fun decorating
create a cozier bathroom
“A white sink and white tile can look stark,” says designer Kristina Crestin of HGTV’s Farmhouse Fixer. For more warmth in a Boston, MA, client’s bathroom, she filled a rattan Target basket with fluffy Turkish towels. It’s ventilated enough to let bath toys dry out when towels are in the wash.
are always the answer Excellent ideas and picks that prove they’re our BFFs when it comes to sprucing up and getting organized.
Newburg Green by Benjamin Moore
energize an office This boho collection from
beautify a closet To score neatness as satisfying as Radiant Sunrise by Dunn-Edwards
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her crafts supply stash, L.A.–based Kelly Mindell of @studiodiy did a coordinated mix of baskets: larger pom-pom ones from Target hide her Cricut stuff, and square kinds from The Little Market hold basics like beads, yarn, and modeling clay. “The woven material connects them and my tropical theme!”
CLOSET: JEFF MINDELL/STUDIO DIY; BATHROOM: JARED KUZIA; OFFICE: BLACKBAND DESIGN; LAUNDRY ROOM: SPACECRAFTING PHOTOGRAPHY
Kazi and flea markets glamifies the workspace of Costa Mesa, CA, designer Wendy Blackband. “Baskets add a pop of personality,” she says. “Smaller ones fill in the nooks and crannies to create one cohesive art piece.”
make laundry easier For a family
of five plus two dogs in Chanhassen, MN, a 15-inchby-24-inch seagrass tote turned basket with leather handles was a must for hauling items. Besides, a basic plastic bin wasn’t going to do it once designer Jennifer Horstman elevated the room with whimsical wallpaper by Designers Guild. “I like how the basket’s black stripes echo the floor’s charcoal gray,” she says.
Tarrytown Green by Benjamin Moore
fun decorating style an entry Because the one in the home of
Canadian blogger Jessica Sara Morris of White Picket Farmhouse is smallish, she DIYed a petite bench from oldgrowth cedar and tucked a water-hyacinth basket below from Canadian Tire for shoes. An oblong seagrass number from H&M hung on a hook isn’t just a practical place for scarves: “When a basket’s this cute, you show it off!”
North Woods by Behr
fill a bare spot Baskets with lids can be
stacked to make an impact, as in this Salt Lake City, UT, home. “They add just the right amount of color in an otherwise minimalist room,” says designer Shea McGee. (Try Nina Nest on Etsy for a similar look.) They’re also a good way to hide phone chargers and cords—and keep the TV remote from disappearing.
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They’ve come in handy since forever, and these woven wonders often make us feel nostalgic. “Baskets can remind us of happy times—your mother and grandma probably had some at home,” says Samuel Gosling, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at The University of Texas at Austin who studies the meaning of decor. People may also be comforted by their hypnotic weave and earthy elements. Says Gosling, “It’s the same reason we put up pictures of the ocean—we’re drawn to things that remind us of nature.”
BEDROOM: LINDSAY SALAZAR; ENTRY: JESSICA SARA MORRIS
YET MORE REASONS WHY WE’RE OBSESSED WITH BASKETS
fun decorating
try it as a très chic trash can Makaua 11"-tall palm leaf basket in calabaza, $42, onemercantile.com
Bungalow Rose Diamond 10"W x 10"D x 10"H beaded wood basket, $77, wayfair.com
Baba Tree Banasco 4 1/2"H x 6"-diameter vetiver grass basket in multicolor, $46, goodeeworld.com Large Diamonds 13 1/2"-diameter seagrass basket, $15, containerstore.com
fill it up with fruit!
Mbare Two-Tone 20"-tall millet grass and plastic basket in turquoise and white, $98, madetrade.com
Vivid Geo 15"-diameter raffia and banana fiber basket, $70, kazigoods.com
Shuri 14"H x 12"-diameter cotton, rayon, and polyester basket in blue green, $78, anthropologie.com
toss in a patterned throw
Makaua Oval 17 3/4"W x 9 3/4"D x 7 3/4"H palm leaf basket in coral and navy, $85, shopthemansion.com
Japa 19"-tall palm fiber basket in midnight, $220, shopterritorydesign.com
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Black and White Open 14 1/2"-tall rattan basket, $69, crateandbarrel.com