The Korbo basket holds pride of place on the Remodelista 100, aka “the Academy Awards of everyday household gear”—see Remodelista: A Manual for the Considered Home, page 298. First created in 1922 as weatherproof storage for Swedish fisherman and farmers, these bins won us over thanks to their ingenuity, utility, and beauty: each is hand woven from a single length of metal wire and nothing more—no screws or welding, so no pieces that fall apart.
Over the years the baskets have proven useful for all sorts of things, from storing logs to laundry, and Korbo has added a range of sizes to its repertoire, all true to the original circular design. Behind the scenes, the company has devoted recent years to figuring out how to use this same technique to create corners and produce a box-shaped basket. The R&D team finally succeeded: the Korbo rectangular bin was unveiled last year.
Above: Woven by hand from wire, the Korbo Rectangular Baskets hew to the same design vocabulary as the originals (scroll to the end for a historic shot). The new design is currently available in the US exclusively from DWR, as well as from European retailers, including Korbo itself—the Bin 18 is shown here used as a trash can. Above: DWR is offering the Korbo Handmade Rectangular Basket in brass and stainless steel in two slightly different sizes: from $245 for the brass; from $135 for the steel. The brass versions will form a patina over time. Hat tip to Korbo for displaying our books in its stacks. Above: The baskets have what the company describes as “sharp yet soft corners “and “submerged handles.” The challenge for Korbo’s craftsmen was figuring out how to create corners while using the existing woven gridwork technique. Explains company spokesperson Sofia Knutsson: “the steel is hard to bend by hand and each bend requires precision. It takes a few hours to weave a single basket.” Above: The new bins work well in a linen closet. Above: They also make good entry and mudroom catchalls. Above: From the archives—a 1947 shot of fishermen in Skägganäs, Sweden, putting a Korbo basket to its original use. The design was made from steel wire to withstand salt water, wind, and rain, and never corrode or rust. We applaud the company for remaining true to its design DNA.
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