MY FRIEND CAME ROUND FOR TEA. SOMEHOW, WE ENDED UP TALKING ABOUT MY LAUNDRY BASKET.
A Letter From A Reader
AT 62, I REALISED WHY ONE CORNER OF MY HOME NEVER LOOKED TIDY
My friend Helen has known me long enough to open the right cupboard for the mugs without asking. She has also known me long enough to say things other people would politely keep to themselves.
We were carrying tea through to the sitting room when she stopped outside the utility room.
“Have you still got that bag?”
I knew which one she meant. There was only one thing in that room that could reasonably be described in that tone.
The cream canvas laundry bag. Although cream was becoming a generous description.
I had spent more time choosing the tea towels than the thing I put them in.
Its opening folded over whenever it was empty. The drawstring trailed along the floor. On washing days, I propped it against the machine and hoped it would cooperate.
There was nothing dramatically wrong with it. It held clothes. That had been enough for me to keep postponing the decision to replace it.
Until Helen noticed.
Helen had a point
We sat down with our tea, and I found myself explaining why I hadn’t bought another one.
There were plenty of perfectly sensible reasons. Or rather, there was one: I hadn’t got round to it.
“You choose everything else,” Helen said. “Why does that get an exemption?”
I laughed, but later that evening I went back and looked at the corner properly.
I didn’t want to redecorate. I didn’t need another cupboard. I wanted a laundry basket that looked as though I had chosen it with the same care as the things in the rest of the house.
That was how I found the collection at Lisbury London.
I looked through the flowers and woodland patterns. Then I reached Poppy, the Cat Parade basket, and went back for a second look.
A ginger cat and a black cat sitting among colourful books, with butterflies and flowers around them. I have an unreasonable number of books and a perfectly reasonable fondness for cats. It was a persuasive combination.
Still, I read the practical details before choosing. I wasn’t replacing one awkward bag with another simply because this one had a better picture on it.
My daughter noticed the books first
When the parcel arrived, I opened it beside the armchair. The cardboard stayed on the floor, the packing paper travelled rather further than intended, and I put the basket on the seat to have a proper look.
My daughter, Louise, came round that afternoon.
“Those are very you,” she said, pointing at the books.
Not “Why have you bought a laundry basket?” Not “Where is that going?” Just recognition.
That was what pleased me about the design. It wasn’t an attempt to make my house look like a photograph in a magazine. It fitted the things I already liked.
The cream background softened the colours. The cats gave it character. And for once, a practical purchase didn’t feel like something I would immediately want to tuck away.
Eventually, I took it through to the utility room. The armchair was needed for its usual purpose.
The three details I looked for
A pattern can catch your attention, but a laundry basket still has work to do. These were the details that mattered when I read the description.
One: it is designed to stand upright, even when empty. After dealing with the old bag’s disappearing opening, that was high on my list.
Two: the quilted cotton-poly fabric is described as easy to wipe clean. Something used around the house needs straightforward care. The canvas carrying handles were another practical detail. Follow the care instructions supplied with the basket when cleaning it.
Three: there are three sizes. Small, Medium and Large, so you can choose for your own space. Measure first. A lovely basket is rather less lovely if it blocks the cupboard you open every morning.
There was another possibility, too. A spare throw beside the window, or clean linen waiting to go upstairs. A basket with some character needn’t have only one place in the house.
About the price
The Medium Poppy is £37.95, with Small at £34.95 and Large at £41.95. I liked having a choice of sizes as well as patterns; there was no point choosing a basket without checking where it would go. The listing says the baskets are made to order, with possible variations in colour, pattern placement and dimensions. Before ordering, check your chosen size and the current delivery, care and returns information. Prices may differ between designs.
Poppy was my preference, but somebody else might choose flowers or dragonflies. The point is finding something that belongs among the things you enjoy.
If we were having tea
I wouldn’t tell you that a basket will transform your life. There will still be washing. There will almost certainly still be a sock missing.
But I might ask whether you have something at home that you keep straightening, moving or hiding simply because you have got used to owning it.
It doesn’t have to be broken before you’re allowed to choose something you like better.
Helen came round for tea. The useful part of the visit happened before we reached the sitting room.
I’m glad she said something.
Margaret