Vintage French Style Footed Wire Basket in Duck Egg Grey

French wirework has been gracing kitchens, gardens and orangeries for well over a century, and this footed basket has all the charm of those old country pieces. A deep, rounded bowl of spiralling wire sits on a flared pedestal foot, and the rim is finished with a frill of overlapping loops that catch the light beautifully. Twists of wire bind each upright to the rings, so you can see exactly how it was made.

It is painted in a soft, speckled duck egg grey, a lovely muted shade that sits between pale blue and pebble. The paint has worn away in a few places and there are small spots of rust here and there, which only add to its weathered, been outdoors for years appeal. It measures 32 cm in diameter and 18 cm high, and weighs 650 g, so it has real presence on a table while still being easy to lift and move.

We have styled it with dried hydrangea heads, eucalyptus, shells and coral for the photographs. In a conservatory or garden room it makes a wonderful planter: line it with moss and fill it with trailing ivy, herbs or a pot of white cyclamen. It looks just as good outside on a garden table, piled with lemons or freshly picked apples, or holding tea lights for a summer evening.

Indoors, use it as a fruit bowl on a kitchen island, a centrepiece for the dining table, or a home for dried flowers, pine cones and seed heads on a sideboard. It suits French country, shabby chic, coastal and Gustavian interiors, and looks particularly pretty with white linen, old green glass bottles and weathered wood. Come Christmas, fill it with pine cones, white baubles and sprigs of silver eucalyptus for an effortless festive centrepiece.