Too beautiful for dirty laundry? Swiss design for Danish organization put to the test
2/10/2026
Translation: machine translated
Pictures: Pia Seidel
The 'Basket Recycled' by Hay looks so good that it ended up in my bedroom. Its open grid is both its strength and its weakness.
A sentence from Rui Pereira, Head of Design and Visual Direction at Hay, has stuck in my mind since a talk in Zurich: ideally one material per product, so that it remains recyclable. It sounds simple, but it has visible consequences.
I experienced what this means shortly afterwards. My old fabric laundry basket had become sticky due to its coating – and could no longer be separated. Fabric, coating, frame: everything firmly connected, everything straight into the trash. Since then, I have been testing my way through alternatives. This time, the large "Basket Recycled" in pink has moved in, my new main collector for the bedroom. A small basket in burgundy was added, but more on that later, because I use it for something completely different.
Swiss signature from Lausanne
For the "Basket Recycled", the Danish brand collaborated with a Swiss design studio: Big-Game from Lausanne. It was founded in 2004 by Grégory Jeanmonod, Elric Petit, and Augustin Scott de Martinville, all three of whom teach at ECAL today.
The trio combines a relaxed Southern European attitude with Flemish functionality and has received numerous international awards for it. You can see this mix in the basket: no frills, no superfluous lines, but nothing cold either. For Hay, in addition to the basket, they have also designed the "Sunday" cutlery set and the "Tape" coat rack.
The large one: space for two full loads
Measuring H 62.5 × W 57.5 × L 37.5 centimeters, the large basket swallows up to two loads of laundry. Hip-high and with a wide opening, it receives the laundry without me having to bend down. It is made of 100 percent recycled post-consumer polypropylene. You don't notice that in a negative way, on the contrary: the surface is matte, smooth, and feels significantly higher quality than the usual laundry tubs. No adhesive film, no sharp edges.
The integrated handles are recessed flat into the frame and do not press into the hands, even when the basket is full to the brim. Because the material is light, the total weight remains manageable.
Pink that behaves
Pink sounds intrusive, but it appears surprisingly restrained. The tone is more dusty than bright and therefore blends into the room instead of dominating it. That's why I didn't want to hide the basket in the bathroom at all, but placed it visibly in the bedroom – there it looked like a chosen object, not like household equipment.
The fact that accessories, of all things, are so bold with color has a system. At Hay, they say there is more of the present in this category: while the "Backflip" folding chair used to take a good six years to reach market maturity, home accessories react much faster to what is currently happening in terms of color. Burgundy and dusty pink are exactly that: tones that you see everywhere at the moment.
The small one: shuttle and sorting aid
The small basket has a completely different job for me. At 24.5 centimeters high, it is only a good third as high as the large one, but has the same footprint. It is my shuttle to the laundry room.
And it takes over the sorting: while the colored laundry ends up in the large basket, everything that has to be washed separately goes in here: darks, delicates, sportswear. This way, I don't have to kneel on the floor and form piles before the wash cycle. The fact that both baskets belong to the same series but differ in color makes the system intuitive.
If you don't like burgundy or pink, you can find the basket in other colors such as grey-blue or army green.
Stacking and repurposing
When half empty, both baskets can be pushed into each other and then take up hardly any space. Because the footprint is identical, the small basket also fits perfectly on top of the large one – and its bottom becomes a lid. Because the surface can be wiped clean with a damp cloth, it is used for far more than just textiles. In quieter laundry weeks, the small one can collect craft supplies and cables – much like my Colour Crate Cubes.
What bothers me
The open grid design is the big compromise. Positive: The air circulates, damp sports towels don't start to smell musty, and even after several days nothing smells stale. No closed laundry collector can manage that.
Negative: You see everything. Every T-shirt, every sock, every color. What is in the basket becomes part of the room design. This creates visual restlessness. This is particularly noticeable with the large model because the surface area is correspondingly large. Anyone who really wants to make dirty laundry disappear needs a basket with a fabric insert. The rule here is: air circulation versus privacy, you can't have both.
At least the omission is no coincidence, but the consequence of the material principle. Anyone who relies on a single material cannot sew in a fabric insert or add a cork lid without sacrificing recyclability. This makes the decision understandable, but it doesn't change the fact that I see my laundry. My trick: It is now in the bathroom after all.
Who is it worth it for?
If your laundry basket is in the laundry room, guest room, or bathroom anyway, the open design is a pure gain. The large basket alone is completely sufficient for this. However, I got the most out of the combination: with the small version added, you get a sorting system and a carrying aid almost incidentally.
The basket is not cheap. At the time of my test, the large one was around 44 francs; a simple laundry tub costs a fraction of that. In return, you get a piece that you don't have to put away – and one that can take on other tasks.
In a nutshell
Nice and airy, but with nowhere to hide
After several weeks of use, my impression remains positive: The large 'Basket Recycled' from Hay is lightweight, sturdy, easy to clean, and thanks to its understated shade of pink, one of the few laundry baskets you can leave out in plain sight without feeling guilty. The wide opening, integrated handles, and recycled material make it uncomplicated for everyday use. Combined with the smaller version, it even becomes a simple sorting system. The only, but decisive, catch is the open grid. While it ensures that nothing smells musty, it also reveals every single piece of clothing. If you want order primarily for visual reasons, you are better off with a closed model. If you are looking for design, ventilation, and versatility, you get a basket here that can do far more than just hold laundry.
Pro
- good air circulation thanks to open grid design
- understated color tone that blends into living spaces
- large volume for two whole machines
- comfortable, integrated handles
- 100 percent recycled post-consumer polypropylene
- can be combined as a sorting system in several sizes and colors
- space-saving, stackable and easy to clean
Contra
- no privacy screen, laundry remains visible and creates visual clutter
- more expensive than simple wash tubs
Header image: Pia Seidel
Pia Seidel
Senior Editor
Pia.Seidel@digitecgalaxus.chLike a cheerleader, I celebrate good design and bring you closer to everything furniture- and interior design-related. I regularly curate simple yet sophisticated interior finds, track down trends and interview creative minds about their work.
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