How To Bring The Viral Tomato Girl Aesthetic Into Your Living Environment

If you have been on TikTok or Instagram at all in the past few months, you may have spotted the phrase "Tomato Girl" amid your scrolling. It's a trend often discussed in terms of fashion and makeup, representing a breezy bohemian style salted by the Mediterranean region. All rich in color, texture, and a sense of "La Dolce Vita." The popular trend, however, has been filtering into home styling and decor as well, resulting in colorful and laid-back interiors and tablescapes filled with bright shades, casual elegance, and a penchant for dining al fresco.

House Beautiful recently profiled this "Tomato Girl Summer" informing contemporary interiors. Many experts suggest the trend has roots in the post-pandemic desire for travel to exotic places, particularly the Amalfi Coast and scenic locales like Palermo and Positano, where visitors and residents alike enjoy sun-drenched days by the sea. According to Jennifer Weisberg, the owner and principal designer of JLW Interiors, the term "evokes an aesthetic of breezy strolls along the seaside and Amalfi Coast picnics replete with vibrant fruits and whimsical tablecloth prints."

Buoyed by the popular cottagecore trend of the past few years, Tomato Girl adds a distinctively Italianate feel. This means rustic and rural vibes filled with signs of the Mediterranean region, like olive groves, lemon trees, and handmade pottery. Mismatched fabrics in ginghams, polka dots, and small-scale florals prevail, along with more delicate and ruffled white linen and eyelet.

Colors come from the landscape, including bright blues, rich greens, citrus yellows, and of course, tomato reds. Crisp sun-dried whites provide a backdrop for deeper shades, accented with rustic wood cutting boards, woven baskets, and time-worn utensils. It's a rural vision of Italian living, heavy on idyllic al fresco living and dining, evoking heaping plates of pasta, olive oil, charcuterie spreads, bowls filled with tomatoes right off the vine, and of course, lots of wine and crusty bread. The perfect Tomato Girl tablescape involves contrast and color, as well as a richness in materials that feels casual and effortless.

Tomato Girl is a great aesthetic for both your home and entertaining practices, presenting a vibe of leisurely travel and an endless summer. Designer Mina Lisanin tells House Beautiful, "[It] has a whimsical and nostalgic undertone reminiscent of carefree summers and nostalgic memories... [There's] a sense of simplicity and joy to spaces, providing an escape from the complexities of everyday life."

Look for rustic woods, well-loved baskets, and bright colors with a vintage or antique charm. Bring in multiple textures like woven fabrics, delicate whites or ginghams, and uniquely crafted pottery. Use natural and food-related items to add pops of color -– a bowl of lemons, a plate of cherry tomatoes, or a dish of olives. Choose materials in your home that evoke a sense of Italian adventure and artisan craftsmanship. Even if you're not enjoying an Italian villa in Sicily, move your next dinner party out under the sun or stars for a bit of the Tomato Girl experience.