
Bins are the ugly duckling of the interior design world. Every kind of space needs them. But as far as creating a high-class look goes, they’re something of an inconvenience. Can bins ever be beautiful? The consensus seems to be no. So people go to no end of trouble trying to work out ingenious ways to tuck them out of sight.
A completely hidden bin is not much use, though. Especially in a public space. You still need convenient and obvious access so the bin can serve the purpose it was intended for.
That’s what got Sugatsune into the bin lid market. It’s just our kind of design conundrum. Sure, you can box off bins, hide them away inside cabinets so they don’t detract from the aesthetic of a space. But you still need a way in.
Can bin lids ever be beautiful, even if bins cannot? We believe they can. And so do clients that have used them.


Hooke London
Hooke London is a pioneering private healthcare clinic. It specialises in holistic preventative care, focusing on nutritional, physical and cognitive health as well as more conventional medical interventions. To that end, it has an on-site gym for members at its upmarket Mayfair headquarters.
Hooke provides bins in its gym for litter and for used towels. Pretty standard for any gym. It sells nutritional drinks and snacks, so litter bins are there for empty bottles, cartons and packaging. And bins provide a convenient way for members to hand back used towels once they have finished their workout while helping to keep the gym neat and tidy.
Now, you could have bins out in the open dotted around an 18th-century Mayfair townhouse. But it might detract from the Georgian ambience a little. Understandably, Hooke likes to maintain an interior aesthetic that matches the impressive neo-classical facade of its premises. So both types of bin were concealed discreetly and neatly within built units. And Sugatsune AZ-GD230-BL vertical lids were chosen to provide convenient but tasteful access.


Quality and Choice. Even for Bin Lids
There were several reasons why our lids proved to be the perfect fit for Hooke’s needs. One is that there isn’t much competition for what they were looking for. The off-the-shelf bin lid market is small and offers little by way of choice, especially for vertical lids. We set out to change that.
In total, we manufacture more than 60 multi-purpose lids, covers, flaps, grommets and miscellaneous other components for bins and other uses. We offer vertical and horizontal varieties, products with and without flaps, rectangular and circular, in a wide range of sizes and in chrome and black finishes. If you want a bin lid or cover to match a specific space, design or purpose, we aim to have a product to meet your needs.
Our AZ-GD vertical lids have proven to be particularly popular, largely because there are so few options out there that can match the choice and quality we offer. Choice of colour is a big selling point. Most vendors selling metal bin lids have products with chrome finishes and that is it. But as showcased by Hooke, our items in black are a stylish and tasteful alternative where a more classical look is required.
Premium touches
But the AZ-GD has one truly unique selling point. As with most vertical flaps, it’s hinged at the top and is pushed backwards to gain access to the interior. When the user has deposited whatever it is they are dropping through the lid, they let go and it swings shut. Nothing unusual there. Except with the AZ-GD, the flap doesn’t clunk back into position under the natural force of gravity. Instead, it closes in a controlled, smooth manner. That’s right. It’s fitted with one of our patented soft-close dampers. A soft-close bin lid. Only Sugatsune could think of adding such a premium touch to a litter bin.
The AZ-GD line alone is available in inclined as well as fully vertical versions, plus a back-mounted product where you see only the lid through a gap in the chosen wall or surface, with the mounting plate fully hidden. We also have a lockable version designed for the Tokyo Olympics. Closely related products in the AZ vertical flap line include a double-door version, one with handles, plus its horizontal cousins. And to top them all off, there’s the AZ-AT, an award-winning contactless bin flap that uses sensor technology to open without a touch.
We wouldn’t go as far as say we are magically able to make bins beautiful. But we do make it easier to make bin storage and access fit aesthetically within any space. Like we say, interior designers are very creative in how they do that. What Sugatsune provides is a wide range of ready-made components to help bring your ideas to life. With one or two luxury touches thrown in, of course.