What to Know About the Bicentennial Style Revival

David Tsay

Millennials everywhere are taking design inspiration from the past, bringing back heritage styles—and we’re not talking about midcentury modern. Right now, “bicentennial millennials” are redefining the bicentennial style, a look that gained popularity in the 1970s. A reinterpretation of colonial style, bicentennial decor is layered, collected, and elevated—and now it’s fit for 2024.

You can define this style as a type of Americana design, drawing on bold and saturated primary colors (especially red and blue), folk art, handicrafts, and anything with American symbols like eagles and flags. But the style that’s trending now isn’t a total recreation of the era—there’s a bit of whimsy involved, too. Some of the decor is a bit over the top and tongue in cheek, even veering into kitsch.

But beyond the aesthetics, the most significant impact of this trend has been the increase in millennials who are now interested in collecting antiques after years of eluding them. The key to achieving this aesthetic without making it look dated is to keep it playful and mix and match antiques and modern pieces. With a keen eye for antiques, you’ll create a style that is classic, timeless, and, dare we say, cool.

If you don’t know where to start with antiques, there’s no need to worry. We spoke to an expert about what to look for—and what to avoid—on your quest to create your own vision of millennial bicentennial.

Bicentennial style is one of many of this year's trends that rely on high-quality items to create an eclectic decor look—along with grandpa chic, coastal grandma, craftcore.

Purchasing antique goods is sustainable, too, a quality that’s prioritized by consumers today—buying items that are already in circulation generally has