People Are Decorating Their Kitchens for the Holidays in the Most Surprising Way — Here’s Why Experts Warn Against It

I love TikTok as much as the next Zillennial — it’s taught me the best way to clean an old frying pan and clever ways to carve a jack-o’-lantern, among countless other tricks and tidbits — but I’ve learned to be skeptical of what I scroll past. That’s why, when I saw several TikTok influencers showing off the inside of their fridge adorned with fairy lights, plants, and picture frames, it gave me pause.

“Fridgescaping” is the latest craze to hit social media that has people perfectly styling the inside of their refrigerator to make it more aesthetically pleasing. Tiffany Bishop, a fridgescaping influencer on TikTok, said that fridgescaping brings an “extra dopamine hit” to the typical style of fridge organizing, and “adds a level of art to the organization.” And now, people are taking it one step further and making it holiday-ready with Christmas lights and even ornaments.

I’ll admit the videos I came across were cute, but I couldn’t imagine spending hours styling my fridge when I already dread putting away the groceries when I get home from the store. But who am I to judge if someone wants to add a little extra dopamine to their daily lives?

The Problem with the Latest “Fridgescaping” Trend

Fridgescaping might be a little more complicated than just adding cute fairy lights and holiday decor to your fridge and calling it a day. According to Silvia de Denaro Vieira, the CEO and cofounder of housework and task managing app Coexist, while this trend may be fun, it might not be sustainable (or, of course, practical). Vieira explained that every extra item in the fridge requires more energy to keep everything cool, and if you have to navigate around more items to reach actual food, the fridge door stays open longer and wastes more energy.

“A sustainable approach to fridgescaping would be to limit the fridge to items that benefit from being chilled and to use containers mindfully,” Veira said. She also warned that fridgescaping might not actually be functional in a household with multiple people and could unintentionally cause some interpersonal friction. “If one person’s focused on keeping everything in a specific arrangement, others in the home might feel like they’re disturbing an art project just to grab a yogurt!”

But Bishop says fridgescaping can be a fun and harmless trend as long as you use common sense when decorating if something seems like it might be a fire hazard or bad idea (like replacing fridge bulbs with plug-in Christmas lights, for example). She recommends always using food-safe containers and keeping a strict grocery list to minimize food waste.

And if fridgescaping isn’t for you, Bishop recommends trying something less fridge-id, like pantryscaping! There are plenty of low-lift ways to decorate your kitchen if you’re looking for an easy way to add color or flair to your space.

What do you think about the “fridgescaping” trend? Let us know in the comments below!