Basket Decor in the Living Room my favourite wicker treasures

Basket Decor in the Living Room why rattan is so loved again

Basket decor in the living room is back – and for good reason. After years of smooth surfaces and cool materials, we long for warmth, naturalness and craft again. That’s exactly what rattan brings into the living room: it’s renewable, light, long-lasting and suits almost any style. Whether boho, Scandinavian, maritime or a country-style living room – wicker accessories make a space instantly more inviting.

The lovely thing about rattan decor is how versatile it is. A few baskets, a lantern, a woven planter – and the room feels more alive, without a single new piece of furniture. If you’d like to decorate your living room, basket and rattan are the easiest way to create lots of atmosphere with little effort. They don’t swallow the light; they scatter it softly and cast delicate patterns on the wall.

Then there’s the practical side: basket storage doesn’t just look pretty, it creates order. Blankets, magazines, toys or odds and ends disappear into handsome baskets instead of plastic boxes. That’s how basket decor in the living room combines what I love most about decorating: it’s beautiful and useful at once – and along the way it creates that cosy cosy-living feeling a home thrives on.

And it really doesn’t matter whether you like it modern or country style, whether you gather your basket decor cheaply at the flea market or decorate your living room piece by piece yourself – rattan decor for the living room is wonderfully flexible. I’ve collected many of my pieces over several years, mostly on trips to Holland and at flea markets.

1 · Why rattan won my heart warm, alive, a little imperfect

Rattan has something cool, smooth materials never have: it’s warm, alive and a little imperfect. Every fibre speaks of handwork, every small irregularity belongs. In summer wicker feels airy and light, in winter surprisingly cosy – it brings nature into the living room without being loud. That’s exactly why, over the years, a single little basket turned into a whole small collection at our place. And honestly? I don’t regret a single find.

2 · Finds from Holland and a love for Marktplaats.nl

I’ll happily let you in on my favourite hobby: browsing Dutch classifieds on a Sunday with a cup of coffee. On Marktplaats.nl I type “rotan” into the search box and lose myself for hours. Once we drove across the border just to pick up a single basket – and came back with half the boot full, because two more treasures simply “had to come along” on the way. Many of my pieces are from Riviera Maison, some second-hand, some with little flaws. But it’s exactly those that tell the loveliest stories.

3 · The maritime corner a little piece of the sea

In one corner lives my little piece of the sea: two life rings in wicker, an anchor and a boat made of rattan. It doesn’t take much, and the room already smells of North Sea wind and summer holidays to me. On grey days I often pause in front of it, and the memories of beach walks and crying gulls are right back. Maritime decor doesn’t have to be bold blue-and-white at all – in natural wicker tones it feels quiet, warm and not the least bit kitsch.

4 · Aeroplane and pendant for anyone who knows wanderlust

Then there’s the aeroplane made of rattan – a little crazy, I know. But that’s exactly what I love about it. It stands for wanderlust, for the urge to set off, for all the places still on the list. The little pendant beside it fits perfectly: together they tell of journeys, of leaving and coming home. Visitors almost always stop in front of it and smile – and just like that we’re deep in conversation about holidays and favourite places.

5 · The rattan apple beautiful and practical at once

My most practical favourite is the apple made of rattan – hollow inside and made for exactly that: storing apples. In autumn, when the first Boskoops arrive from the market, I lay them inside, and the whole kitchen takes on something of harvest time and grandmother’s pantry. I like things that look beautiful and can still do something. This apple is just that: decor and fruit bowl in one, and a little nod to late summer.

6 · Ski & snowboard on the wall my winter highlight

And now my absolute centrepiece: on the wall hang a pair of ski and a snowboard – made entirely of rattan. In summer they’re a charming, unexpected eye-catcher. But in winter, when the first snow falls outside and the fairy lights glow indoors, they truly come into their own. At Christmas I tuck in a bit of fir greenery, a few lights, and suddenly the whole wall speaks of winter. For me this corner is the loveliest thing about the cold season – it turns an ordinary evening into a cabin evening, with no mountains outside the door at all.

7 · Beautiful and practical storage in wicker

At our place even everyday life is allowed to be wicker: a holder for the plates, a little basket for the cutlery, plus rattan planters that instantly lend any green plant something homely. The lovely part is that order doesn’t have to feel strict. When cutlery and crockery sit in warm weave rather than cool plastic, even the washing-up feels a touch cosier. Wicker makes the practical beautiful – and that’s exactly what decorating is about for me.

8 · Light and mood candle holders, lanterns & lampshades

I love rattan most when it gets dark. Candle holders, lanterns and lampshades in wicker cast a warm, patterned light onto walls and ceiling – those delicate shadows I raved about at the start. A single lantern with a candle inside turns an ordinary evening into something special. If you only want to try one wicker piece, choose one for the light. The difference in the evening is astonishing.

The 10 prettiest ideas for basket decor in the living room

Looking for inspiration for basket decor in the living room? Here come my ten favourite ideas – from big eye-catchers to small details. Pick whatever suits your room:

• 1 · Large floor baskets for blankets – an XXL basket beside the sofa holds throws and cushions and is decor and basket storage in one.
• 2 · Wicker lanterns – with a candle inside they cast warm, patterned light in the evening; my favourite way into rattan decor.
• 3 · Rattan wall decor – plates, fans or, like mine, ski and snowboard in rattan turn an empty wall into an eye-catcher.
• 4 · Wicker trays on the coffee table – they gather candles, books and a few blooms into a harmonious little still life.
• 5 · Wicker planters – a woven planter makes any plant look instantly cosier.
• 6 · Maritime basket decor – life rings, anchor and a boat in wicker bring a holiday feeling into the living room.
• 7 · Basket storage – baskets on the shelf or under the bench hide clutter and instantly create order.
• 8 · Rattan lampshades – they bathe the room in soft light and are a little jewel in themselves by day.
• 9 · Decorative figures – an aeroplane, an apple, a little pendant in rattan: finds with character that make every guest smile.
• 10 · Seasonal basket decor – airy and bright in summer, with fir greenery and fairy lights in winter – wicker goes along with every season.

You don’t have to do it all at once. Even two or three of these ideas turn a plain room into a cosy cosy living room.

My 5 favourite basket decor ideas to recreate

Want to get started right away? You can recreate these five basket decor ideas straight away – cheaply, without tools and often with what you already have at home:

1. Group three wicker tealight holders on a tray – there’s your centrepiece for the coffee table.
2. Set a green plant in a rattan planter and place it on a small stack of books.
3. Place a single favourite piece – boat, apple or aeroplane – on its own on a dresser. Less is more.
4. Tuck blankets and magazines into a large floor basket: basket storage that looks good.
5. Hang a rattan piece on the wall – an anchor, or like me, ski and snowboard.

That’s how a few finds become your own basket decor, step by step – at your own pace and inspiration.

Basket decor in country style my favourite ideas from Holland

For me, basket decor is inseparable from a country-style living room: warm natural tones, a touch of vintage, lots of cosiness. I gathered my loveliest inspiration in Holland, where rattan and wicker belong in almost every living room as a matter of course. Combine the weave with linen, dried flowers, a few candles and muted colours – and that quiet, inviting country look appears, the one that never goes out of fashion. Feel free to pin the ideas from this post, so you have them ready for your next flea-market stroll. It’s exactly this mix of natural decor and personal finds that makes a home for me.

Buy basket decor or find it second-hand? my favourite sources

The loveliest basket decor is often the kind with a story – and you rarely find that in the first shop you walk into. These are my favourite sources:

My tip: don’t have too fixed an idea in mind, just let yourself drift. The loveliest finds are almost always the ones you weren’t even looking for.

The most common mistake and how to avoid it

The biggest mistake? All at once. When every surface is crammed with wicker, the magic of the individual piece is lost. A few tips that help me:

• Stick to natural tones – different basket shades, yes, but all in one warm family, so it feels calm rather than restless.
• Mix sizes – one large piece as an eye-catcher, a few small ones around it. That creates interest without looking cluttered.
• Combine with textiles – linen, wool and a bit of green let the weave breathe.
• Favourite pieces over quantity – one find with a story says more than ten random baskets.

FAQ about basket decor & rattan