I never thought I would care this much about a laundry basket

I have always thought of a laundry basket as one of those things you simply buy because you need one.

You find one that fits in the bathroom, fill it with clothes and forget about it.

Mine had been doing exactly that for years.

It was practical enough. But it was also the one thing in the house that I never actually chose because I liked it.

Then I saw one that looked completely different.

It was sitting in a bedroom, filled with clothes, and somehow looked more like part of the room than something that needed hiding.

I ordered one for myself, and after actually using it for a while, I realised there were six things I particularly liked about it.

1. It actually stands up properly

This sounds like a small thing until you have lived with a laundry basket that collapses into itself every time it is empty.

The quilted construction gives this one enough structure to stand upright, even when there is nothing inside.

That means it does not look like something that has been abandoned in the corner of the room.

2. It looks like it belongs in the room

This was the unexpected part for me.

A laundry basket normally gets pushed behind a door or into a corner because it is not exactly something you want people noticing.

These are different.

The decorative patterns make the basket feel like part of the room. You can leave it beside the washing machine, in the bedroom or in the bathroom without immediately wanting to hide it.

And because the design continues around the basket, there is no obvious side that needs to face the wall.

3. The handles make carrying a full load easier

A basket is easy enough to carry when it is empty.

The real test is when it is full of towels, bedding or a week's worth of clothes.

The padded fabric handles make it much more comfortable to carry from the bedroom to the washing machine and back again.

4. It feels soft, but it is still practical

I expected a decorative laundry basket to be something you had to treat carefully.

It turns out that is not really the point.

The quilted fabric feels soft and comfortable to handle, while the material is designed for everyday use around the home.

Laundry baskets live near washing machines, bathrooms and clothes lines. They are going to get used.

I wanted something pretty, but I also wanted something I would not be afraid to actually use.

5. When you do not need it, it does not have to take over the room

Not every week is the same.

Sometimes the basket is full. Sometimes it is empty. Sometimes you simply need a little more space around the house.

The lightweight design makes it easy to move around, and when you need to put it away, it can be folded down rather than taking up the same amount of space permanently.

6. There is more than one design to choose from

This is where I realised I had completely underestimated the idea.

A laundry basket does not have to be purely functional.

Emma & Martin Dublin has a collection of decorative designs, from florals and botanical patterns to playful animals and more colourful designs.

That means the basket can actually suit the room it is going into instead of looking like something that was bought simply because it was available.

After a few weeks, I realised something slightly ridiculous.

I had spent years thinking of the laundry basket as an object that simply needed to exist.

Now I actually like seeing it.

It sits beside the washing machine, holds the clothes exactly as it should and somehow makes that little corner of the house feel more considered.

If the laundry basket in the corner has been there for years simply because nobody ever thought to replace it, I completely understand.

Mine was exactly the same.

But once I realised something this practical could also look good, I started wondering why I had accepted the old one for so long.