Out of Sight, Out of Mind
Ana White is my hero. When I saw her plans for a tilt out trash bin, I swooned. I had every intention of making one for our first house, but right when I was getting up the courage to try, we moved.
There isn’t a great place to put one of these in the kitchen at Serenity, but this house did come with a fabulous ’80s trash compactor. Even though it was the height of sophisticated kitchen tech in its day, I just didn’t love the retro vibe it gave the kitchen. And we never used it.
It was pretty easy to remove and the trash can from our first house slid perfectly into the space. But it wasn’t pretty. Hence the lack of pictures from that stage.
When I couldn’t stand the gaping hole in the lower cabinets any longer, I started brain storming solutions. I loved the tilt out version, but I wanted something that could function for both trash and recycling. It was also necessary (as always!) to use what we had on hand as much as possible. Out of these limitations, the idea for the trash drawer was born. There had been a sturdy wood frame inside the brick wall oven surround that I hung on to “just in case.” Once again, hoarding saved the day. I did have to cut the sides down just a bit, but over all, it was the perfect frame for the drawer.
Once the frame was all set, I installed drawer rails and made sure that the frame operated smoothly. I don’t really recommend winging carpentry the way I do. For me, though, it’s just less overwhelming to try to figure it out as I go along. It might take me longer to get there, but I get there more happily.
Amazingly, these two trash cans from Walmart fit perfectly into the frame. The covered one is for trash and the open one is for recycling. I love having the trash can right next to the sink at waist level (waste level?) – it makes scraping off dishes so much more convenient!
To make the drawer front, I used beadboard left over from the backsplash and framed it out with pieces of wood meant to make lattices and attached the front to the frame from the back. For a dash of extra cuteness, I added a bronze bin pull.
It was still pretty flimsy, though, so I added some framing to the back with wood left over from something around the house – I can’t remember what. Yep, I had to maneuver myself into the cabinet in order to get this shot.
Instead of a gaping hole, we now have an an inconspicuous spot to stash our trash. It isn’t the fanciest or most professional piece of carpentry, but for $6 in materials and as my first attempt at anything along these lines, I’ll take it!
I love the way it blends seamlessly into the lower cabinets and ties them into the backsplash by echoing the beadboard pattern. There is also beadboard on the end of both rows of cabinets, which adds to the visual continuity.
At some point, I might take another shot at making a more finished version, but until the hall bathroom is re-tiled and the landscaping is 100% under control, I’m going to enjoy using this wonderfully functional bit of kitchen camouflage.