A basket is one of the most useful things a home can have. It hides clutter, adds a natural texture and can be carried from room to room. Many of us have a few baskets stored away or serving one job in a single room. With a bit of thought, they can work much harder, tidying up and decorating at the same time.
Find the right job for each basket
Think about where things tend to pile up. Blankets by the sofa, magazines on the coffee table, toys on the floor, post in the hall, shoes by the door, logs beside the stove. Each of these can have its own basket. Choose the basket according to the job: a wide, shallow one for magazines, a tall one for blankets, a sturdy one for logs.
Match the basket to the room. Wicker and rope baskets suit a sitting room, while metal or plastic ones fit better in a utility room or garage. If a basket is rough inside, line it with a piece of cloth so that it does not snag your blankets or clothes. Take care that it is not damp, as damp baskets can go mouldy.
Let them decorate too
A basket in plain view should look good. Put the nicest baskets where they are seen and fill them with things that look neat. A rolled blanket, a stack of books or a bunch of dried flowers looks quite different from a heap of tangled cables. You can also hang a basket on the wall and use it for keys, gloves or small plants.
Do not overfill the baskets. When they are stuffed to the brim, they look messy and become difficult to use. Empty each one once a week and put things back where they belong. This is also a good moment to notice what is no longer needed and pass it on.
Group baskets of different sizes together in a corner or at the foot of the stairs. A row of three looks planned, even if they were all found in different cupboards. Once you have given each basket a job, you will find that the house feels tidier without any extra effort, and that you have not had to buy a single storage box.
