The last time we were at IKEA, I was looking for a trashcan for the bedroom and completely underwhelmed with the selection. Everything was just so trashcan-y looking.

As we followed the pre-determined path to the exit, we strolled through the plant department.

There I found this large white glass vase/plant pot –

The PERFECT size for a bedroom trashcan and much prettier. We’ve used it since early October & so far it’s working great!

I liked that is was a different material than your typical trashcan but still totally cleanable if something sticky got spilled in it. You can’t scrub baskets like you can glass. So far, there’s been no chipping and the white totally works with the room’s decor.

Similarly, recycling bins can be used to presort laundry.

I didn’t go to the store specifically to buy recycling bins. Instead, I went shopping for a solution that would allow me to presort laundry into specific loads. Something stackable would be ideal for the space we had to utilize. I happened on the stacking recycling bins as I wandered through the aisles.

Sure products are marketed for a specific use (like a vase or recycling bin) but don’t limit yourself to those pre-determined uses! Think about your needs, space, and goals for a particular situation or solution. Step outside that proverbial box!