Tag: team:kitchen

When my fiancé and I moved into our one-bedroom apartment, I knew we’d have to be strategic about kitchen storage. Given that our entire apartment is only 750 square feet, the kitchen has a pretty small footprint — which means limited storage space. To combat this, every appliance, piece of decor, or storage item we’ve acquired either does multiple jobs or is essential to the flow of the kitchen. 

Because most of our counter space is dedicated to prep and the few appliances we routinely use, I knew when looking for a fruit basket that it would need to hold a lot, while also being low-profile. In my previous apartment that I shared with two roommates, we collected fruits and vegetables on the counter in several different bowls, which worked well enough, but I no longer had the space in this apartment (or patience for visual clutter). I came across this two-tier fruit basket during my search, and it was perfect for the tiny space next to the sink that was a natural place to store fresh produce. 

First, the two tiers are game-changing. Similar to hanging fruit baskets that are connected with chains, this basket has a smaller top tier and a larger bottom tier for holding lots of produce. I usually keep fruit — like bananas, peaches, or apples — on the top, and the bottom holds a consistent selection of alliums like garlic, yellow onions, and shallots. I’ve found that it accommodates all the regular countertop produce we (as two people who cook several times a week) use, with room for some rotating extras as well. I also like to keep avocados, tomatoes, and citrus depending on what’s for dinner that week. Additionally, you can detach the top and bottom baskets if you just want to use them on their own, which is an amazing feature. 

Because the wire design of this basket has relatively large gaps on each shelf, smaller pieces of produce have a tendency to fall through, so I corral these within a ceramic berry box. I keep cherry tomatoes, loose cloves of garlic, and particularly tiny shallots in this adorable little box (which doubles as a colander for rinsing fruit and veggies!). Not only does it prevent items from falling through the cracks, but it also adds a bit of color to an otherwise neutral design. 

Speaking of the neutral design, that might be my favorite part of this fruit basket — even with the highly practical storage it provides. It definitely takes inspiration from Japanese and Scandinavian minimalism (think: brands like Yamazaki Home and HAY design), but blends in perfectly with the vintage and more rustic accents I also have in my kitchen. Even though it’s not the same brand as some of the other things in my kitchen, it matches perfectly with the black metal and natural wood on my magnetic fridge rack and dish drying rack. I bet it would match with your decor, too.