Fruit and veg are no longer just for eating: they’re now taking centre stage in our interiors, too. Produce-inspired décor is everywhere, and when done right, it can bring a fresh, playful energy to a space. Discover how to embrace the trend to create an aesthetic that’ll leave you hungry for more, says Isabelle Blakeney.
Image above: Alwinton 3 Seater Sofa in RHS 22 by Sofas and Stuff, £3,460 (sofasandstuff.com)
Summer’s sweeteners have arrived: the berries are bursting, tomatoes are tumbling, and the fruit and veg aisles are booming. Thanks to a sun-infused spring, strawberries have grown to mouthwatering proportions, making this year’s fruit salads rival those of fairy tales. But the fruit frenzy isn’t stopping at the supermarkets; it’s winding its way onto the shelves of our interiors stores, too.
Fruit and veg-inspired décor is everywhere. From peach-patterned wallpaper to uber-kitsch tomato crockery, the past few years have seen the harvest aesthetic ripen into full-blown craze that’s been dominating the interior zeitgeist. “Tomato girl summer”, anyone?
Above: Cabbage Plate, M&S Collection, £10; marksandspencer.com
Historic harvests
While it’s all the rage today, fruit and veg-inspired decor is hardly a new trend. Nature has, of course, always informed art, from Giuseppe Arcimboldo’s veg-headed Vertumnus to the oft-lemon-adorned Sicilian Testa de Moros that took centre stage in Season 2 of HBO’s White Lotus in 2022. But you might be surprised to learn that the recent ‘cabbageware’ (crockery designed to look like a cabbage) trend is currently in its second revival. The original cabbage leaf tableware was designed by Portuguese ceramicist Bordallo Pinheiro. The look had its first iteration in the 1960s, when American Palm Beach potter Dodie Thayer began selling the iconic designs – now known as ‘Lettuceware’ – to a number of high-profile celebrities.
Today, cabbageware is available from John Lewis, Marks & Spencer and our very own Rossiters, to name just a few – but the style isn’t stopping at the leafy green. Décor, posing as all sorts of produce, from tomatoes and pumpkins to aubergines and melons, is filling the shelves of both high street chains and independent boutiques, turning our interiors into works of art that, yes, look good enough to eat.
Kitsch-in
I’ll admit that the kitch angle is one of my favourite décor trends; things-that-look-like-other-things always serve to put a satisfied grin on my face. Kitsch can be cool if done carefully – a sprinkling of the style is a fail-safe way to introduce a playful talking point within your interior. If you’re not totally kitsch-committed, the fruit-as-crockery trend is the perfect way to try it out. It’s funny and unique, and still aesthetically pleasing. The colours, while bright, tend not to be too gaudy as they’re inspired by natural colourings, and are a great way to inject fun pops of personality into your space.
Don’t go overboard with this look, otherwise you run the risk of turning your space into what might take on the guise of a farm shop. Instead consider using your produce-themed crockery sparingly, so that it has room to shine.
Above, from left: Retro Vegetable Kitchen Wallpaper by Wallpapers for Beginners (wallpapers4beginners.com); Forbidden Fruit Wallpaper in Antique Gold by Lust Home (lusthome.com)
Maximising
While home-makers might naturally turn to the kitchen when implementing fruity designs, it’s easy to transfer the aesthetic to other spaces. If we look east to the styles of our Mediterranean neighbours, a well-placed Sicilian lemon or a juicy Greek pomegranate can introduce an elegant yet fresh and summery vibe to a space. Using fruit as a statement like this is a great way to achieve a look that incorporates timeless maximalism. After all, many of these fruits have been used as status symbols for millennia.
Abstract prints and wallpapers are another great way to being a fresh energy to a timeless aesthetic. Matisse’s fruit and veg-inspired prints or an abstract wallpaper are fresh, modern, and more subtle than kitsch crockery, while still celebrating a refreshing connection to nature. Pieces that take more impressionistic inspiration from fruit and veg, revelling in the colours and textures of the themes (see TR Hayes avocado- colour bean bag overleaf), are also a great way to interpret the style in a more subtle manner, while upbeat fruit-inspired paint shades also promise to keep a room feeling as sweet as a summer’s day.
Image Left: Ulster Weavers Vegetable Medley Tray, £8 (ulsterweavers.com)
Modern classics
The 2020s have seen the harvest aesthetic interpreted in a host of modern and unique ways, but the theme also blends seamlessly into a more classic decorating scheme. For a touch of traditional English grandeur, try richly coloured, intricate Morris & Co prints on wallpapers, cushions and rugs. The fruity patterns can embolden a neutral interior scheme enrich a simple interior with added textural interest.
Prefer something lighter and more pastoral? Delicate fruit motifs, perhaps on a summer-style tablecloth, will bring a breezy, bucolic charm to any space. The Cottagecore aesthetic has muscled itself firmly into the interiors world in recent years, embracing fruit and veg motifs with a dainty, naturalistic flair, making the most of textures and embroideries in soft furnishings, patterned tableware and wall art, creating an interior that feels romantic and rooted in the rhythms of rural life.
Design Notes
Lola Swift interior designer
We’re loving the trend of bringing fruit and veg into our interiors. It adds a lighthearted, whimsical feel while also connecting us to nature and the beauty of craftsmanship, grounding our homes in something more meaningful.
Andrew Martin’s ‘Fruit Cocktail’ collection of giant ceramic fruit pieces captures this perfectly. From the striking Graffiti Apple fruit sculpture with its modern, surrealist feel, to the Plated Silver Apple that hints at a mystical, earthy connection, these pieces bring colour and character into any room.
A statement apple on a sideboard or an oversized fruit bowl can be a charming way to embrace this trend and invite a playful yet grounding energy into your home.
lolaswift.co.uk
Design Notes
Woodhouse & Law, interior designers
The recent movement to bring nature into the home has now stepped up a level. Where previously this appeared through the use of floral prints or earthy colour tones, an ever-evolving light-heartedness in interiors is leading to the greater use of garden produce within fabrics and papers.
This trend spans both home and catwalk, drawing on the beauty of everyday produce. Bold, warm tones, like citrus, artichoke and mushroom, bring summer energy and earthy nostalgia. It pairs well with Friluftsliv, the Norwegian movement encouraging everyday connection with nature.
At a time when there seems to be greater division and uncertainty, perhaps this is also borne from a need to celebrate the importance of food in bringing people together. We’ve recently used papers from Casadeco and Morris & Co to this end, introducing not only a sense of fun to the spaces in question, but also a warming, grounding sense of calm.
woodhouseandlaw.co.uk
Final thoughts
The fruit and vegetable trend offers endless possibilities for interpretation, making it easy to complement virtually any aesthetic. Fruits have for centuries symbolised the value of earthly pleasures, comfort and indulgence, and temptation, so it’s only natural to be drawn to their ripe, fresh, and juicy appeal – especially when using them to adorn our homes. While this aesthetic is best enjoyed in moderation, when done right, it infuses a space with a bright, charming energy that feels fresh and inviting all year round.
Left: Cherry Lamp by Luxx Design, £585 (luxxdesign.com); Right: Amalfi Wallpaper by Mind the Gap (designerwallpapers.co.uk) and Melagranata Fabric by Mind the Gap (aprilandthebear.com)
Design Notes
Clair Strong, interior designer
Fruit and vegetable designs can bring colour, vibrancy and a touch of whimsy to your home but tread carefully if you don’t want them to look cartoony or old fashioned. In a children’s room bright fruit designs give a fun look to the space – watermelons, apples, pears and strawberries all look great where bold colours also work well. In a kitchen or dining room a classic Victorian design like Fruit by Morris & Co, featuring pomegranates and lemons, gives a sophisticated country look, perfect for a simple blind or bench cushion. For an Arts and Crafts feel try The Strawberry Thief by William Morris (see below right) with its birds stealing strawberries from a garden. First created in 1883 it still feels fresh today – just pair it with modern furniture and strong contrasting colours.
clairstrong.co.uk
