired with lighter prints and fresh fabrics, they keep a home warm and soulful rather than overly “themed.”

 Classic Adirondack stick-style stair railing, log trusses and beams, wood tongue and grove walls all give cozy mountain cabin living room design.  Photo: Architectural Digest / Miles Redd  Noe Dewitt

Cozy, Inviting, and Happily Traditional

So many mountain interiors today fall into two extremes:

• the grey-white-black modern chalet look (beautiful but often too cold), or

• the heavy leather lodge look (warm but predictable)

This room sits right in the sweet spot.

It’s cozy, inviting, traditional, and casually elegant. The eclectic mix of upholstered pieces, the pattern-on-pattern softness, the timeless rug layering—it all works together to create a space that feels like it has evolved over decades, not designed in a day.

That kind of layered charm is at the heart of great mountain design.

For more photos on this same project, see Architectural Digest's article Step Inside This New York City Family's Ultimate Adirondacks Lodge.

Want More Cabin Style Inspiration?

Explore two reader favorites:

• Can I Paint My Log Walls?

• 8 of the Most Charming Cabin Kitchens Ever

See hundreds of fabrics and wallpapers curated especially for cabins, lodges, and mountain homes:
TahoeDreamInteriors.com

Follow along for fresh cabin ideas:

• Pinterest

• Instagram

Let your mountain home reflect the beauty, comfort, and creativity you love.

— Sue Pipal

Ferns Fabric in Indigo White  Photo Source Kravet

Note:  Ferns also comes in coordinating wallpaper.  

       

Ferns Wallpaper in Green   Photo Source: Kravet