Hide Your Ugly Trash Can With A Clever Trick That's Perfect For Rustic Kitchens

Nothing spoils the aesthetic of a rustic kitchen more than an unsightly, smelly trash can. The rustic kitchen style relies heavily on wood, brick, and other natural materials to create harmony, and a plastic bin spilling with garbage in the midst of it all can ruin that harmony like an off key singer in a chorus. It's off note and it's ugly. Here's a super easy trick to hide your trash can so it blends seamlessly with your rustic decor: Hide it away in an old wine or whiskey barrel.

Traditional whiskey and wine barrels are made of wood, usually white oak, and stand about three feet tall. They have vertical slats called staves, held in place by horizontal rings made of either wood or metal hoops. They come in stained or natural finishes, smooth or rough. You can find vintage whiskey barrels in thrift stores or antique stores, or on online marketplaces such as Etsy, eBay, or Amazon. Prices usually run upward of $100 for a large used barrel to $300 to $500-plus for an authentic vintage Kentucky bourbon barrel.

Making this rustic trash can hideaway requires just a few tools. Whatever barrel you're using, make sure you measure it before purchasing your trash can insert so it fits nicely inside. Next, clean the interior of the barrel with a damp rag. (Don't worry about any stains on the barrel; this staining is often mistaken for mold, but is usually harmless whiskey fungus.) When that's dry, simply insert the trash can inside the barrel, and inside of that place your trash bag. A 33 to 35 gallon trash can and bag fit the average large barrel nicely, and all you have to do is remove the filled bag on trash day and insert a new one. As for a cover to hide the smell, oak barrels, especially vintage ones, don't always come with a lid. Fortunately, you can find those online, too; just make sure they'll fit the top of your particular barrel. 

If your rustic kitchen extends to a porch or patio and you're looking to hide the eyesore of an outdoor trash can, this whiskey barrel would work there, too. In that case, you might apply a coat of polyurethane to protect the barrel against the weather. Changing up a used whiskey barrel is, in fact, quite easy. Other possibilities include applying a different color stain or a coat of paint over the entire piece, rings included. Finally, if you want to save on space or utilize a smaller trash can, you can always cut the barrel down with a band or circular saw, using the rings as a guide.