A letter from Elyndra London

We make clothes for women over 50. So why are we writing to you about a laundry basket?

We should say at the start that we are a clothing shop. Cardigans, coats, the soft jumpers you reach for when the weather turns. We do not normally write letters about things for the bathroom.

But there is one object that turns up in almost every home we can think of, and almost nobody likes it. It sits in the corner of the bedroom or behind the bathroom door, and it gets quietly hidden whenever someone comes round.

The laundry basket. The one thing in the house nobody ever chose because they liked it.

Think about yours for a moment. If it is a plastic tub gone slightly grey at the rim, or a mesh pop-up that has started to sag to one side, you are in very good company.

How it happens

Nobody sets out to buy something ugly. You buy the cheap plastic one because you need something today, and you mean to replace it with something nicer.

Then ten years go by. It is only a laundry basket, after all. It is always the next thing on a list that never quite comes up.

And the shops do not help. Almost everything on offer is white, grey or beige plastic, the colour of a hospital corridor. So we buy one, and then quietly resent it in the corner of the room.

What we had wrong

We assumed, like most people, that a laundry basket had to be plastic to be practical. Wipe-clean, holds its shape, does the job. Pretty was a luxury you gave up.

It turns out a quilted fabric basket does all of that. It stands up on its own even when it is empty. The fabric shrugs off light splashes and wipes clean. And when you do not need it, it folds flat and goes on top of the wardrobe.

Practical and pretty were never a choice of one. We had simply never been offered the pretty version. So we decided to offer it.

See The Shell Shine Laundry Basket

Meet the Shell Shine

The Shell Shine is a quilted laundry basket with a seaside design stitched all the way round it. The artwork wraps the full basket, so it looks lovely from every side, not just the front.

It is properly made. A thick cotton-poly blend, soft but structured, so it keeps its shape whether it is full or empty. Sturdy canvas handles are stitched on securely, for carrying a full load up the stairs.

It comes in three sizes: a small one for the bathroom, a medium one for the bedroom, and a large one big enough for a family's worth of towels.

Each one is made to order, which means yours is stitched after you order it rather than sitting in a warehouse for months.

Three things worth knowing

One. It stands up on its own. This is the thing a tired plastic basket never manages once it cracks. Empty or full, the Shell Shine holds its shape in the corner and does not slump.

Two. It folds away. When the grandchildren come to stay and you need the spare room clear, it folds flat and tucks out of sight. A rigid plastic tub never could.

Three. A lovely one gets used. It sounds odd, but a basket you like looking at is one you actually put the washing in, rather than letting a pile grow beside it.

About the price

We want to be straightforward about this, because we know it is the first thing you will wonder.

Small (14" x 18") · bathrooms	£34.95
Medium (16" x 22") · bedrooms	£49.95
Large (20" x 28") · family laundry	£54.95

Yes, that is more than a plastic tub from the supermarket. But most of us have replaced a cracked plastic basket two or three times over the years, and hidden every single one of them. This is one you buy once and actually want to keep out on show.

One honest note: because each basket is made to order, the colours and stitching can vary slightly from the photos, and sizes can differ by an inch or so. We think that is part of its charm, but we would rather you knew.

Choose Your Size

What we would tell you if we were friends

If we were sat in the garden with a cup of tea and you asked us, this is what we would say.

Have a look at the laundry basket in your bathroom. If it is plastic, and a bit tired, and you tuck it away when people come round, you have simply never been offered a nicer one. Now you have.

It is a small thing. But the small ugly things in a house wear on you more than you notice, and this is a cheerful one to put right.

And since each one is made to order, the sooner you order, the sooner yours is on its way.

With warm wishes,
The Elyndra London team

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