A reader's letter

At 59 I'd stopped caring what my laundry basket looked like. Now visitors ask me where I got it.

Julie Barker Harrogate, 3 October 2026

I'm not the sort of woman who writes to shops. My daughter says I've never left a review in my life. But I've told this story so many times over the past few weeks that it seemed easier to write it down properly, just once.

For years our laundry basket was a grey plastic thing with a cracked handle, hidden behind the bathroom door. Nobody chose it. It was just there, the way these things are. Every now and then I'd carry it downstairs, the handle hurting my fingers, and I never gave it a second thought.

I'd made every room in the house look lovely, and then hid the laundry basket behind a door.

Cat Parade quilted laundry basket with towels in a bathroom

Looking back, that's the funny part. It's one of the things I use every single day, and the one thing I'd never bothered to choose properly.

Then my sister turned up with hers

Carol came round one wet Tuesday to return some towels she'd borrowed, and she'd brought them back in the loveliest basket I'd ever seen: a quilted one with an orange cat and a black cat lounging on top of piles of books, wild flowers and butterflies all around. I just stood on the doorstep staring at it. Two cats and far too many books — it was basically a picture of my house.

Carol on the doorstep in the rain holding the Cat Parade quilted laundry basket full of towels

She'd ordered it from Rosie Cottage, a little shop from Leeds a friend had told her about. She showed me the other designs on her phone, but I kept going back to hers. I ordered the very same one that evening.

Cat Parade quilted laundry basket with tea towels in a cottage kitchen

See the quilted baskets

The book club comment

It arrived by Royal Mail and went straight into the downstairs bathroom, out in the open instead of behind the door. The first proper test was book club at mine. Margaret popped to the loo before we'd even opened the wine and came back asking where the basket was from. Margaret has known me since 1991 and has never once remarked on anything in my house.

I've had compliments on a coat before. Never on a laundry basket.

Two of them went home with the shop's name written on a napkin.

Three things I've noticed

First, it doesn't hide anymore. It's pretty enough to sit out in the bathroom, so the towels and clothes actually go in it instead of on the floor.

Second, it isn't only for laundry. I've since bought a second one for the grandchildren's toys in the living room, and it looks like it belongs there.

Third, it makes a dull job a bit nicer. It sounds silly, but carrying something cheerful down the stairs is better than carrying something grey.

Julie carrying the Cat Parade quilted laundry basket to the washing machine

About the price

Honestly, I expected the price to be the catch. It wasn't. Mine was £34.95, delivery was free, and there's a discount when you buy more than one, which is why Carol and I ended up ordering together this time.

Buy more, save more

The discount is applied automatically at checkout.

2 baskets10% off
3 baskets15% off
4 or more baskets20% off

Free delivery with Royal Mail. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Knowing I could send it back within 30 days is what finally stopped me dithering. I didn't need to.

What other customers say

E Emma Thompson ★★★★★

Finally, a basket worth leaving out

Bright enough to sit in the bedroom or bathroom instead of hiding in a cupboard, and sturdy enough to carry a full load to the machine.

S Sarah Mitchell ★★★★★

A design for every room

Easy to pair with towels, throws or kids' toys, so it works just as well in the nursery or living room as it does in the laundry.

Show 2 more reviews

C Claire Hughes ★★★★★

Colour that lifts laundry day

The cheerful quilted designs catch your eye straight away and make an everyday chore feel a little nicer.

R Rachel Davies ★★★★☆

Check the size before you order

Have a quick look at the measurements and compare them with the space you have in mind, so it fits perfectly where you want it.

See the quilted laundry baskets

What I'd tell you over a cuppa

If your laundry basket is something you'd rather nobody saw, it's worth a look. A basket won't change your life. But it's nice to have one thing in the house that's ordinary and still makes you smile when you walk past it.

The grey one went to the tip. I haven't missed it once.

Julie