What Exactly is Fridgescaping? An Expert Weighs In

In recent months, you may have started to witness the concept of fridgescaping while scrolling through social media, but if this phrase is totally foreign to you, don’t fret! In short, fridgescaping involves prettying up the inside of your refrigerator (beyond arranging traditional food items and opting for helpful storage solutions!), with many people adding florals, greenery, and all kinds of decorative accents, ranging from books to vases to trays, to the mix to create an eye-catching display. The best thing about fridgescaping is that it’s up to you to shape the direction of your design, whether you build off of a specific theme, color scheme, and beyond.

Lynzi Judish is a fridgescaping enthusiast and content creator who often sources many of the pieces for her display from AuctionNinja. We spoke with her to learn more about this creative practice and what specifically it entails. 

How did you get into fridgescaping? What do you enjoy the most about it?

I started fridgescaping after seeing some other people do it on Instagram. I thought it was a really fun way to romanticize your life and spark joy in a place that’s usually not fun to look at. Of course, it ended up having so many amazing benefits for me I would’ve never expected. I enjoy a lot of things about fridgescaping, but my favorite thing is probably the healthy lifestyle I’ve built around it. I would say that’s an amalgamation of things, but it has led to healthier eating, more cooking, and even taking up gardening.  

How do you determine your themes? What items are your favorite types to incorporate? 

The first theme I ever did was Fridgerton, which was a Bridgerton inspired theme. I actually got that idea from a follower who had commented “Fridgerton” on a previous video. I loved the idea and just ran with it. Since then, it’s been a combination of some themes that were things that I just really loved and some were themes commonly suggested by my followers. As far as items I like to incorporate, I really love a cute butter dish and an egg crate. Those are items I can use no matter what the fridgescape theme is. I also love to hunt for pretty vases that I can use to store things like herbs, flowers, and vegetables that do well in water, like celery and asparagus. 

How often do you switch up your fridgescapes? 

I’ve been doing them every two weeks. It’s a natural time for me to switch it up, because I do a big grocery shop every two weeks. Since I started this, I’ve gotten in the habit of cleaning my refrigerator pretty regularly as well, so at that two week mark I do a big grocery shop and also tidy and clean. It just makes sense to do it then.

Where do you shop for most of your decor for the fridge? 

I honestly shop all over the place, ranging from Amazon to HomeGoods to Auction Ninja to thrift stores to items in my own home, so I suppose that means shopping my closet and bookshelves. The items I can most commonly find on the AuctionNinja website are pretty vases and bowls; they’re very versatile and you can use them for all sorts of things. The big thing that I look out for is lead in items. I always test an item before I use it for food storage. Items that I can’t use in my refrigerator I’ll just use in my regular home decor.

What tips do you have for those new to fridgescaping?

I think it’s a good idea to start small. Those items that you might use anyway are a good place to start, like a butter dish or an egg crate or a pretty pitcher—anything that doesn’t change the way you store an item. That process does get a little complicated because you have to learn to eat certain items quicker and plan around them, because you don’t want to have food waste in this process. You can slowly decide to display more items and see what works for you and your family. I think doing it all at once is a more difficult way to start. Also, if it’s not naturally fun for you and you find that you’re not enjoying it, then simply don’t do it. This is absolutely not necessary! 

What is the most challenging aspect of fridgescaping? 

You have to do a certain amount of planning in order to make this work, as well as continually take stock of where your produce is in the ripening or decay process. Displaying items sometimes means approaching your weekly meals differently. You learn as you go what works for you. I also think that you have to be realistic with yourself and your shopping with what you’ll actually eat in the timeline you have. I am hyper focused on food waste because the last thing I want to do is to start throwing things away from the refrigerator because I decided I had to make them look pretty. That’s absolutely silly! There is a lot of mindfulness involved in the process, so you have to be prepared to take these things into consideration and work with them. 

Written by:

Sarah Lyon

October 16, 2024     Updated 11:10 AM

Sarah Lyon is a Washington, DC, native living in New York City. As a freelancer, she frequently covers pieces pertaining to interior design, travel, and other lifestyle topics. Her pieces have appeared in outlets including Apartment Therapy, Architectural Digest, MyDomaine, the Washington Post, the New York Times, and more. When she isn't writing, Sarah works with designers to help them style spaces for photo shoots (and can't stop rearranging and redecorating her own apartment, either!). She has a penchant for shopping secondhand and loves giving preloved pieces new life. Sarah’s own spaces have appeared on Apartment Therapy, The Everygirl, Houzz, and Washingtonian.com. Her Dupont Circle apartment was featured in both the spring 2019 print edition of Small Space Decorating and the January 2019 print edition of Washingtonian Magazine.

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