Vintage Round Wire Basket in Distressed White

Painted wire baskets bring an easy, French farmhouse feel to a kitchen or dining table, and this round one is wide, shallow and wonderfully versatile. Rings of wire spiral outwards from a neatly knotted centre, crossed by straight spokes that give it a pretty cartwheel pattern, and the rim is bound all the way round with little twists of wire. It has been finished in a rough white paint with touches of black brushed through, giving it a soft, timeworn look that sits beautifully alongside older pieces.

It measures 33 cm in diameter and 8 cm high, and weighs 470 g, so it is light enough to move from room to room but generous enough to hold plenty. The wire is sturdy and the basket sits flat and steady, as you can see in the photographs.

We have styled it with dried hydrangea heads, shells and coral for the photographs. On a kitchen table it makes a lovely home for apples, lemons or a crusty loaf, and on a sideboard it will happily hold dried flowers, pine cones or rolled linen napkins. In a bathroom, fill it with folded hand towels and soaps, or use it on a hall table to catch post, keys and sunglasses. It looks just as striking stood upright on a shelf or hung on a wall, where the spiralling wirework becomes a simple, graphic decoration in its own right.

It suits shabby chic, coastal and Scandinavian interiors alike, and looks particularly pretty with white china, weathered wood and old green glass bottles. At Christmas, pile it high with pine cones, white baubles and a string of fairy lights for an instant table centrepiece, or use it to hand round mince pies when friends call in.