I have said this before and I will say it again whoever came up with the idea of weaving Basket Asthetics into Decor needs an award , I mean it I actually do. Its not that baskets never existed , from fruits to the humble Aalu Pyaaz everything was stored in baskets woven from Straws , Palm Leaves , Bamboo and many local grasses across all continents and not just India but the new glamorous ‘ avatar ‘ in so many versatile sustainable materials and absolutely stunning designs , most importantly the revival of the basket weaving cottage industry and reducing dependency on plastics is definitely worth celebrating.
If you have been following any Home Decor Blogger or subscribe to Interior Magazines I bet there isn’t really a picture of any Room from Kitchen to Dining to Living that does not have one. There are so many designs now available that its really hard to pick and could get a bit overwhelming but I will tell you How I do it or share a few pointers on How you can organise and decorate with them , because now even the laundry Basket looks so gorgeous that it can sit in your living room well almost.
Metal Baskets for the Kitchen
The First Basket I bought was a metal one, I saw them at a local market could recollect seeing them on Pinterest and immediately knew I needed to get this. Guess what I picked up was the wrong size , I got it for my Kitchen counter to arrange my multiple chopping Boards and they really didn’t fit well. The height was a bit low for Chopping Boards and they were toppling over. Point to be noted My lord if you are getting a Basket for your Kitchen accessories like chopping boards , oil Bottles then choose a deeper basket like the one below.
Point no 2 get a separate one for organising Kitchen Groceries and condiments. The first one I got did not go waste, it was wide and shallow perfect for storing Masala’s, Sauces and other condiments (refer the picture below) , It keeps them neatly in the Kitchen Cabinet and is much easier to access by just pulling the Basket out , works almost like a modular kitchen. I like them so much that I now have 4 two for the Sauces & Masala’s , One for Snacks , One for all the unopened Grocery packets. No more trouble in reaching for that last item or trembling bottles and jars.
If you need more storage add a small lightweight basket atop the refrigerator or the Microwave, yup think beyond Fridge Magnets this time. Add a Plant or some Flowers, Books , Cutlery Holder, A Pitcher and it will look all nice.
Dining Area
This is the most fun area of the home where Food is served and great conversations take place or arguments may be, the whole family comes together after a long tiring day so it deserves to be pretty and well organised too. You could choose anything for your Dining Area literally Woven , Wooden or Rustic Metal Baskets for Fruits, A Wooden Tray for Cutlery and Pickles , or a Sturdy Shallow Basket for Cutlery , Pickles , Salt & Pepper Mill , a few Coasters definitely. The only point I would suggest to keep in mind is choose one as per the Size of the dining table, for a small tiny two seater like ours, a shallow tray works best because you also want it to be neat and accommodate Crockery and Food and see each others face eventually. And I want to mostly add candles without reason, they just brighten me up.
Living Room
I will divide this section into a few parts to make it easy but in general I assume most people probably spend maximum money and time in making the living area the most attractive and inviting. And why not its where you entertain your guests , family , friends and it needs to shine.
- Coffee & Side Tables – I like keeping Coffee Tables minimum with just a few Books , A vase maybe to add height, A candle to add some warmth and so the space smells divine but then you most definitely need coasters if you intend to maintain your expensive wood furniture. This is where a Shallow Tray or Basket Trays as I call them comes very handy. It clubs everything neatly and still makes the Coffee Table Asthetic and usable.
- Storage Basket – A Big Cane Storage Basket for your Throws when you need to get all warm and cozy or a few extra Pillows for that movie night is always a good idea. Since this is a place that attracts both comfort and looks , a good quality Basket woven in Cane , Seagrass or even metal that complements your Furniture is a good investment. Place it in any corner with your Plants or next to the Couch or if it’s a tiny nook like ours then you can just slip it below your main furniture too.
- Console – I don’t have a console and most Indian Homes or tiny apartments usually don’t but if you do then one small basket on the top rack goes well or some really big ones at the bottom are such great at organising. Get something that’s a thicker weave and not see through , so you could even dump your kid’s toys that keep lying on the rug all day , books , newspapers , magazine other things scattered here and there. A quick collect and dump when someone is arriving on short notice really helps tidy up the place in minutes and nothing will ever be visible to the naked eye(Genius isn’t it). Baskets act as my mini dump yards now, throw things in and forget about them yet they look nice in plain sight because hey who knows what’s in the inside ( Baskets are like Social Media I say Haaahaaa). But It’s really a lazy man’s boon to organising with ease and panache within minutes.
Bedroom
Our rented apartment bedroom is pretty small and nothing really fits after the bed and the two of us, the one corner we had empty I had to put plants but off course and like lots of them so that’s taken too. But I have a mid sized basket with a closed enclosure on the unusable study the landlord built, I couldn’t sit in that corner because its built in a very uncomfortable fashion , is really dark and totally crunched. So I used a pretty Basket that now sits atop and stores my everyday things like the camera , chargers , lenses everything that I reach for on a daily routine but would also want to protect from dust and hence can’t keep in the open. If you have more space you could also have a bigger basket on the bedroom floor for extra cushions and throw blankets. A small basket or tray on your nightstand to keep trinkets, glasses , pen , moisturiser, eye cream all the self care jazz works wonderfully well too.
Here you go a few tips and tricks to decorate and organise with just one product , its so versatile that I keep switching the Baskets from one place to other within the rooms to sometimes oomph up and jazz it all up without buying anything new. Mix and vary the textures , styles , forms and shapes in Baskets and they will surely add a lot of value both in terms of storage and asthetics. My next set of baskets will go into the wardrobe to organise my accessories, lingerie, socks all items that the pandemic declared are really of no use to mankind. On that note , It’s a Sunday evening and the Monsoon Sky is really something nowadays , I ‘ll do a bit of Sky gazing with some Cold brew before Monday knocks again.
Namaste,
Kamakshi
