It Was Big In The '80s — Now It's The Sweet Decor We Want In Our Homes

Is your coffee table looking plain or lifeless? Well, one classic way to add organic texture and visual interest to a tabletop is with a bowl of fresh fruit. However, if you find it hard to stay on top of eating all that fruit, it can often end up going bad, contributing to food waste and taking more money out of your wallet, too. Luckily, there is actually a retro item from the 1980s that can still be found in thrift stores and online, which allows you to decorate a surface with a bit of fruit-basket-inspired flair.

While the 1960s saw a rise in faux fruit made from Lucite — an acrylic material popular in that era — ceramic fruit is remembered today as a hallmark of the 1980s. You can find fine porcelain interpretations of everything from cherries to bananas, pears, apples, and even mangos to add a pop of long-lasting, organic-inspired color anywhere in the house. Produced in multiple different countries such as Italy, Spain, and the United States, these charming colorful fruits often came inside a ceramic bowl or basket to complete the look. But, are these fruit sets a viable way to bring the good parts of the '80s retro aesthetic into your home, or do they just look a bit dated? Well, there are actually a variety of different ways that you can style these faux fruits in a contemporary home to modernize them and help them to feel fun, fresh, and new without ditching their original characterful charm. First, let's take a look at how you can find some of the '80s ceramic fruit sets for yourself. Then, we'll dive into some creative ways to style them in a home.

As mentioned, these retro fruit decor sets can be found in person at some thrift stores and antique shops as well as on resale websites. Hunting in person can be helpful because it allows you to take a look at the pieces yourself, enabling you to check for any signs of damage that may not be detailed on an online listing. Ceramic in particular can be prone to fine, web-like cracks called "crazing" that may be easier to spot in person. On the other hand, thrifting in shops can take time and patience. So, if you are short on time, checking sites such as Chairish, Facebook marketplace, or Etsy could be a good option for you, as they allow you to search for exactly what you want. Another good place to look is social media, as many auction houses and thrifters tend to post about their recent finds with a link to where you can buy them.

Wherever you decide to look, it is important to be aware of the prices that these retro fruit sets typically sell for so you know when you have found a good deal. For example, some can be listed at well over $200, depending on what condition they are in, where they come from, and how complete the set is. Don't be daunted by that number, however! You can still find affordable ceramic fruit by being flexible on some of those criteria. For example, if you're fine with an incomplete set or one in less-than-perfect condition, then you can likely find ceramic fruits that are listed at a much lower price.

These charming retro fruit sets come in multiple different styles, so how you incorporate this vintage decor into your modern home will depend largely on which style you end up thrifting. For example, some ceramic fruits from that era come in the classic '80s shades of pastel purple, sky blue, and blush pink. While these colors can feel a little dated because they were used in everything from furniture to drapes and wall paint, they can be modernized if incorporated into the right modern design. For example, cottagecore — a design style that has been popular over the last few years — uses many of the same colors as these pastel '80s ceramic fruits. So, by placing the ceramic alongside other elements of cottagecore design like organic materials and floral patterns, your fruit decor will likely feel more intentional.

More commonly, you'll find these retro fruit sets in bright primary colors. These shades can feel out-of-date, but the key to making a brightly-colored set of ceramic fruit work in a modern home is to make it feel like a part of the overall design. So, try pairing it with more modern techniques for adding bright hues such as color drenching — using the same bold paint on the walls and ceiling — or patterned flooring. Lacking the budget for a floor reno? Incorporate pops of primary color in small accents, like throw pillows and area rugs. This will make the ceramic fruit bowl look more like a trendy extension of the contemporary design rather than a hand-me-down from your parents' or grandparents' 1980s home.