Storage Baskets

Choosing a rattan, wicker, seagrass or fabric basket

The material changes how a basket looks and how it copes with daily use. Rattan, which we stock most often, is light and strong, so it holds a crisp outline. Wicker suits anyone after the classic woven look, and we stock it alongside rattan. Seagrass is twisted into a smooth cord before it is woven, which gives a tight, even surface; undyed, it has a faint green-straw colour that mellows with time. Fabric is the softer choice, kinder to knitwear and quieter on a shelf. We also stock a few baskets in water hyacinth, a thick, soft fibre made from the dried stems of a water plant, and a few in jute or bamboo.

What is rattan, and how does a rattan basket differ from a wicker one?

Rattan is the stem of a climbing palm. Unlike bamboo, which is hollow, a rattan stem is solid through its length, so it is light but hard to crush. Softened with steam, it bends round a mould and keeps that curve once dry, which is why it lends itself to rounded baskets with firm rims. The glossy outer skin is often peeled into thin strips, called cane, and used to bind rims and handles, while the inner core is cut into round reed for the body of the weave. Wicker is not a plant. It names a way of weaving pliable stems, so a wicker basket may be willow, rattan or another fibre, and the two words often overlap. Polyrattan, which one or two of ours use, is a synthetic strand made to look like rattan.

Measuring a shelf, cube or floor space for a basket

Measure the space first. For a shelf or a cube unit, take the inside height, width and depth, then choose a basket a centimetre or two smaller than the space, so a woven rim, which can flare a little, slides in and out without catching. Where we list a diameter, our baskets run from 14cm to 49cm across. Listed heights run from 5cm to 60cm: shallow enough at one end to sit on top of a chest of drawers, tall enough at the other to stand on the floor beside a sofa. Where a basket has a length and width instead, lengths run from 21cm to 56.5cm and widths from 12cm to 38cm.

On a set, check the size given per piece against the space it will fill. For a basket on the floor, think about what goes in it: a stack of throws needs height, while shoes and toys are easier to find in something wide and low.

Natural and grey baskets in the living room, bedroom and hallway

We stock our storage baskets in natural tones and in grey, with a few in black, brown or white. Natural fibres warm a room with oak floors or a cream sofa; grey sits quietly with painted wood, white walls and cool linen. In a living room, a large basket beside the sofa keeps throws within reach, and a pair on a low shelf gathers remotes, chargers and post. In a bedroom, a basket at the foot of the bed holds a spare blanket, and smaller ones on a wardrobe shelf keep scarves and socks in order. In a hallway, one on a shoe bench or under a console table catches hats, gloves and dog leads.

Along a run of shelves, keeping to one material and one colour gives a calm, even row, while mixing rattan with seagrass adds texture to open shelving. Baskets of different sizes look planned rather than random when they share a colour.

Lid or no lid, one basket or a set

A few of our storage baskets come with a lid, which keeps dust off folded linen and hides what is inside. The rest are open, which is quicker for things you reach for daily. Some are sold singly and some as sets of two or three, with one or two sold as a set of five; the title tells you how many baskets arrive. The range also takes in a few log baskets for the fireside and a few laundry baskets, named as such in their titles, so you can see at a glance what a basket is meant to carry.

Cleaning woven and fabric baskets and keeping them dry

Dust a woven basket with a soft brush or the brush head of a vacuum, working along the weave so you don't lift loose ends. For a mark, wipe with a cloth wrung out in mild soapy water, then let the basket dry fully in an airy room, away from a radiator, as direct heat can make natural fibres brittle. Natural fibres also take up moisture, so a basket in a bathroom is happiest away from the shower, in a room that is aired after use. Bright sun through a window can fade dyed colours and deepen natural ones over time; turn a basket now and then if it sits in a sunny spot. For a fabric basket, read the product page before washing it.