Last week  I started searching for a budget-friendly hamper for my dining room.

Wait, what?

Yeah, you read that right.  Faced with a very small kitchen, I was storing my dog food in a utilitarian plastic storage bin in the dining room.  The look of it drove me crazy.  Time to dress it up a notch.

Like any good social media junkie, I posted my search for the perfect decorative dog food storage container on Twitter.  Helen from the Scented Garden suggested the collapsible zip-topped storage bins from Bungalow. I checked out their fun wares, and settled on the Bungalow Scout Bin There container in a playful green print.  It would match my dining room office perfectly, and at $45, it rang in much cheaper than the fancy wooden hampers I’d been eyeing.  Better yet, on Amazon it was only $29.

It arrived all skinny and folded up.

The moment I unfolded it and set it up, the kittens came over to inspect.  Kitten tested, owner approved:

The plastic dog food container fit perfectly inside of the bin, with room to spare for the bowls.  In the future I may just dump a huge bag of food directly into the bin, as it is made of a plastic cloth that can be wiped clean.

Here is the lovely upgraded pet food storage solution in all it’s fresh floral happiness.  I just love how the crisp floral print coordinates seamlessly with my fresh green accent wall and shelving:

Lesson learned:  Don’t be afraid to think outside the box – er, bin – for storage solutions, and also ask around!

What about you – have any pretty pet storage tricks up your sleeve?  I know Jeannine @ Small and Chic in C-Ville does!