If you use TikTok or are generally familiar with the dot-com world, you’ve probably heard of fridgescaping. This trend—elevating your weekly grocery shopping to Louvre-worthy levels by decorating the inside of your fridge with elements like flowers, antiques, pictures, and fairy lights—has taken the internet by storm.
At the top of the pack are a handful of influencers whose homemade refrigerators delight some but make others pale (comments on a recent New York Times Trend explanation: (“Do these people really cook or do they have a life?”, “That’s nice, but completely absurd” and, to put it mildly: “That bothers me”).
Tiffany Bishop is one such influencer whose fridge-related content has been a real smash hit, to use TikTok parlance—amassing 900,000 views. Bishop, who posts under the handle @houseofbishop, is quick to dispel common misconceptions about fridgescaping, particularly regarding waste and unnecessary spending.
“I think people are very confused. It seems like they think that when I’m grocery shopping, I’m also buying these other things independently,” she tells ELLE DECOR, referring to the jewelry jars, dozens of roses and Chanel bags (yes, you heard right) she’s known to hoard in her fridge. “Some things are reused. I also own an event decorating business, so I have a lot of these things on hand as is.”
According to Bishop, fridgescaping doesn’t have to be elaborate or expensive. “Just think about it when you open your fridge: What would make me smile more here?” she says. “Yes, we should all smile just because there’s food in the fridge. But what would trigger that extra dopamine rush when you open the fridge door?”
Bishop has experienced one dopamine rush after another, as her fridge themes range from tributes to TV personality Bethenny Frankel to a sponsorship of Vosges Haut-Chocolate to a Christmas fridge (complete with a gingerbread house, lollipop ornaments and whimsical elves). “With Christmas decorating, you want it to look like joy has been vomited into your home,” she says, adding that decking out your fridge for the holidays is an optimal way to ensure the seasonal aesthetic doesn’t clash with an otherwise minimalist home.
Lynzi Judish is another content creator whose aesthetic fridge makeovers have gained tremendous popularity in recent months. Judish sets her theme change to big grocery shopping, which means she has a new fridge decor scheme:The Bridgerton Refrigerator, for example, was a huge hit – about once every two weeks. It has affected her life in more ways than she could have ever anticipated.
Lynzi Judish arranges a bouquet of flowers to later place in her refrigerator next to the produce.
Judish’s refrigerator landscapes are feminine and artistic and ensure that all perishable goods are stored under optimal conditions.
“I want to cook more, experiment more with my stuff, and use more things from my garden,” Judish tells us. “And then you get edible flowers from the garden and suddenly you learn how to incorporate them into salads. I didn’t think it would have any health benefits for me, but I’m really eating healthier than I ever have in my entire life.”
Because just like dopamine clothing can create an uplifted mood just by the colors and patterns you choose for your clothes, so too is having a refrigerator that you actually enjoy Watching it – rather than viewing it as a faceless means to a midnight snack – can lead to less temptation to use Uber Eats and more home-cooked meals.
The joy that comes with a well-executed fridge decoration does not only touch the designer who created it. “My husband supports me a lot. Every time he sees me designing a new fridge decoration and then opens it, it is an exciting moment. That last, The Hobbit, was his favorite. His face lit up. He thought it was so cool,” says Judish.
Judish even puts handwritten letters in her fridge and creates labels for important things like milk or soda.
Not all, However, is on board with hedgehog-shaped butter dishes and LED-related objects in his fridge, including leading home and entertainment experts who are quick to sigh at the often short-lived cultural fascination of this kind.
Rebecca Gardner – founder of Houses & Parties, an event and interior design collective – doesn’t mince her words. “I don’t know much about fridgescaping, but I know I’m too busy for it,” she tells us. “Kitchens and utility rooms are practical.”
Admittedly, she’s willing to be a little open-minded (just a little), and even has a product recommendation for anyone who has more time for fridgescaping than she does: “I’m going to meet fridscapers halfway. I suggest a hand-blown glass bowl from Tracy Glover to hold Honeycrisp apples, which are delicious served cold. I skipped science class, but I want to warn fridscapers that mixing certain organics that release gases can harm your produce. Be careful what you store with what you eat. Don’t ask me any questions.”
Ready to upgrade your own refrigerator? Here are some tips from the pros.
- Don’t go on a shopping spree. “Try to find things in your own home that you like, even if they’re not directly related to food. Experiment with what you already have, rather than going out and buying a bunch of things and hoping it all fits together,” advises Bishop. “Just work slowly but surely.”
- Immerse yourself in pop culture. Sure, there are some commonalities in fridge motifs that have been popping up online lately (enchanted forest, floral paradise in spring), but don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Case in point is Bishop’s upcoming fridge design idea, which can only be described as “Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart’s equestrian moment at the Paris Olympics” – it seamlessly combines their shared passion for equestrianism and all things Martha.
- Stay safe! Judish is a big fan of getting vases, pictures and other items for her fridge from antique stores, but she also advises testing anything you plan to store food in for lead. On that note, Judish also says, “If you tend to leave meat uncovered in the fridge, you can easily contaminate fruit if you have it (open) as well. Something like that always needs to be wrapped.”
- Aim for the easy wins. Creating a space that encourages playful creativity and good nutrition doesn’t have to be rocket science. “Anything that needs to be stored in water anyway or that does well in water – like asparagus or soft herbs or celery – can be put in a vase,” Judish tells ELLE DECOR. “It instantly looks pretty and you’re storing it exactly how it should be.” Other small steps you can take? Stock up on some butter dishes, egg cartons and other inexpensive purchases, according to Judish.
Don’t know where to start? The following products will help you on your way to a more beautiful refrigerator.
Shop some essential fridgescaping items here!
Sun Squad strawberry-shaped beverage dispenser
Pottery Barn Micro LED String Lights (Set of 2)
Terrain Mushroom LED Light
Cornucopia Brands Quart Wooden Berry Baskets (Set of Six)
Dgudgu butter dish with octopus
Stacia Datskovska, Assistant Digital Editor at ELLE DECOR, covers design, decor, and architecture with an eye for trends and culture in general. She has written for USA Today, the Boston Globe, Teen Vogue, Apartment Therapy, and more.
