Weave in a Smattering of Style: Uplift Your Decor with Baskets for Every Room

If you’ve watched a home improvement show or scrolled through interior decorating posts, you’ve likely noticed woven baskets sprinkled throughout the decor.

Whether it’s a seagrass basket in the laundry room, basket drawers in the pantry or baskets turned into light fixtures and wall art, baskets are big.

Part of the reason for baskets’ popularity lies in their beauty and versatility. Not limited to a single design style, woven baskets play supporting roles in transitional, modern and farmhouse decor, and thrive in bohemian, coastal and neutral design.

Woven baskets have been used since before recorded history. In ancient times, baskets allowed people to store and transport possessions, as well as food like grains, nuts and berries. Lightweight and durable baskets aided travel, agriculture and trade.

A basket is typically woven from common natural materials, including vines, grasses, reeds and other pliant plant fibers. Over time, weavers developed distinct weaving designs, adding color, pattern and decoration to make their baskets as ornamental as they are useful.

For the most part, basket making is a skill that can’t be reproduced by machine. The intricacy of basketry and the dexterity required for basket weaving means that baskets are one of the few products that are almost always handmade.

Even in modern times, as metal and plastic containers became readily available, baskets never completely lost their appeal. They survived in objects like Grandma’s wicker laundry basket, bread baskets, woven berry baskets and picnic baskets.

More recently, baskets have become popular decor accents. There’s no denying woven storage baskets play a significant role in contemporary interior design.

Let’s explore some motivations for baskets’ appeal.

• Baskets are a natural for decorating as home designs continue to emphasize wood and other organic materials. Made from renewable materials like grass, vines, reeds and wood, a woven basket can blend perfectly into an environmentally conscious aesthetic.

• Baskets take on the tones of the natural fibers used in their constructions, and inherit all the subtle shades and color variations of these materials.

• The challenge when designing with a neutral color palette is to create a look that is understated but not boring. The soft colors of wicker baskets are offset by their interesting textures, both of which complement a neutral decor.

• As homeowners continue to downsize their homes and possessions, they need products that are multipurpose. The beauty of a wicker basket makes it easy and even desirable to keep storage in plain sight.

• For all their seeming fragility, baskets are strong and durable. Weaving produces a naturally flexible, strong structure that holds up to years of use. Weaving also creates a breathable product that is appropriate for items that need air circulation, like fruits, vegetables and clothing.

Use woven baskets for storage in the living room or family room to keep things looking neat. Place a small basket on a side table for TV remotes or extra coasters. Stash your kids’ or pets’ toys in a basket you can keep in a corner or cupboard. Tuck a spare throw blanket and pillow in a large basket by the couch so they’re nearby when you need them.

In the mudroom, large wicker baskets can hold shoes or sports equipment. Use basket drawers to organize winter hats and gloves for each family member. Keep house and car keys where they won’t get lost on a basket tray in the entry.

Organization in the kitchen is key and baskets fulfill this mission beautifully. They’re useful for holding a multitude of items, from napkins to utensils. Baskets are common on open shelves and in pantries. Their breathability makes them appropriate for storing certain fruits and vegetables, like apples, potatoes and onions. A basket with handles is also a great place to store pantry staples.

Elsewhere in the kitchen, place a woven tray by the stove for your salt, pepper and oils, or near your beverage center to ensure sweeteners, teas, hot cocoa packets and coffee pods are always at hand.

Incorporate wall baskets into a kitchen information center to hold important papers.

Not everyone has a spacious bathroom worthy of a home remodeling show. But just about everyone can take a cue from the latest design trends to maximize bathroom organization.

Increase storage in a small bathroom with baskets on open shelves and under vanities to hold towels and toilet paper. Set a woven tray on a vanity for soaps and toiletries.

A woven seagrass basket in a linen closet or cabinet under the sink could also keep sponges and cleaning supplies handy.

A woven laundry basket dramatically improves the aesthetics of the laundry room. Look for a large, lined basket with handles and a lid. Bonus: a basket’s open weave enables air circulation.

In a child’s room, use a woven basket with a lid for storing and sorting playthings. Books, stuffed animals, dolls and building bricks are easily tossed into a basket.

Use baskets to hold accessories like scarves and hair clips. A helpful storage basket or two also can accommodate clothing that’s out of season.

Don’t let the fact that there are so many uses for a basket blind you to their built-in beauty. Decorative baskets also look lovely when used in unconventional ways.

You don’t have to search hard to find basket inspired wall art. Mix and match shallow woven baskets or trays in various sizes, styles and colors to create stunning woven basket wall decor in a kitchen or living area.

During your brief search, you may also discover basket lamp shades - an upside-down bamboo or rattan basket shading a pendant light. Basket lights are super trendy and are particularly suited to neutral and coastal styles.

Few decor accents have as much history as a woven basket; fewer still also have as many uses. Large or small, tightly woven or light and airy, baskets can add both style and storage.

Weave a little beauty into your life with a beautiful basket that improves the aesthetics of your space while solving a multitude of storage issues.

Shop our wide selection of woven baskets to explore the decorating possibilities for your home.

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