Fridgescaping: A Look at the Kitchen Decor Trend Blowing Up on Social Media — Plus Easy Fridge Organizing Tips You’ll Want to Try
Home decor trends tend to come and go as people try out different styles in areas of their homes, with some becoming more popular than others. One recent fad that has caught attention on social media is what has been dubbed as “fridgescaping”— the trendy new way to organize your fridge. This newfangled way of tackling a refrigerator’s contents has some scratching their heads, while others can’t wait to give it a try. Read on to learn more about fridgescaping and some less outlandish ways you can make your own appliance’s interior more pleasing to look at.
What is fridgescaping?
Though it’s common for people to take pride in decorating their kitchens, some have taken the idea of aesthetics even further. Enter: Fridgescaping. This re-emerged social media trend involves giving the inside of a refrigerator a bit of a visually pleasing makeover.
The phrase was first coined back in 2011 by retired design consultant Kathy Perdue in a blog post. “Why not put your everyday food items in pretty containers and have something pretty to look at when you open the refrigerator door?! You know something to make you smile,” she writes in a blog post on the topic. She goes on to give suggestions on ways to organize the inside of the appliance so it’s less of an eyesore whenever you open the door.
Now, however, the term has taken on a bit of a different meaning. Some people are now adding anything from flowers to picture frames in the empty space on their fridge shelves. It’s almost like looking at a well organized bookshelf, rather than a place for food storage.
Why is refrigerator organization so on-trend?
The decorating trend may seem unusual to some, but others say focus on the aesthetics of their fridge brings them joy. For example, @rosemaryfairy on Instagram showed off what she dubbed her “Girl Fridge” in a reel. Her shelves are filled with not only edible items, but pretty storage bins and other decorations too.
“I love adding baskets and colanders to house things that would otherwise be stowed away in drawers, forgotten and rotting,” she writes in the caption. “I know it might be silly, but this is an area of my home that brings me too much dopamine when done ‘right. and a bit of chaos when… well chaotic.”
One TikTok user, @lynziliving, goes as far as creating themes for her fridgescaping. Her first idea was “Fridgerton” which she shares in the TikTok video below.
https://www.tiktok.com/@lynziliving/video/7389323972715777310
For her, the appeal goes beyond just entertainment on social media—it actually helps cut down on food waste. "Historically, I've definitely let food go to waste in my refrigerator, because I have forgotten about it altogether," she tells Good Housekeeping. "With this process, I see every single thing in my refrigerator, and it's made me more excited about meal planning. I never realized how often I'm in and out of the refrigerator until I started fridgescaping."
How do people feel about the trend?
While the trend continues to garner views on TikTok and Instagram, many have recognized it’s not exactly the most useful way to organize a fridge. “I think [fridgescaping] is a really funny, bizarre trend, but I don’t think it’s a trend by people that cook,” Ellen Marie Bennett, founder and chief brand officer of Hedley & Bennett and host of Kitchen Glow Up, tells Food & Wine. “I think it’s a trend by people that maybe decorate and want to make their house look cute, but are by no means trying to bring function to their home.”
Others have made TikTok videos, like the one below, mocking the idea of fridgescaping and all that goes into it.
Many jumped on to comment on the video, sharing that it’s simply not for them. “I’ve got way too many condiments for this,” says @tawnisuebabyboo. (If you also have a lot of condiments tucked in your fridge, try using them to make homemade bang bang sauce).
Another TikTok user implied it’s not practical for anyone who regularly needs to access food items. “Imagine looking for a snack at 12:30 am and you have to dig through your decorations and try not to break anything,” says @amandoof.
Using ‘Fridgescaping’ to organize your fridge
One of the biggest concerns with fridgescaping is where to actually put the food! TikTok user @lynziliving addresses this in a separate video. She shows that everything from zucchini and bell peppers to eggs and heavy whipping cream are simply stored in aesthetic baskets, pitchers and jars on the appliance shelves.
If you’re not into the idea of adding “extra” decor items, there are still some ways to make your fridge look tidy, organized and aesthetically pleasing with your fruit and vegetables and all other fridge food.
Stand up flavorful staples like parsley, basil and green onions in Mason jars with a little water in the bottom. Then loosely drape a plastic bag over them. “Fresh produce loves being housed the way it naturally grows—plus, this trick takes advantage of vertical space, freeing up your drawers,” says wellness blogger and Instagram user Kristen Hong (@hellonutritarian). (A great way to use that fresh basil? Try our strawberry-basil granita!)
When they’re standing upright, bottles of juice and other beverages can hog a ton of shelf space in your fridge while leaving unusable empty space above them. The answer: Repurpose an old bottle or wine rack so you can store bottles horizontally, recommends Amanda Clark, owner of Ever So Organized. “I use stackable acrylic wine holders for water bottles, sports drinks and, of course, wine!”
“I wash fresh produce, dry it and stash it in clear, moisture-proof bins in the middle of the fridge—it’s easy to store, easy to see and easy to eat,” says professional organizer Debra Baida of LiberatedSpaces. This also bring them to eye level so you're more likely to eat the fruits and veggies.
In the day-to-day shuffle, sometimes groceries get put wherever they fit, leading to frazzled searches for that missing bottle of ketchup come dinnertime. The solution: Dry-erase labels that categorize every inch of shelving, prompting you to put everything in its place. You also won't accidentally overlook any expiration dates, since all of the products will be easy to find and not shoved to the back of the fridge. (Click through for more ideas on how to organize a fridge).
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