Decorate Your Kitchen Countertop With An Elegant Decor Item From The Thrift Store

If your kitchen countertop is bare and drab, or you need something new to look at, consider unique vintage decor pieces that will add life and color to your space. Faux fruit decor can do just that, and it might even inspire you to snack healthier each time you step into your kitchen and see it. If you've ever owned any fake fruit or come across it at thrift stores, you know these decor pieces come in all different materials — from stone and plastic to wood and glass. You can use your faux fruit collection to create your own 4D still-life painting, aka a counter masterpiece. If you're not using your fruit basket for real food or decluttering, put some fake fruit in it.

Faux fruit's history may date back to the still-life art of earlier periods, but it gained popularity in the 19th century when one artist, Francesco Garnier Valletti, was commissioned to create hyperrealistic fruit. The fruits, modeled in wax, rosin, and alabaster powder, can now be seen on display at Turin's Museum of Fruit. Later, in the 1940s, Americans were buying kits that let them create kitschy beaded fruit, and they found many ways to decorate with fruit at home. The faux fruit trend continued to rise after World War II, when people felt less of a financial crunch and greater optimism. This optimism was evident in new cars, new homes, and new home decor — including ornate glass fruit from other countries. Today, faux fruit is once again on trend, and you can save money by thrifting it.

While it may seem counterproductive to have a dish of fake fruit sitting on your kitchen counter when you could easily put the real thing in there, we understand why faux fruit is superior. Some real fruits do better when kept in the refrigerator, and some, when left on the counter, will attract fruit flies. Faux fruit will never go bad, plus displaying fruit can improve your kitchen's feng shui. You can lay the fruit out however you want, whether directly on the counter, in a fancy bowl, or on a plate. Choose bright pieces like lemons to add a shock of color to your kitchen, or opt for deep red grapes to create some drama.

Vintage fake fruit from the 40s through 70s tends to be realistic in size, but not in looks, as this was the time when the beaded and bejeweled fruits were popular. Under the beads, you'll usually find styrofoam or plastic, but they still add a touch of whimsy to the kitchen. For something more realistic, go for glass or wax fruit that looks so much like the real thing, you might be tempted to take a bite. With faux fruit making a resurgence in home decor, you can find realistic new fruits all over, including online. For vintage stone fruit, look for signs that it was hand-carved and painted, and avoid ones with plastic pieces or too bright colors. For hand-blown glass fruit that is authentically vintage, look for pieces with no seams (a sign it was made with a mold, not hand-blown) and glass imperfections (a sign a machine didn't make it).