Internet trends come and go so quickly that it’s hard to keep track of all of them. Others are so quirky that you wonder whether someone’s pulling your leg. Fridgescaping is a massively popular trend that you might not be aware of. In short, it involves styling and decorating the inside of your refrigerator and putting your food in pleasant-looking containers. It has its fair share of pros and cons.
It might seem aesthetic and fancy for some, but not everyone finds it practical. It can even lead to tension in relationships. Case in point, u/Icy-Shelter9897 turned to the AITA community for some heartfelt advice after he called out his wife for her fridgescaping hobby. Read on for the story and the advice the net gave the exhausted husband.
Bored Panda has reached out to the author via Reddit, and we’ll update the article as soon as we hear back from him.
Fridgescaping involves decorating the interior of your fridge to make it more aesthetically pleasing. It's fun for some but impractical for others
Image credits: RossHelen/Envato (not the actual photo)
One frustrated husband wanted a verdict from the internet after he called out his wife over her new hobby
Image credits: Monkeybusiness/Envato (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Icy-Shelter9897
Fridgescaping is a viral trend that has recently spread all over the internet
The fridgescaping trend is slightly paradoxical. On the one hand, few people have ever heard of it. On the other hand, it’s made a huge splash on the internet.
For instance, on TikTok, there are a jaw-dropping 158.8 million (yes, million) posts related to the hobby.
Technically speaking, the trend isn’t that new either. It’s just enjoying a resurgence. Good Housekeeping reports that the term ‘fridgescaping’ was first coined all the way back in 2010, by blogger Kathy Perdue, from Good Life of Design.
At the time, she wrote: “Why not put your everyday food items in pretty containers and have something pretty to look at when you open the door?”
Fridgescaping mashes together elements of interior design and antiquing. But instead of decorating just your home, you also focus on how your fridge looks when you open it. It’s nice to live surrounded by beauty.
In short, someone may add some nice-looking pitchers, trays, jars, jugs, or baskets inside their refrigerator. Others might decorate the interior with flowers and vases. Still, others might add antiques or pictures… even additional lights to be even more atmospheric.
It’s a fascinating way to express yourself and unleash your creativity and artistic spirit in your surroundings.
Living with other people at home means that you have to look for compromises
Image credits: Alex Green/Pexels (not the actual photo)
That doesn’t mean that the hobby isn’t without its downsides, however. It can be time-consuming. And it’s not very practical.
For one, if you’re constantly pouring drinks into pitchers and jars, and putting food into baskets and on trays, that’s time you’re not spending on other things. Like quality time with your loved ones. Chores. Other passion projects. Playing with your pets. Sleep! And anything else that you care about.
Meanwhile, for someone who simply wants to grab a bite to eat after a long and weary day at work or school, it’s frustrating to have to constantly move vases and pictures aside.
If you genuinely enjoy fridgescaping—more power to you! It can be a great way to show off your imagination to your online followers and fellow content creators, too.
But following internet trends just because everyone else is doing what’s popular might not make everyone at home happy.
Fridgescaping is far easier to do if you live alone or if everyone at home is a big fan of the same hobby. When you live with other people, naturally, some friction is unavoidable. You inevitably have to compromise on some things.
It's important to remember that you're a team and that it matters how you say something, not just what you say
There will be moments when your partner’s behavior starts to affect you in a negative way. They’re not a mind-reader, so if you want the problem solved, you’ll have to speak up at some point.
However, it’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it that also matters. Happy and healthy long-term relationships require trust, openness, and mutual respect.
So, while honesty is paramount, it also helps if you’re as diplomatic as possible. The best approach is not to accuse or judge your partner. It's also probably not a good idea to tell someone you love that their hobbies are dumb.
Instead, it’s best to calmly explain how their behavior affects you and how you feel. In other words, stick to “I” statements so that your significant other doesn’t get defensive.
What do you think of the fridgescaping trend, dear Pandas? Have you ever decorated the interior of your refrigerator?
How would you react if one day you went to get a glass of juice and found that your partner created a fairytale landscape around the food? How would you have handled the author’s situation? Let us know what you think in the comments!
The author of the post shared a bit more context in the comments
Many readers thought that the husband was in the right. Here's their take on what happened
However, other readers thought that he could have tackled the entire situation more delicately
There were those who thought that both the husband and wife were in the wrong, too
