One woman's interior style journey from millennial gray to "cottage core" cozy has captured the attention of the internet as she shared the difference between her 2016 home and what her style looks like today.
When millennial Teri Muncey, 38, from the U.K., moved into her new-build in April 2024, she couldn't help but reflect on how much her style had shifted since her first flat in London.
Back in 2016, her home was the epitome of the so-called "millennial gray" trend, with muted walls, clean lines, a streamlined sofa and an overall minimalist aesthetic that was once a Pinterest-perfect dream.
"I was first drawn to a grey minimalist style as it was very much in fashion at the time," Muncey told Newsweek. "More than that, I felt like it made for a calmer space, with the clean lines, muted tones and carefully considered, sparse styling. I was also not particularly confident with how to use color in my home so it felt easier and safer to work within the monochrome spectrum."
But eight years later, her home looks dramatically different. Think warm pink walls, patterned cushions, secondhand wood furniture, vintage plates on display and the kind of lived-in coziness that couldn't be further from stark minimalism.
Muncey said that her style evolved gradually. As she started thrifting and collecting secondhand pieces, she found herself craving a home that felt more personal and inviting.
"As I started to get more and more into buying secondhand pieces, it inspired me to create more classic and eclectic interiors and I became increasingly obsessed with coziness in each room, feeling more like a home than a corporate office," she said.
"I won't pretend that trends didn't also shift but I think I also became more playful with color and pattern and finding ways to add personality to my home to make it feel more unique. It's been a progression over the last five years."
Over the 2010s and early 2020s, a restrained palette of grays, often called "millennial gray," and muted neutrals became a go-to for many interiors.
But over time, many designers and critics began to argue that the aesthetic had become overused, bland and cold.
Today, home decor trends have moved to more warm and inviting spaces, with color taking over and many homeowners taking their space back to its original features.
Today Muncey describes her aesthetic as "cozy, English cottage" -- a surprising label given she lives in a modern city-center flat. She's even considering adding faux beams above her kitchen door to enhance the character.
When Muncey shared the side-by-side comparison of her interiors on social media -- captioned "how it started vs how it's going" -- the post quickly struck a chord.
In the comments, people praised the change. "The best kind of transformation! Looks so cozy, I love the pinks," said one viewer. Another wrote: "Such transformations of these spaces! They look so gorgeous with detail and character."
"It's been one of my most engaged posts in the last year," Muncey said. "So many people said they'd also been trying to shake the stark millennial grey look lately and add more personality back into their home. I think we're all craving more uniqueness and interest in interiors."