See how this creative assembles a feast for the eyes by styling the inside her refrigerator.
Are you someone who stands and gazes into your refrigerator several times a day looking for inspiration for a meal, hoping for a tasty snack to appear or wondering, “What the heck is even in here”? You’re not alone! Most of us cannot claim that our fridges are inspiring or worth staring into, so when we stumbled upon Lynzi Judish’s project to style inside her refrigerator, we had to know more!
We asked Lynzi how, when and why she started:
Cottages & Bungalows: How did you learn about this fun art form?
Lynzi: I was not the person who started this by any means! I decided to try fridgescaping after seeing a few other creators doing it on Instagram. I thought it was such a cool way to beautify an aspect of the home that usually doesn’t get a lot of attention. I did some research after deciding to do it, trying to find other creators to glean ideas from and, honestly, I couldn’t find many. But I did discover that a woman named Kathy Perdue is the one who coined the term back in 2011. I followed her on Instagram @perdue.kathy and read through her blog at agoodlifeofdesign.blogspot.com. She’s a design consultant and has quite the eye for color!
Cottages & Bungalows: Can you tell us a bit about your process?
Lynzi: After I pick the theme itself, I’ll start by brainstorming some ideas for it. I usually just keep a document and jot down ideas as I think of them as I’ll pick the themes weeks before I even do them. I’ll also write down items I have at home that will fit with the theme. I have certain types of items that I almost always use, such as a butter dish, egg tray, berry baskets or some sort of holder for them, fruit baskets, pitcher and a vase.
I must admit that as far as the layout goes and the design, I don’t have a real plan going into it. I just layer things according to size to start, making sure I add all the taller items that will need to be in the back first. Then I just keep tinkering around until I like it and add food items as I go. I usually add most of the smaller decorative elements and more fragile pieces like vases toward the end to fill in the negative space.
Cottages & Bungalows: Do you have any “don’ts” that our readers should keep in mind as they try this fun idea?
Lynzi: Through trial and error, I’ve discovered that it’s best not to dive in too deep all at once. Go slowly and test the waters to see if this is something that works for you and your household and just begin with decorative items that you already have at home. Butter dishes and egg crates are staples that you will use repeatedly, so it’s worth upgrading those to glass or ceramic pieces that you love. Things like celery and asparagus are stored well in water, so displaying those in a vase is quite easy and at once perks things up. The same goes for soft herbs. Items like apples and artichokes do really well in open containers, so those are easy items to display in baskets. Just try a bit here and there to avoid the risk of food waste until you know if this process makes sense for you. Additionally, don’t ever use old antiques without making sure they are lead-free and food safe!
Cottages & Bungalows: Do you have any suggestions on where to find little bits and baubles to include in your fridgescapes?
Lynzi: I genuinely find pieces for my refrigerator everywhere! I would start by looking at your own collection and seeing what pieces you think might work for food storage. When you’re hunting for pieces, antiquing and auctions have been a great place for me to find unique pieces. Some of my favorite pieces I have found have been from Anthropologie. They tend to have good options for butter dishes and berry baskets. You can find a lot of options on Amazon as well.
I think the fun part about this is the nature of mixing and matching the pieces and that it doesn’t have to be uniform in any way. I really love Goldilocks brand for their beeswax wraps as they have some stunning patterns, including seasonal ones. Also, U Konserve has some genuinely nice food-storage containers that are metal or silicone—parents often ask about making fridgescapes that are more kid-friendly with non- breakable items. I rarely use plastic in my refrigerator, so it’s not something that would make sense for me to do, but these food-storage containers are perfect if you want pieces in your refrigerator that are sustainable and non-breakable.
Cottages & Bungalows: And finally, any suggestions for themes we might try?
Lynzi: As far as themes go, I love doing them but if a themed refrigerator doesn’t make sense for your family, I think a great place to start is with an aesthetic that fits your personal style and color choices. For example, a general holiday theme using all green and red containers would be great or try a Winter Wonderland theme with blues and whites. Something much more specific like The Grinch would be a bit more involved, but how fun to surprise the kids with this one. Or how about styling a Valentine’s Day surprise for your love or greeting springtime with pastel-colored vases, bowls, baskets, bunny figurines and floral blooms? My Fridgerton theme was, of course, inspired by my love of the drama series “Bridgerton,” and it was delightful to find all the pieces to create it. Just go with your heart, let your imagination run wild and enjoy!
To learn more about Lynzi, follow her on Instagram @lynziliving.
Looking for more styling ideas? Read on to learn about Styling with Salvage Décor. Of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to get your daily dose of cottage inspiration!
