The Secret Strategist’s Guide to Nice-Looking Trashcans
Whether it’s a biohazard bin, a flower vase, or pleated plastic, it should create some impact.
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After hearing aboutJulia Felsenthal’s Kartell trash cans, we wanted to know which wastebaskets other designers and design-minded people use. Turns out more than a few like industrial bins such asthe one Nick Poe told us about, as well as thelidded wooden Japanese one Penelope August recommends(and don’t forget theHollywood Regency trash canswe’ve written about).
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I like wastebaskets that were never meant to be wastebaskets: old wicker baskets or metal pails with a handle, and in my home I have a Patricia Urquiola matelassé cylinder for Kartell (alsohere).
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I think a trash can or wastebasket should be functional first, but that doesn’t mean it has to be an eyesore. I look for something with a great shape, good materials, and a scale that makes sense for the space. If it’s going to be visible, I actually like treating it more like an object in the room rather than something you’re trying to hide. A beautiful woven basket, wood, leather — like this Giobagnara one — or a really well designed metal bin can add something to a space. And for a kitchen, functionality is everything; I want something easy to use, easy to clean, and that actually contains the mess.
I like a trash can or waste bin that doesn’t announce itself as such. Better yet are ones that read as a basket or sculpture or simply blend into the room.
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This hand-painted paper waste bin comes in a number of colors, including lime green. I like how it can act as a contrast to a patterned wallpaper (like a patterned pillow on a floral sofa) if you’re a maximalist or how the natural or white version can play mellow against a white wall.
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+COOP always has a great mix of baskets that can double as wastebaskets. This one’s petite, a great solve for a powder room or small office.
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If you’re going to have a visible trash bin, get something sculptural and statement worthy, like this vintage one designed by Makio Hasuike for Gedy.
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My friendPablo Pardodesigned the flexible plywood Uno paper bin over 20 years ago, and I still use it in my bathroom.
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I had one of these for years, as did nearly every 2010s New York City restaurant or bar with a pulse. A few reasons: It’s pleasantly rigidly industrial looking (as in, literally made of stainless steel), it’s sealed with a gasket for a silent close and fume mitigation, and you can operate it hands free. The Silent Defender comes in the original stainless steel — very au courant — or powder-coated red or white. What more could you need?
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This is a beautiful, durable, practical piece of design. You have multiple sizes and great colors, too. It’s a perfect object.
We believe every object you invite into your space creates some form of impact, and the goal should be to create a holistic balance with the totality of objects — from a grand chandelier to the lowly trash can.
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Vintage all day. Between Etsy and eBay, you should never be buying a wastepaper basket from Ikea or Target.
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Fesco made this accordion-pleated plastic trash can in the ’60s and ’70s that really checks all my boxes. It’s made of a material that’s cosplaying another material, so there’s a Surrealist quality to it. It comes in a great range of colors — from a muted mattebrownwith a purple undertone all the way to ahi-vis yellowfor the room that needs some grit.eBay is drowning in them.
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I love a wire basket like this to add some texture and patina to a room. One in three antiques shops will have one if you’re paying attention.
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I also love to see a wicker wastepaper basket in a tile or marble bathroom as a way to add some dry to all the wet. The search termwicker wastebasketwill take you where you need to go. Your local Goodwill is also a great source.
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I’ve always wanted something by the Perfect Nothing Catalog.
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I saw the Soft Baroque one in Milan this year and was like,This needs to be in every home in America.
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I saw this Abrahamus step can at Big Night in Greenpoint in the back where they work, not for sale on the floor. I bought it online because it came in such pretty colors, but I have very specific height needs in my kitchen (I need a flip-top that doesn’t hit the lip of my counter) and this didn’t work for me so I returned it.
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If I needed a small bin, I would probably get this sweet Muuto one in green.
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And this Ferm Living one is craaaazy chic. I just found it today! Also comes instainless steeland black and cream.
And a bonus one we found
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The Italian brand Rexite has been making the perforated metalCribbio trash cansince 1981(also insteel, and we’ve seen white with black trim and yellow with black trim around). We like thecoatrackswithbuilt-inumbrella stands, too.
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