Keeping the unpleasantness of the kitchen trash at bay is a constant battle. When we’re designing a kitchen, we usually try to hide it the best we can, but with open floorplans being the ideal approach these days, it can be challenging.
In a closed kitchen design, there is usually a corner you can tuck the trash into if it’s not hidden in a cabinet. However, if you have a big, open space, you might want to think about how you’re going to approach the situation. This is often one of the things we urge our clients to spend a little bit of money on as it is practical and will definitely make you happy.
Out In The Open Or Hidden Away?
Most people are good with having their trash cans hidden inside cabinets. If you’re not, you are among the minority, but we are a firm believer in “whatever makes you happy” is what you should do. If you lean this way, there are lots of more decorative-styled trash cans to choose from. If it’s going to be out in the open, it might as well be nice to look at!
You definitely don’t want to have those ugly white plastic bins if they’re going to be sitting out. This type of trash can tend to get dirty, really fast.
When you are imagining your dream kitchen, you’re probably thinking more about your countertops, colors, textures, backsplash, that sort of thing. In those thoughts, we’d wager you’re not picturing that $50 Target trash can in the corner.
Most people don’t want to see their trash, they don’t want to think about it. They would rather have it hidden away in a walled-in pantry or in a cabinet.
Cabinet For Trash
Sure, you can get some pretty nice-looking trash cans. But, SimpleHuman only works well in some kitchens. Aesthetically, it wouldn’t work with a fixer-upper style to have a stainless steel trash can plopped at the end of your island.
There are plenty of fancy, pull-out cabinets that do the job of hiding trash cans very well. The pull-out is attached to the cabinet door, and when it’s extended, you have room for one or two trash cans inside.
There are also corner units that function like a lazy Susan would. You would spin it around, and there would be up to three different bins in there for trash, recycling, and compost.
If you’re the kind of person who likes to keep everything in its place, one of these options could be right for you.
No Room For Slide-Outs?
If you only have a shallow cabinet, you might think about something that is on a tilted hinge. This can be built into your island or made as a stand-alone unit that matches your décor. Be sure to install heavy-duty hinges for durability.
A box with lift-top lids might also work. If it were designed to look like your cabinets, it would look much like a storage box or a bench.
Pull-Out Recycling Bins
These days, most people are recycling and thinking eco-friendly. A part of this means that you’re going to need three trash cans, so the cabinet you reserve for that needs to be big enough and deep enough to accommodate.
For a pull-out recycling and trash cabinet, you are going to want to have it close to the sink, as opposed to just in a spare cabinet that you’re not using. You’ll want it to be close while you’re doing prep, and also because you will need to rinse out recyclable containers before you toss them in the bin.
Having your compost bin close to the sink is really important, too. This makes it easy to get rid of food scraps, coffee grounds, and any compostable materials. If you use a compost bin, you might want to make that the most accessible one because you will need to empty it more often. The main trash can be a little further away.
These are all things we think about in the early stages of designing a new kitchen layout. If you wait until after everything is said and done, the trash cabinet becomes an afterthought and where it ends up might not be very useful.
Whether you are getting ready for a kitchen remodel or just looking for ways to beautify and ramp up the functionality of your existing layout, we have plenty of ideas that can help. Reach out today to learn more about what we can do for you.
