Notes of: A Basket Case

Behind July’s Mood Board

Welcome to Notes Of! Each month I make a mood board as a little creative exercise in thematic thinking. In Notes Of I elaborate on each month’s theme and include links to relevant articles, videos, products, and more. 

People ask me what my goals are all the time. So much about my future is foggy to me, and I tend to shirk the answer as much as possible, but there is one thing I know for sure: Someday, maybe not too far in the distance, I will amass a Bunny Mellon-level collection of baskets.

This is a text I sent my sister the other day:

I can always count on Chels to be down for a project.

I’ve long had a fascination with Bunny Mellon’s Basket House, a room built on the prolific landscape designer’s Virginia estate in 1971 built to house her collection of woven baskets. Apparently she used this room “for rest and relaxation”, according to this soothing 10-minute documentary about her home. Bunny lived to be 103, so I think she was onto something.

The origins of basketry are a bit of a mystery because the natural materials used to make baskets—wood, grass, vines—decay, but traces of baskets have been found in the Egyptian pyramids that date back over 12,000 years. I don’t have time to go down the research rabbit hole this week but as both an essential tool in daily life and a form of artistry for cultures all over the world, there’s a lot to be learned about the humble little basket and its many, many forms.

So, this month’s mood board is an ode to the basket and its friends: wicker furniture, straw hats, rattan artworks, and of course, Jane Birkin. It’s a vibe I think Bunny would approve of.