Baskets, as a rule, are nothing if not functional. Their sole purpose in life (such as that may be for an inanimate woven container unit) is to store stuff. Big stuff, little stuff, ugly stuff, pretty stuff…the basket doesn’t care. It’ll hold it all. The beautiful thing for us is that we not only benefit from the function of said basketry, but we also get to choose what kind of basket(s) to use. From selecting a basket’s color, texture, size, shape…we have loads of options, and stylish ones at that. Here are some great ideas for using baskets in your home and life:

How about these metal wall-mounted baskets for your bathroom? They take up no floor space (which, for many of us, is at a premium in the bathroom) but still hold toiletries and essentials, such as the white linens here. I particularly like how the baskets maintain the clean and classic color scheme in this space while adding a bit of an industrial look and feel.

These woven baskets provide a lovely earthy and textural element to this laundry room, with its large industrial-looking washers and dryers. Neutral and orderly, the baskets likely provide a well-looking “home” for many oddly colored, shaped, and used items. A nice touch is how the baskets are randomly varied hues of brown, which adds to the organic vibe but still maintains structure and order. This is a lovely balance.

This large open pantry requires a higher degree of organization and aesthetic appeal than a typical closeted pantry, and these baskets certainly pull their weight in accomplishing this. The pantry itself resembles a grocery store layout, and the baskets almost resemble shopping carts, which is a delightful and playful component. And, for me, showing the colorful produce and food labels almost reads as art. But real-life art, with soup cans and onions. These baskets are a perfect touch here.

Often, baskets are used for storage, but here they’re strictly used for aesthetic appeal. Tumbled across the top of this warm wooden armoire, the baskets resemble natural windswept elements in every way. This effect is heightened by the baskets’ imperfections and simple woven designs. Full of character both individually and collectively, the baskets fill this simple space with a sense of history and life lived. Beautifully used.

An entryway is a classic place for baskets – it’s inherently a catch-all part of the house. These woven baskets are an excellent choice here because they fit perfectly underneath entry table and because their color blends in with the lovely yellow so they don’t detract from it. This whole scene is a welcoming first impression…which is commendable when we consider the high likelihood that there are some ugly shoes and messy things hidden within. Perfect.

Picture sources: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.