Object of Desire: The Korbo Basket, A Swedish Design Classic Now Made for the Garden

Designed to withstand salt water, weather, and a lot of wear and tear, Korbo’s metal baskets were initially made for use by fishermen and farmers. That was precisely a century ago—the Göteborg, Sweden, company is currently celebrating its 100th year.  In recent decades, the steel wire receptacles were discovered to be models of utilitarian chic just right for holding all sorts of things, from firewood to umbrellas.

In response, Korbo has slowly and carefully developed a range of shapes and sizes, all created as the first baskets were: each is woven by hand from a single length of wire, no screws or weldings, so, as Korbo promises, “there are no parts that can fall apart.” A few years back, Korbo debuted its first planters lined with “geotextile bags” that keep the soil in place while allowing drainage. New next month: balcony baskets. Here’s a look at both.

Photographs courtesy of Korbo.

• Find many more Pots and Planters in the Gardenista archive.
• At Remodelista, check out Korbo’s First Rectangular Baskets.