Local Color: Tobacco Baskets Pack In Southeastern Style

The tobacco industry doesn't generally conjure up the most positive images, but one byproduct is showing up in stunning home images: antique tobacco baskets. Once purely functional objects used to haul tobacco leaves to and from the market, these lovely baskets have caught the attention of interior designers and homeowners all over the country, thanks to their artistic shape, handiwork and texture. Here's a closer look at where and how these rustic baskets are hanging.

Interior designer Liz Williams was the first person to clue me in on the provenance of these primitive baskets. One adds texture and depth over a headboard here.

See the rest of this coastal home


Primitive Tobacco Basket - $150 Local farmers would collect oak and cut it into splits, then sell it to the tobacco basket factories for extra income. The factory workers soaked the wood in hot water to make the strips of wood pliable, then wove them into shape and secured them with small nails. The factories in Yadkin County, North Carolina, produced thousands of baskets per year, which were shipped to the places where tobacco was grown and sent to market.


Tobacco farm workers placed the tobacco leaves in a circular arrangement on the baskets for market. The larger openings around the edges were for hooks on the scales at the marketplace and for carrying the baskets.


Tucked at the peak of this barn, a tobacco basket fits right in with the rough-hewn timbers and knotty planks. It's also large enough to be seen from way across the room and down a level, referencing a hayloft-style window from a distance.





Large tobacco baskets are a nice fit for large rooms and over long sofas.





If the scale of the basket isn't big enough for your room, try hanging a pair.


They are also becoming a popular choice over mantels.





The baskets can add visual interest to a farmhouse-style kitchen.


Some people use them as a frame or to create rustic assemblages, like this one of antique gardening and farm tools.


The oak strips work nicely with other wood furnishings, as well as woven blinds and other textured elements, like jute or sea grass rugs.


The large loose weave of the baskets makes for an interesting pairing with wicker or rattan furniture.


You don't have to hang your tobacco basket; it can also serve as an interesting centerpiece or tray.

Authentic antique tobacco baskets can often be found for a steal in antiques shops in Tennessee and North Carolina, but the price is climbing online, so grab one when you see a good deal. If you want a tobacco basket for your home and don't have time to comb tobacco country antiques markets, there are plenty to be had online with a simple search. Prices range wildly depending on age and condition; right now they seem to average around $100 on eBay, but I've also spied reproduction baskets on Etsy for under $50.

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