On TikTok and Instagram, so-called fridgescaping is having a moment as people redesign the inside of their fridge to look more beautiful.
What Is Fridgescaping?
Published on Oct. 16, 2024
Kitchen trends have come and gone over the years. Some are purely aesthetic—avocado-hued appliances, waterfall countertops—and some are designed to change our daily lives for the better—like air fryers and trash cans with automatic lids. But the latest trend on everyone’s lips is one that requires maximum effort for minimum payoff.
Welcome to fridgescaping, the act of turning your refrigerator into a themed tableau of food and accessories. Just check out the hashtag #fridgescaping on Instagram or TikTok, and you’ll be treated to a wealth of oddly beautiful iceboxes.
What is fridgescaping?
In May, TikTok user Lynzi Judish (@lynziliving) posted a video in which she empties and cleans her refrigerator, then restocks everything in a more aesthetic manner. She places grapes in elegant glassware, stows loose cucumbers in a wooden-topped container and fills empty space with fresh-cut flowers. Her video has been watched nearly 2 million times and has led to themed installments like “Fridgerton,” a Bridgerton-themed fridge with lots of gold accents.
It should be noted that the term “fridgescaping” was in use long before Judish kicked off this trend. In the past, the term referred to precisely organized refrigerators with uniform mason jars and other space-saving solutions. This being TikTok, however, the latest #fridgescaping movement has become an opportunity for creators to one-up each other until the contents of the fridge bear only a tenuous connection to food (this Halloween display being one example). Then there are videos that might be mocking the trend, like this fridgescape full of designer handbags.
Are people actually fridgescaping?
There are some compelling reasons to try fridgescaping: It gives you an excuse to deep-clean your fridge (a task many of us neglect), it lets you extend your personal sense of style to another area of your home and it can alleviate that bummer feeling of opening the fridge only to find “boring” food inside. Celery stalks just look a lot more appetizing in a vintage crystal vase.
In reality, not many people appear to be doing this in their own homes. It’s a lot of work to redesign a space that typically goes unseen by guests; even members of the household who use the fridge every day shouldn’t leave it hanging open to ooh and aah as they grab the items they need. Moreover, the vast majority of TikTok fridgescaping videos appear to be the work of influencers with a vested interest in hopping on trends, not everyday users. As Judish told CNN about fridgescaping, “I feel like I made very unintentional rage bait.”
Is fridgescaping worth the effort?
My attempt at fridgescaping was not enraging; in fact, it was a worthwhile experience in many ways. I got rid of a lot of expired items that had been hiding way in the back, and I loved giving the shelves a good wipe-down. But as for the “scaping” part, it felt like being assigned a diorama in grade school, something I never had the artistic skill for. I reached for the cutest pops of color my kitchen had to offer, including whimsical dishware and playful tea towels. I didn’t have battery-operated twinkle lights, but I did have a mostly functional Lite Brite, which (I hope) tied the fridgescape together.
Ultimately, though, the exercise made me appreciate good old-fashioned fridge organization. Forget all the artistic license and excess props—it felt great just tossing out expired food, sanitizing surfaces and keeping everything tidy in its original packaging. Why move the eggs into a bowl? Why pour the milk into a vessel I’ll have to run through the dishwasher? Why subject the petunias from my backyard to the chill of the refrigerator?
Bottom line: If you want to organize your fridge, there are lots of ways to do it that don’t involve string lights.
