Saturday 1 June 2013

Fruits of the Loom

In my recent post for Heart Home magazine I featured Happy Piece, who sell baskets hand made by women in Rwanda, and I have previously featured on this blog the ethical homewares brand Nkuku. 
Anyone else sensing a trend?  Homespun is going to the next level with handmade basketry and woven products entering the fold, all the better if the goods are ethical and/or eco-friendly.


Keeping this lot dry was a challenge!
On last month's shoot for the July issue of KBB Magazine we battled against the elements all day to create a distinctly outdoorsy feel, with wicker, cane and weave featuring prominently.  There are some great products on the market this summer, so if the weather is rubbish - which, let's face it, it is - you can still feel like you're on safari in Africa or lazing in the dry desert heat by adding a few things to your interior scheme.

Here I've rounded up some of my favourite basketry and woven products that are available, for indoors and (weather permitting!) outdoors:

Firstly, my product of the day was this surprisingly comfortable garden chair:

Högsten chair - £65, Ikea

There is a plethora of basketware available now, but my particular favourites are these, hand made in India using natural materials: 

Indra Coil Basket - from £60, Nkuku

These rugs are hand crafted in Algeria from wool and halfa grasses:

Halfa Carpets - £119, Plümo
And a recent discovery, this rug just looks so snuggly and warm underfoot! Woven from the wool of Baruwhal sheep, they are hand made in Kathmandu.

Kabru Radhi rug - £306, Stitch By Stitch
For more ways to incorporate basketry and wicker in to your home and garden, see the July issue of Kitchens, Bedrooms & Bathrooms magazine, out next week.