Yummy Accessories | How To Use Food As Decor

Sometimes the best home decor accessories are not accessories at all...they're food!

Fruits, veggies, baked good, can all make a room look warmer and add style.
Here's how to use food to decorate your home naturally. 
 

Years ago I was sitting in my kitchen with two friends discussing decorating styles, when they told me that I was the accessory queen.

Really?

I was kind of shocked when they said it.

They both had lovely homes, with lots of accent pieces around.

In fact, the homes of most of my friends and neighbors were very well appointed.

What was it then, specifically, that elevated me to queen?

And wait.

Was it a compliment or did it just mean my home was cluttered?


Now, of course I know better, what other people think of me shouldn’t matter.


But back then I had to know.

When pressed, my very gracious friends assured me it was because I had a lot of nice stuff.

It was lovely to hear, compliments generally are and it was true, I did.

The usual suspects were on display, picture frames, candles, figurines, signs.

My kitchen was layered with them.

However, as I have matured, so has my style.

My spaces are much more streamlined now.

I've become more discriminating when it comes to the selection and placement of objects.

I have also started thinking more outside of the decorating box when it comes to accessories, incorporating everyday items in a very deliberate way.

One of the most common in my home, being food.


While I love to eat food, I really do prefer to decorate with it.

Food is one of the best decor accessories out there.

It really does make the most delicious accessories.

Think about your favorite catalogs or design magazines.

They include shots of the most beautiful kitchens, but they are not usually sterile spaces.

They're always filled with a farmer’s market worth of vegetables and baked goods, artfully arranged on counters and tables.

The rooms look lived in.

The food adds color and texture to contrast the slick lines of the appliances.

Beyond that, food has always been a way for people to welcome guests.

The display pulls you into the space, makes you want to sit down, grab a croissant and enjoy the warmth created by the yummy decor.

While a bowl of fruit may look at home in any room of your house, when it comes to food, I prefer to concentrate it in the kitchen, dining and living rooms.


There, it looks most authentic and appropriate, but it is also the most functional placement for it.

I mean, I don't really think anyone would be excited to find a tray of cookies in my bathroom. Well. Maybe...but no.

Plus, I'm not into waste.

I really want people to eat what I display and they are more apt to do that in the kitchen, simply by way of proximity.

I also love that I can “push” what I want my family to eat, by strategically leaving it out on the counter.

Granted, most people already have food on their countertops, bread in bags, baked goods in their store bought containers.

The aforementioned fruit in a bowl.

I just take it to the next level.

I use my lovely holiday serving pieces all year long.


These items enliven my everyday kitchen space with their elegant shapes and colors and dress up my grocery store eats.

This is definitely one of those times when both form and function are well served.

Baked goods on a pedestal, under glass are so much more appetizing than in a plastic container, labeled with ingredients and a paid sticker.

That will never do.

Not to mention that it took me months to pick out the perfect kitchen fixtures, why would I hide the lovely subway tiles behind a stack of half opened wheat bread and bagel packages?

As far as the how-to goes, as usual, rather than give you a specific list of what to put on your table, I encourage you to seek out your own individual style.

You know what you like to eat and that is what will dictate your own displays.


You really don’t need a manual, just a bit of motivation and a reminder to take that crystal bowl out of hiding and the tomatoes out the fridge.

And poof.

A professionally styled look without a trip to Homegoods or an extra credit card payment.

Your house will smell great, there's no dusting involved and you certainly don't need to store them with a houseful of snackers around.

And what could be better than that?

Quick Ways To Use Food As Decor

1. Glass Canisters Are Awesome:

They're not just for flour and sugar, jazz them up with colorful, healthy foods. At holiday time the same canisters are a great place for seasonal treats.

2. Refrigerate At Night:

Before I go to bed, I pop the fruit/ veggies in the fridge, they last longer. Especially in the summer months or if you live in a very humid climate.

Like I said, I'm not into waste. 

3. Rotate Your Display Containers/ Platters:

I rotate and mix up my display accessories based on my mood and the season. I have a variety of pieces make of glass, ceramic, silver and wood.

Depending on my current decor I swap them out. You'd be amazed at how different apples or lemons look in wooden bowl versus a gold one. 

Have fun with it!

4. Faux Food Is Fine

Sometimes I use faux fruit and veggies. I do this a lot in fall. There are some super good looking pumpkins and gourds out there. There are also some fabulously real looking lemons, limes and apples out there. 

They last forever, never get moldy and don't spoil. You do however have to dust them, which can be a bit of a bummer. 

5. Choose Your Display Food Wisely:

Choose items that are safe to be left out, unrefrigerated and that are pretty. Lemons, limes, fruit and veggies are great choices. Colorful, too.

Generally speaking, ice cream is not a good choice for display.  Just wanted to see if you were still with me. 😉 

I’d love to know how food is displayed in your home!