In Here – Co-Geeking

The Fascinating Art of Fridgescaping

April 23, 2025November 3, 2024Eppu

Have you heard of fridgescaping? The phenomenon apparently started on TikTok, and in a nutshell comes from “landscaping” your fridge.

Sounds like some people got into it during the covid lockdowns. There are various approaches to decorating the inside of your refrigerator, and ways to organize are, of course, as varied as the creators.

Some are more pragmatic, others kinda outlandish. There is practical with pastels, like Samantha Klein (samswhurld) prefers…

Instagram Samantha Klein Freshly Cleaned

…or rustic and earthy, as for instance the styling by Amira Youssef (dusk2illdawn):

Instagram Amira Youssef Fridge Organization

Others favor bright and colorful arrangements, like Tânia Lourenço (homganize):

All of the above are still mainstream. Lynzi Judish (lynziliving) takes fridgescaping to another level. Hers designs are very pretty, lushly styled, and themed. There is, for instance, a Beetlejuice…

…and a Hobbit project:

If you prefer, you can see Judish’s Hobbit fridgescape as a video. She’s also posted photos of a fall-themed project (with a cute squirrel mug) and a Bridgerton fridgescape. (Ha! There’s a hastag #fridgerton! 😀 )

The themed fridges are, I admit, kinda fun.

However: I have A LOT of questions! I’m not on Instagram or TikTok, and plan not to begin just to do a bit of research. But, like—

I see a lot of snack-type produce. Where do the fridgescapers store their actual food? Food food, the cooked food? (Surely they do cook warm meals…?) Or leftovers?
Are the containers food safe? Please tell me they all are!
Are they ruining the books or photos or decorative boxes placed in the fridge?
Why does everything need to be decanted? (Yes, I know why—it’s the look. However, all those themed empty containers are just more clutter to store elsewhere and more $$$ down the drain.)
How do they keep re-arranging their fridges without wasting an inordinate amount of energy?

Also: While I do enjoy a (thoughtfully) decorated space, for me, function has to come first. It absolutely must; I cannot live otherwise. I have to have a home that works; if it looks good, too, that’s great! But I must be able to use things I need when I need them, not after five minutes of digging or setup. (Which is also why I must have a dedicated sewing room with the machine on a table, ready to go at a moment’s notice.) If a space or area isn’t useable, it’s a source of frustration for me, which isn’t worth it, especially not for everyday functions like the fridge.

(Apparently, the scaping fad is spreading: there is now also talk about pantryscaping, deskscaping, and doorscaping. Good grief—it feels almost like another (insert-your-term-here)core is on the loose!)

Verdict: there’s something appealing in the idea, but ultimately it’s not for me. You should do you, though. 🙂

Images: Freshly cleaned & stocked by Samantha Klein on Instagram. Fridge organization by Amira Youssef on Instagram. Greens and yellows by Tânia Lourenço on Instagram. Beetlejuice and Hobbit by Lynzi Judish on Instagram.

In Here highlights interesting spaces created by our fellow geeks all over the world.

A Fantastical Mancave Reno

March 6, 2024February 18, 2024Eppu

Most often, nerdy and geeky home decor is the work of enthusiastic fans channeling their love of the genre into their spaces. Sometimes, though, you do see a mainstream professional hired for the work. One such is the case of a fantasy-loving family in Finland, who hired interior designer Minna Haapakoski to plan a reno of their bland basement mancave. And she pulled out all stops.

Entry to the space is now hidden behind a tall, ornate mirror. Visitors are greeted at the door by an armor-wearing figure. In addition, decorative arches were added to divide the space into two working / gaming spaces separated by a tv / lounge area with a large built-in seat.

Both open shelving and cabinets provide storage. Surface materials have been cleverly used to change the feel of the room. Wall paneling is made from reclaimed wood, and the faux tiles are made with plaster and painted. All the lighting is on dimmers, and sound-proofing was applied to the door as well as walls.

Now, the room looks fantastic, doesn’t it? (No pun intended!) It houses not just one but two desks plus the lounging area, which is great for versatility. The design elements all work towards creating a harmonious whole, the colors are nicely balanced, and details like faux bois plant pots add to the illusion.

Even so, I’d have a hard time picking useable ideas for a potential reno of my own. First of all, many of the surface materials would be out for me for health reasons, but to each their own. Secondly, the entry with the armored dummy is merely there for looks, which means it’s basically a wasted area. (Then again, if you have a home of 200+ square meters / 2,150 sq ft or so—I’m wildly guessing here—and money to burn…)

Furthermore, there’s a pragmatic issue with the floor plan that would drive me absolutely nuts. There doesn’t seem to be open floor between the two desks. Say what?!?

While I love spaces that indicate that some thought has gone into making them look nice, I absolutely, utterly, ardently must have function first. Especially if it’s my home, it has to work for me; having to battle hindrances every single day is simply unacceptable. If this mancave were in my home, having to clamber over (or through?) the built-in lounge to get to the far side would JUST. NOT. WORK.

I guess it just goes to highlight how unique individual wants and needs can be. This family loves their new mancave, and good for them. 🙂

There is one final thing that I’d kinda like to know. The dummy seems to be from the game Dark Souls II. (If you look carefully, you can see writing on the riser below his step.) Now, where does one buy a life-sized dummy from a ten-year-old gaming franchise, and how everloving much does it take in effort and cost to a) freight it in, AND b) install it into your basement mancave? That’s some serious fan action!

Images by Johanna Myllymäki via Meidän talo

In Here highlights interesting spaces created by our fellow geeks all over the world.

Stars in Your Bathroom Floor

March 20, 2019March 3, 2019Eppu

Oh my, this is stunning: a DIYed bathroom floor lights up with tiny fiber optics stars!

Instructables Balrd Star Floor — Balrd at Instructables

The secret is to thread the fibers into the grout lines. Apparently, for safety, the light source needs to be outside the bathroom (or, I imagine, whatever the local code calls for) and, of course, you need to start with a bare floor or to demo the existing surface, so it’s not a quick project by any measure. The results are amazing, though.

See the full star floor tutorial by Balrd at Instructables.

Found via Buzzfeed.

In Here is an occasional feature highlighting geeky spaces created by our fellow geeks all over the world.

DIY Star Wars Marquee

August 10, 2018July 7, 2018Eppu

Ashley DIYed a really cool Star Wars marquee. It even lights up!

The base is a handmade wooden sign stenciled, painted, and varnished.

Wow. I don’t think I’d have the patience! Full props for such a meticulous job!

See the full tutorial at Handmade with Ashley.

In Making Stuff occasional feature, we share fun arts and crafts done by us and our fellow geeks and nerds.

Built-in Brick Space Invaders

July 10, 2018June 24, 2018Eppu2 Comments

When you really love a game: Klopper & Davis Architects in Perth, West Australia, built Space Invaders critters into the walls of this house. The critters are made with depressed brick, and appear both indoors and outdoors. Take a look:

Not an easily DIY-able project, but very neat.

Found via Desire to Inspire. (Visit the DtI blog post for additional Space Invaders views!)

Images: Klopper & Davis Architects, via Desire to Inspire

In Here is an occasional feature highlighting geeky spaces created by our fellow geeks all over the world.

A Washington State Hobbit Hole

February 7, 2018February 4, 2018Eppu

Kristie Wolfe built a Hobbit hole in the mountains of central Washington state. And what great work it is—the attention to detail is superb!

The house hole has a bedroom, a small living room, and a bathroom with a large wooden oval jacuzzi. As befits a Hobbit hole, the structure is mostly underground and has a round door.

The small yard is edged by a stick-and-branch fence woven by Wolfe’s landscaper sister.

There are loads of thought-out details like the floors made of wooden disks of various sizes and a beautiful metal door decoration/knob. But where is the kitchen? Wolfe explains in this video:

A Hobbit House You Can Stay In by Zillow

In case you can’t access the video, she says she’s planning a total of three holes, and since it’s not very practical for each to have its own kitchen, she wants to build a bigger shared one in the style of an English pub.

Read the article at Zillow for more details and photos.

I can understand that you can’t always overcome restrictions, but I still think a kitchen is vital, VITAL, in a Hobbit home. On the other hand, an indoor bathroom is often omitted in favor of an outhouse when building in a challenging location, so full marks to Wolfe for including a full bath.

Also check out a Scottish Hobbit hole I blogged about earlier—which do you prefer and why?

In Here is an occasional feature highlighting geeky spaces created by our fellow geeks all over the world.

Spot-on Hobbit-Style House in Scotland

May 17, 2017February 23, 2025Eppu1 Comment

Reddit user KahlumG shared photos of an amazing Hobbit-style house built by their uncle outside of Tomich, Scotland.

Looks completely like it could be from Bree, right?

The inside looks as appropriate as the outside.

And—and I almost can’t believe it, it’s so perfect—the house has an outbuilding with its own water wheel!

Kudos! Visit the imgur gallery for many more photos.

Images: kahlum1986 on imgur

Edited to correct an inaccuracy and a typo.

In Here is an occasional feature highlighting geeky spaces created by our fellow geeks all over the world.

DIY Portal Mirrors

June 17, 2015June 23, 2015Eppu1 Comment

Reddit user corttana and her husband dahburbb have a pair of Portal-themed mirrors in their basement den:

Reddit User corttana Imgur Portal Mirrors — Reddit User corttana on Imgur

They were DIY-ed with mirrors, LED rope light, and wood, plus glue and various attachment / hanging supplies. There are some detail photos on Imgur, and dahburbb provides a list of materials and a how-to. This project is four years old already, but still oh, so good. 🙂

In Making Stuff occasional feature, we share fun arts and crafts done by us and our fellow geeks and nerds.