Friday, April 12, 2013

Kitchen Makeover: DIY Trash Bin

One of the problems with the layout of my kitchen is that there is no out-of-sight place for the trash. The only place trash and recycling cans will fit is at the end of the peninsula, where they are clearly visible from the living room.

I wanted to make them less obvious, maybe with a wooden bin of some sort. Rather than making a bin from scratch, I upcycled one of the cabinets that I'd taken off the wall. I began by taking out the interior shelf, removing the doors and hinges, and filling the screw holes on the doors and cabinet face with wood filler. I primed the cabinet face, cabinet interior, and doors.

Next, I covered the center panels of the doors and the entire back and sides of the cabinet with beadboard wallpaper, and painted it all black to match my base cabinets. I also painted the interior and put down adhesive shelf paper to make sure the bin is easy to keep clean. Then I reattached the doors, placing the hinges at the bottom. I attached magnetic catches at the top of the doors to ensure they stay closed.

To make this thing look more intentional and less like a cabinet just sitting on the floor, I added feet. With the cabinet turned upside down, I repurposed the interior shelf to create a base. I then attached the feet which had been cut from the same balusters that created my cabinet toekick feet.

To cover the shelf/base, which is just ugly particleboard, I attached some narrow wood trim and painted it black. To make a top for the bin, I used a piece of MDF cut to size and, of course, painted black. I still plan to add pulls or handles to all the cabinet doors, including those on the bin. Other than that, the bin is complete!

It holds two cans - one for trash and one for recycling.

Total cost of this project was about $8. I spent $3 on the trim, $3 on the MDF and $2 on the magnetic catches. The feet, wallpaper and paint were left over from other kitchen projects.

18 comments:

  1. What a great idea, Bane! We have our stupid Rubbermaid bin sitting next to the stove because we can't spare the cupboard space under the sink for a garbage can. And the ugly recycling boxes are at the bottom of the back staircase. I'll have to remember this for the next kitchen! :o)

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    1. Thank you! Under the sink wasn't really an option for me either, especially now that I've removed the upper cabinets. I need all the lower cabinet space for food and dishes.

      As an aside... my mother's under-the-sink trash can is actually a diaper pail. MY diaper pail. Talk about a long-term solution!

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    2. Long-term solution is right! How awesome that it's still in use though!

      On a side note, I'm just googling “black gothic kitchen cabinets” for ideas, and your newly redone cabinets are at the top of the list! :D

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    3. Awesome! I've noticed that more people are finding my blog through Google searches, and I probably should tweak the format to take that into consideration.

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  2. This is truly brilliant. Another idea to keep in mind for when I get my own kitchen!

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  3. This is a fantastic idea! Great job! A nice cabinet instead of ugly bins!

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    1. Thank you! I still have to put it in that awkward space at the end of the peninsula, but at least now it's not obviously a trash container.

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  4. Bane, can I move in? Seriously. What wonderful and inexpensive ideas you have -- absolutely fabulous! Catching up with your kitchen posts, I have to say I really love the feet on the cabinets. What a brilliant idea and they really make it look more regal/older and less sleek/modern. Really cool.

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    1. Definitely! The kitchen would be happy to host a real cook instead of just me. :) Thank you! I was pleased with the way the cabinet feet turned out. They're a little hint of the regal Old World style kitchen I'd love to have.

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  5. Fabulous idea! I love seeing your kitchen take form.

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  6. I envy your Gothic kitchen :)Good job.

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  7. It seems very pretty and practical! Would you show us a picture of your new bin in your kitchen?

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    1. Absolutely. I have a couple more individual projects, then I'll post the "after" photos of the entire kitchen.

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  8. :::insert image of a velociraptor here:::
    Clever girl.

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    1. When I look at you, you can see I'm working things out. ;)

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  9. So clever! I'm glad to have found your blog :)

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