Do You Have This Fashionable Storage Item in Your Home?
Sometimes a trend just seems to come out of nowhere – and be everywhere. Does this one float your boat?
The belly basket is suddenly everywhere – have you noticed it popping up all over Houzz and in your other social media feeds? This seagrass storage staple, with handles and a distinctive ridge in its curved middle, is so versatile, it’s a wonder it’s taken us so long to catch on.
Use it in the kitchen for stashing tea towels or vegetables, in the dressing room for keeping scarves in order, at the fireside for kindling… It’s insanely useful, and also excellently multi-purpose – working in almost any style of interior. See a whole lot of other uses for this vessel-of-the-moment and tell us which ideas inspire you.
Use it in the kitchen for stashing tea towels or vegetables, in the dressing room for keeping scarves in order, at the fireside for kindling… It’s insanely useful, and also excellently multi-purpose – working in almost any style of interior. See a whole lot of other uses for this vessel-of-the-moment and tell us which ideas inspire you.
…or bathroom storage
Natural textures such as seagrass, rattan and coir are great partners for wood, especially if it retains a rustic look, like these scaffold plank shelves. Use a basket in this context for guest hand towels, bath toys or loo rolls.
Browse storage baskets in the Houzz Shop
Natural textures such as seagrass, rattan and coir are great partners for wood, especially if it retains a rustic look, like these scaffold plank shelves. Use a basket in this context for guest hand towels, bath toys or loo rolls.
Browse storage baskets in the Houzz Shop
Line ’em up
Hallway storage often involves hanging or tucking items inside a box of some sort. Here, free and easy baskets do the job nicely (though they’d also work hung on wall hooks if your hallway is wide enough). Either way, each family member could have one into which they deposit shoes – or washing if they’re lined up on the landing.
Alternatively, the tidiest person in the house may find it useful to have somewhere to collect all the debris the untidier members have left lying around – the idea being that eventually the clutter creators would take their little basket and tidy the contents away. At least the mess will be out of sight if that takes a while to kick in…
5 things you never knew you needed in your hall
Hallway storage often involves hanging or tucking items inside a box of some sort. Here, free and easy baskets do the job nicely (though they’d also work hung on wall hooks if your hallway is wide enough). Either way, each family member could have one into which they deposit shoes – or washing if they’re lined up on the landing.
Alternatively, the tidiest person in the house may find it useful to have somewhere to collect all the debris the untidier members have left lying around – the idea being that eventually the clutter creators would take their little basket and tidy the contents away. At least the mess will be out of sight if that takes a while to kick in…
5 things you never knew you needed in your hall
Tell a toy story
Baskets generally are great for stashing toys and kiddie play debris. Keep them for medium-sized playthings, as too-little items risk quickly turning into a chaotic toy soup.
These plastic dinosaurs are perfect, as they also look really cool, and good looks are helpful with open storage. If you’re using baskets to store soft toys and bears, let your little one hurl things in willy-nilly, then make your own final styling flourish by poking a few of the nicest animals’ heads over the top of the basket.
Baskets generally are great for stashing toys and kiddie play debris. Keep them for medium-sized playthings, as too-little items risk quickly turning into a chaotic toy soup.
These plastic dinosaurs are perfect, as they also look really cool, and good looks are helpful with open storage. If you’re using baskets to store soft toys and bears, let your little one hurl things in willy-nilly, then make your own final styling flourish by poking a few of the nicest animals’ heads over the top of the basket.
Go half and half
In a scheme with a lot of natural hues already, you might feel the need to inject some sharpness. Monochrome accents are nearly always good for anchoring an arrangement, and opting for a belly basket that’s half au naturel and half matt black or white does the job nicely.
In a scheme with a lot of natural hues already, you might feel the need to inject some sharpness. Monochrome accents are nearly always good for anchoring an arrangement, and opting for a belly basket that’s half au naturel and half matt black or white does the job nicely.
Use it for wardrobe overspill
With wardrobes as generous as this, you’ll probably be OK for storage inside them. But, well, the more space there is, often the more space one needs. Cantering past the rights and wrongs of this, and any mention of Marie Kondo and her tidying tips, let’s just agree that a well-placed belly basket is an excellent spot for small items such as socks or belts.
If your main laundry basket lives in the bathroom, you could also use one as your in-between-rooms stash for washing.
With wardrobes as generous as this, you’ll probably be OK for storage inside them. But, well, the more space there is, often the more space one needs. Cantering past the rights and wrongs of this, and any mention of Marie Kondo and her tidying tips, let’s just agree that a well-placed belly basket is an excellent spot for small items such as socks or belts.
If your main laundry basket lives in the bathroom, you could also use one as your in-between-rooms stash for washing.
Embellish it
The geometric pattern on this basket helps it to blend in as part of a trio of other colourful floor storage containers in this nursery, even though none are made of the same material.
Though too small for stashing grown-up size bedding, this belly basket is perfect for baby blankets and so on. Check out, too, the mini version on the wardrobe, embellished quite differently with colourful pompoms.
You could seek out either version ready decorated, or add colour and accessories yourself. (If painting something like this basket for a baby’s room, do use non-toxic paint.)
How to make pompom decorations to pretty up your storage baskets
The geometric pattern on this basket helps it to blend in as part of a trio of other colourful floor storage containers in this nursery, even though none are made of the same material.
Though too small for stashing grown-up size bedding, this belly basket is perfect for baby blankets and so on. Check out, too, the mini version on the wardrobe, embellished quite differently with colourful pompoms.
You could seek out either version ready decorated, or add colour and accessories yourself. (If painting something like this basket for a baby’s room, do use non-toxic paint.)
How to make pompom decorations to pretty up your storage baskets
Pop in a plant
Finding the perfect indoor plant pot can be a trial, but woven styles like this are so versatile. Be sure to protect the container from water by stapling plastic to the inside edge – a thick rubble bag will do the job. Just staple it far enough down to not be visible, but not so low that it doesn’t contain your compost.
Alternatively, pop the plant – lock, stock and ugly original pot – into the basket. If it’s a plastic garden centre one, check it doesn’t have drainage holes or your floor won’t thank you.
Finding the perfect indoor plant pot can be a trial, but woven styles like this are so versatile. Be sure to protect the container from water by stapling plastic to the inside edge – a thick rubble bag will do the job. Just staple it far enough down to not be visible, but not so low that it doesn’t contain your compost.
Alternatively, pop the plant – lock, stock and ugly original pot – into the basket. If it’s a plastic garden centre one, check it doesn’t have drainage holes or your floor won’t thank you.
Belly baskets are instantly at home in an eclectic interior like the one just seen. But sprayed sleek black and filled with more sculptural foliage, this is also a pleasing planter for a cool and contemporary home.
Tell us…
What kind of baskets do you have around your home, and what do you use them for? Tell (or show) us in the Comments section.
Tell us…
What kind of baskets do you have around your home, and what do you use them for? Tell (or show) us in the Comments section.
The natural, woven texture of a belly basket is the perfect accompaniment to this airy, coastal room. If you’re organised, you’ll fill it with beautifully soft throws, colour-matched to your linen bedding.
Less organised types, not great at late-night stacking or arranging, might like to hurl all bedside paraphernalia into it before lights-out. Books, hand cream, knitting, to-do lists… Whatever your kind of clutter is, it’ll be handy yet hidden stylishly in one of these.