Filed under: Your Home, Projects, Fun Stuff, Design, etc, News & Trends
Photo: Brook Farm General Store
Here's another use for French Market baskets: decor.
Canvas totes have all but replaced plastic grocery bags in most cities, and while being eco-friendly is always a great look, there is a slightly more refined option for a permanent carryall.
I discovered French Market baskets through my friend Jessica, who recently moved to Amsterdam and reports European women use the classic bag/basket hybrids for everyday schleps around town. Woven with palm leaves and trimmed with leather straps and handles, the French Market basket has been an essential accessory in Provence for years.
Because they're light, sturdy, and have an elegant, neutral hue, the bags are a simple and stylish way to carry produce and flowers from the farmer's market, books from the library, or snacks and towels to the beach.
But it got us thinking about how to use the bags at home as decor, and suddenly, we were envisioning these simple baskets in every room in the house. One could function as a small laundry hamper in the closet or magazine storage next to your bed. You could use one in the garden as a chic little tool bag or as a catch-all for weeding. In the bathroom, why not stuff some toilet paper rolls or towels inside? You could do something similar in the dining room, keeping an assortment of cloth napkins or tea towels inside. Two more ideas: Store dog or kid toys in them, or use one as a junk mail receptacle.
We're a fan of Brook Farm General Store's version for $40 (shown above), and the simple Medina Baskets French Market baskets for $42 each.
I use mine for carrying groceries and work files during the week, then as a weekend bag for short trips upstate in summer. For authenticity's sake, I might carry a fresh baguette and a wheel of Brie wherever I go.
We've got a question: What would you do with a French Market basket? If you have an idea, tell us about it.