UGA Student Makes Grandmillennial Style Personal While ‘Balling on a Budget’
Two framed prints of Paris hang in Madeline Taylor’s college room, looking more like a splurge than a bargain.
Her mother found the pair at a consignment store in Ellaville, Georgia, for $40. For Taylor, a master of accountancy student at the University of Georgia, the water landscape prints fit the room she envisioned and reminded her of her recent trip to Paris.
“I feel like it looks really nice and put together, but it’s not crazy expensive,” Taylor said. “Balling on a budget.”
That “balling on a budget” approach carries throughout the room, where Taylor pairs an elevated, put-together style with affordable finds. A native of Tazewell, Georgia, many of the pieces also reflect her family, experiences and Georgia roots.
Taylor turned primarily to Target while decorating, with other purchases from Amazon, Walmart and Etsy. Among her online finds are blue-and-green tropical pillow covers from Etsy featuring jaguars, palm trees and birds.
When she found a rug she liked from a decor retailer for about $600, she used Google image search to look for a similar option. She found what she described as an identical rug through Walmart for about $120, saving nearly $500.
For other students decorating on a budget, Taylor recommends looking beyond traditional decor retailers.
“Look at Etsy sellers and go to local thrift and consignment stores,” Taylor said. “You can find some gems with some character.”
Taylor describes her style as grandmillennial, an aesthetic she has maintained throughout college while becoming more willing to incorporate unexpected pieces. The blue chair in her room is one example.
“In the past, I would’ve chosen something more neutral,” Taylor said. “I have become more open-minded to pieces that are more unique and not so picture-perfect.”
That willingness to choose pieces with character extends to items with more personal meaning.
Nearby, a small peanut Jellycat sits on a shelf built into her mirror among photographs of friends and family. For Taylor, the figure represents more than a playful nod to Georgia.
Her father works in agricultural sales and often works closely with peanut farmers across South Georgia. Before coming to UGA, Taylor graduated from Georgia Southwestern State University, where she participated in the President Jimmy Carter Leadership Program.
Named for the Plains, Georgia native and former U.S. president, the program connects Taylor to another piece of Georgia’s peanut culture: Carter grew up on a farm near Plains where his family grew peanuts, and the crop remains closely associated with the town.
“Peanuts just mean a lot to me because, I mean, I’m from Georgia,” Taylor said.
Her mother’s influence is also seen throughout the room. Along with finding the $40 Paris prints, she helped Taylor design the space. A lamp from her mother, Lynn Murray, is among the pieces Taylor considers sentimental.
“Me and my mom are very similar, and she’s my best friend,” Taylor said. “We just had a fun time shopping and putting it all together.”
Taylor said her mother has influenced her taste in decor over the years, an influence she expects to continue beyond her college room.
“She’ll probably be who helps me decorate my future house one day,” Taylor said.
