Storage & Organisation
How to Disguise Rubbish and Recycling Bins Outside Your Home
Need to hide unsightly bins in your garden or driveway? Take a look at these clever ideas for inspiration
You probably don’t give much thought to your rubbish bins, other than remembering to put them out on the right day. But we all have to put our rubbish and recycling bins somewhere, and doing so in a small garden can be a real challenge – especially if you don’t want them to be an eyesore. If you’re struggling to find a stylish way to store your bins, check out these smart and inspiring ideas. Now, is it black or green bin day this week…?
Create a bespoke brick shelter
Built in red brick with a tiled roof to match the house, this practical store, designed by London Front Gardens, blends perfectly with the property’s exterior and positively enhances the space, adding character and interest. The look is mirrored in the raised bed at the front of the drive for a coordinated finish.
A bespoke compartment on the left neatly houses the bin, while two smaller storage compartments on the right are ideal for stacking recycling boxes.
Built in red brick with a tiled roof to match the house, this practical store, designed by London Front Gardens, blends perfectly with the property’s exterior and positively enhances the space, adding character and interest. The look is mirrored in the raised bed at the front of the drive for a coordinated finish.
A bespoke compartment on the left neatly houses the bin, while two smaller storage compartments on the right are ideal for stacking recycling boxes.
Make it wildlife friendly
The aim of this Fenton Roberts front garden design was to create a wildlife haven. Rather than see the bins as an unsightly obstacle to be hidden away, the owners decided to make them integral to the scheme.
They created a sturdy wooden structure with a living roof that works as an extension of the garden and is planted with wildlife-friendly flowers and foliage.
Planning to revamp your outside space? Find reviewed garden designers in the Houzz Professionals Directory.
The aim of this Fenton Roberts front garden design was to create a wildlife haven. Rather than see the bins as an unsightly obstacle to be hidden away, the owners decided to make them integral to the scheme.
They created a sturdy wooden structure with a living roof that works as an extension of the garden and is planted with wildlife-friendly flowers and foliage.
Planning to revamp your outside space? Find reviewed garden designers in the Houzz Professionals Directory.
Use an outbuilding
In a larger space, an open-sided outbuilding like this one is ideal for storing and hiding bins. It’s painted a heritage shade and is partly screened in front with evergreen topiary to create a visually appealing feature – a great way to smarten up a drab drive in no time.
This idea would perfectly complement a traditional or cottage exterior, but if your style is more contemporary than country, you could choose a sleeker style or paint it a darker shade to tie in with your home.
In a larger space, an open-sided outbuilding like this one is ideal for storing and hiding bins. It’s painted a heritage shade and is partly screened in front with evergreen topiary to create a visually appealing feature – a great way to smarten up a drab drive in no time.
This idea would perfectly complement a traditional or cottage exterior, but if your style is more contemporary than country, you could choose a sleeker style or paint it a darker shade to tie in with your home.
Tuck it into a border
Can you spot the rubbish bins on this drive in a Kate Eyre-designed front garden? They’re neatly tucked away in the wooden box to the left of this image and the impact of the structure has been much reduced by positioning it in a decorative floral border and planting low standard trees alongside it.
The box also has a green roof planted up with succulents to further disguise it and make it as visually appealing as possible.
More: How to Start a Garden Redesign
Can you spot the rubbish bins on this drive in a Kate Eyre-designed front garden? They’re neatly tucked away in the wooden box to the left of this image and the impact of the structure has been much reduced by positioning it in a decorative floral border and planting low standard trees alongside it.
The box also has a green roof planted up with succulents to further disguise it and make it as visually appealing as possible.
More: How to Start a Garden Redesign
Build a clever wall
If space is limited, why not make your recycling bins work extra-hard by turning their store into a boundary wall, as these smart homeowners have done. This neat wooden shelter screens the bins from the road while creating a clean, contemporary-style wall.
If space is limited, why not make your recycling bins work extra-hard by turning their store into a boundary wall, as these smart homeowners have done. This neat wooden shelter screens the bins from the road while creating a clean, contemporary-style wall.
Extend your fence material
In a small garden, you’ll want your bins to visually ‘disappear’ as much as possible. Creating a screening structure from the same material as your garden fence can be a good way to make them recede, which is just what Platform 5 Architects have done in this urban plot.
A neat wooden box like this will discreetly store your bins whether in the front or back garden.
In a small garden, you’ll want your bins to visually ‘disappear’ as much as possible. Creating a screening structure from the same material as your garden fence can be a good way to make them recede, which is just what Platform 5 Architects have done in this urban plot.
A neat wooden box like this will discreetly store your bins whether in the front or back garden.
Fence off a corner
Don’t want a large, box-like structure in your front garden? You could create a bespoke screen like this one in another Kate Eyre design instead, which curves neatly around a small corner of the space, screening the bins from the house.
Don’t want a large, box-like structure in your front garden? You could create a bespoke screen like this one in another Kate Eyre design instead, which curves neatly around a small corner of the space, screening the bins from the house.
Construct a mini enclosure
If you have the space, an open-topped enclosure like this one put up by Sweeney Builders can be a really smart way to store and disguise bins and other unsightly pieces of garden equipment.
By painting it the same colour as the house exterior and accessing it via a central gate, this shelter is an unobtrusive and elegant solution. The open top means bins are easily accessible, too.
If you have the space, an open-topped enclosure like this one put up by Sweeney Builders can be a really smart way to store and disguise bins and other unsightly pieces of garden equipment.
By painting it the same colour as the house exterior and accessing it via a central gate, this shelter is an unobtrusive and elegant solution. The open top means bins are easily accessible, too.
Hide it in a corner
This single wooden bin container by Capital A Architecture is neatly sheltered behind an exterior wall, hiding it from view when looking out of the house into the garden, but within easy access of the side gate.
Using the same wooden panelling as the fence and the shed on the opposite side ties the structure in with the rest of the building and helps to make it as unobtrusive as possible.
Tell us…
How do you hide your bins? Let us know in the Comments.
This single wooden bin container by Capital A Architecture is neatly sheltered behind an exterior wall, hiding it from view when looking out of the house into the garden, but within easy access of the side gate.
Using the same wooden panelling as the fence and the shed on the opposite side ties the structure in with the rest of the building and helps to make it as unobtrusive as possible.
Tell us…
How do you hide your bins? Let us know in the Comments.
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The curved lattice screen in the corner of this courtyard by OUTHOUSE design is an attractive feature in its own right, thanks to the decorative cutwork pattern, and offers an elegant way to hide ugly plastic bins from view.
By using a flexible screen like this, you can section off as much of the garden as you need to, allowing you to store bikes or garden equipment as well as bins. To blend in the structure even further, you could grow climbers up and over the screen or along the wall behind.