Organize by room and by purpose—basket storage and fabric storage that adapt freely to any use

When it comes to storage, the key is how well you can organize your belongings while making efficient use of space.

Storage that's hard to use, or a poor flow of movement, leads to stress—so, to put it a bit dramatically,

it's an issue that even affects your quality of life.

This time, we're focusing on two types of storage items: "basket storage" and "fabric storage."

We'll introduce the benefits of each, along with the best places to use them and the items best suited for storing in them.

Why not take this opportunity to rethink the storage in your own home?  

For both basket storage and fabric storage, let's start with the merits of each.

・Merits of baskets: good breathability, and it's easy to check the contents

・Merits of fabric: flexible, allowing you to adjust height and width. You can fit it into just about any space you want to store it in.

【Basket Storage】

Baskets come in a variety of materials, such as take (bamboo), tou (rattan), and wire, but

what all of them have in common is the merit that comes from being woven: "breathability."

From vegetables and other food ingredients to leather goods, there are actually quite a lot of items

that need breathability to avoid humidity when being stored.

Baskets are well suited for storing these kinds of items.

Basket storage is also characterized by good visibility.

Since you can easily see what's inside, it's also perfect for helping children learn to tidy up.

【Fabric Storage】

Compared to baskets, the greatest advantage of fabric storage is its flexibility.

Depending on the item, you can fold it to adjust the height,

and even in a slightly narrow space, you can scrunch it up to fit.

Taking advantage of this feature, you can also use it as

a divider inside a larger box.

Both baskets and fabric (hanpu, cotton canvas) are sturdy materials that can be cherished for a long time, but

to use either of them comfortably and continue enjoying them,

it's important to consider the room or spot where it will be placed (whether it will sit directly on the floor, or be used inside a shelf),

and to check that the material and size are suited to the intended purpose.

In other words, the best approach is to choose your storage items based on what you'll be putting in them and where you'll place them.

Of course, as your lifestyle changes over time, what you store will change too,

so it's also important to consider whether an item "can be used flexibly in various places," anticipating that kind of change.  

When it comes to things you'd want to store in a basket, root vegetables come to mind.

Potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, and the like don't need to go in the refrigerator—

just pile them into a basket and place it somewhere out of direct light.  

As the name suggests, a harvest basket is a basket for carrying harvested vegetables and flowers.  

Its wide-open mouth makes the contents easy to see, so you can tell at a glance if you're running low on any ingredients.

With its large handle and charming, rounded boat-shaped design,

it's sure to make a statement just sitting in the kitchen.

Products from Burgon & Ball, a gardening tool brand beloved in England,

the home of gardening, are tools that

make tending your garden and enjoying your gardening hobby all the more delightful.

The fact that each piece is carefully crafted one by one by skilled artisans with excellent technique

may be one reason people grow so attached to them.

Considered among the finest tools in England, the country of gardening,

they are trusted products beloved by gardening experts all over the world.  

This basket, with its slightly narrowed opening, is a "migaki kaimono kago" (polished shopping basket) made in Kumamoto Prefecture.

Since it was originally made for grocery shopping,

it's highly functional, well-ventilated, and features a sturdy bottom.

It's woven firmly and durably, with the idea that it will be placed in all sorts of spots.

Of course, you can take it along to the supermarket for shopping,

and it's also ideal as a place to store food in the kitchen.

It's called a "migaki kaimono kago" because,

after splitting the bamboo material, each strip is carefully polished by hand, one by one.

The bamboo basket, given added luster through this process, has a beauty that's a pleasure to behold.

And there's the added joy of watching it deepen into an amber color the more you use it.  

Stocks of seasonings like soy sauce, vinegar, salt, and sugar are also

among the food items that need to be kept in the kitchen.

To preserve their quality, it's best to keep them out of direct light,

but sometimes there just isn't enough room to fit them inside a cabinet.

BACSAC's gardening pots were originally designed as planter covers

for potted plants, but they're also great for this kind of storage.

Since the fabric is thick, you can feel at ease putting breakable glass bottles inside.

Made to hold heavy potted plants, they're also quite durable,

and when you want to move them, you can use the handles. Even loaded with heavy seasonings,

there's no need to worry about the bottom tearing.  

BACSAC's concept is

"bringing a bit of nature into everyday life, anywhere."

In France, where BACSAC was born—especially in Paris—people often want to grow greenery,

but their homes often don't have enough space to truly enjoy gardening,

leaving them with little more than a small spot to hang a pot from an apartment window.

BACSAC was born out of a wish to let people enjoy a stylish life with plants

even under such conditions.  

Cloths and other items used frequently in the kitchen can be stored in a

mono-ire (storage pouch) from JOBU.

If you use the smaller size, it will fit neatly inside cabinets and drawers

so you'll want to keep it standing by in a spot where you can grab it right away.

JoBu's Mono-ire pouches are sewn with the top edge of the bag folded over,

which means the fabric is doubled, so the pouch stands up firmly on its own without sagging.

The wide opening also makes it easy to put things in and take them out, which is handy for storing items you use often.

Although the canvas fabric has a firm, sturdy feel, it's still cloth, so you can adjust the height by folding the top edge down.

Being able to fine-tune the shape and size to fit wherever you want to place it is really convenient. 

When children are small, it's common for toys and stuffed animals to end up out in the living room while they play.

Thinking about children putting things away themselves, storage without a lid that they can simply toss items into,

and that's fine to leave out, is the easiest to use from a child's point of view,

and the rattan baskets from Tsuruya Shoten fulfill exactly that kind of storage wish.

Tsuruya Shoten is a maker that has long used rattan to craft furniture and storage items.

Rattan often brings to mind a Japanese-style image, like the laundry baskets found in ryokan inns,

but Tsuruya Shoten's rattan products are left unpainted, giving them the look of plain, unfinished wood.

Because of this, they have an air similar to Scandinavian furniture, with a look that suits

modern living rooms just as well.

In making these products, every step—"bending," "winding," and "weaving"—is done

entirely by hand, which is why these rattan baskets carry a warmth of human touch.

What's more, in Tsuruya Shoten's products, the meticulous care characteristic of Japanese craftsmanship translates into sturdy construction,

resulting in durable items that hold up and last far longer than you might expect. 

Some people store magazines, newspapers, and picture books in a magazine rack,

but when you think about how you might reuse the storage item later once you no longer need it for that purpose,

we recommend simply placing them loosely into a basket.

The bamboo baskets from Kohchosai Kosuga are square and deep.

They let you place magazines and picture books inside without bending them, and hold them stably.

Bamboo strips, split finely to make bamboo lath, resist breaking and bend well,

which is why they're so valued as a material for baskets.

These baskets are made using shiratake (white bamboo) with its natural outer skin left intact.

A smooth touch, the reassurance that it won't break even when packed full,

and above all, the warmth you can feel from bamboo as a natural material—all come together here.

Bamboo is a material that has been part of Japanese daily life since ancient times, a gift from nature.

Kohchosai Kosuga uses this material to craft handicrafts and everyday tools,

hoping to enrich the culture of daily life.

What makes Kohchosai Kosuga so appealing is that they approach their craft

without ever forgetting the values and sensibilities that remain unchanged across the ages.

KORBO's stainless steel baskets are, compared with basket-type items made of other materials,

more resistant to water, so their appeal is that you can wash them even if they get dirty.

For that reason, they're well suited to storing laundry supplies and cleaning tools, and it's nice that

you can use them roughly without worry.

Ever since it was first made in 1922, the KORBO wire basket has been used in Swedish households to carry things,

cherished as a beautiful and trustworthy tool.

There's no welding involved—instead, a craftsperson weaves each basket from a single long piece of wire, so it has no seams.

Because acid-resistant stainless steel is used, the baskets resist rust,

making them well suited for long-term use regardless of the surrounding environment.

In Sweden, they're used not only in demanding industries such as fishing and farming,

but also, it's said, widely cherished in ordinary households as everyday storage items,

holding laundry or children's toys. 

For items like towels and toilet paper,

where you might worry about them catching on the weave of a basket, JoBu's Mono-ire pouches are a good choice.

Choosing the L size boosts storage capacity considerably, and its usability comes from being able to shape the pouch

to match whatever you're putting inside it.

JoBu is a brand that conveys the strength of canvas fabric, and the natural appeal of Kurashiki canvas,

not only as material for industrial goods and work tools but also as something familiar in everyday items,

hoping people can feel that appeal for themselves.

You can sense their dedication to craftsmanship in the way they take the highest quality canvas fabric

and shape it into everyday tools suited to modern life. 

Once you put something into a storage item, even though you're taking things in and out,

there's usually always something inside it, so dust and small bits of debris

tend to slip in through the gaps and collect at the bottom.

To keep the storage item itself clean and usable for a long time, it's important to periodically

empty out everything inside and remove the dust and debris.

▼Caring for bamboo and rattan baskets

Avoid using or storing these in humid places, as this can cause mold.

For everyday care, simply wipe with a soft, dry cloth.

If mold ever does appear, wipe it with a well-wrung cloth,

then let it dry thoroughly before using it again.

▼Caring for fabric storage items

Once dust gets caught in the weave of the fabric, it's hard to remove, so turn the item inside out

and brush the dirt out.

If it gets stained, dab it with a well-wrung cloth to lift the dirt away.

When drying, hang it in the shade in a well-ventilated spot.