How to Choose a Medicine Cabinet

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Published

11 February 2021

How to make sure the medicine cabinet will fit?
Should you choose a recessed or wall mount medicine cabinet?
What are the best materials for a medicine cabinet?
What Are the Different Features of Modern Medicine Cabinets?
Quick Tips

A medicine cabinet is an indispensable, functional part of your bathroom. It’s one of the first things you see in the morning, and it holds all of your essential toiletries and, of course, your medicine. There are different styles, functions, and methods of mounting medicine cabinets.

To find out which fits your budget and needs best, you need to examine the proportions of your bathroom, the lighting, the style, and the functions that you need most. Here are some great tips on how to choose a medicine cabinet that’s right for you.

How to make sure the medicine cabinet will fit?

The most important consideration when you’re choosing a new medicine cabinet is the space where it needs to fit. The cabinet should span the size of your bathroom vanity or be slightly narrower.

As to height, avoid any nearby lighting, and check the height of your vanity and the faucets. This is especially true for medicine cabinets that are mounted directly onto the wall, as they will jut out a few inches and shouldn’t interfere with the faucets.

It used to be that medicine cabinets only came in one size, and designers didn’t think about them as crucial elements to a bathroom’s décor. Nowadays, medicine cabinets come in all shapes and sizes.

If you’re opting for one that isn’t the traditional rectangular shape, make sure that, at its widest, it is not wider than the vanity below it and that it doesn’t bump into any light switches or fixtures on the walls nearby.

Should you choose a recessed or wall mount medicine cabinet?

Medicine cabinets of the past were all mounted onto the walls of the bathrooms, with no exceptions. These days, however, you have the choice of a recessed medicine cabinet if your wall can accommodate it.

Recessed Mounts

Recessed mounted cabinets are flush with the wall and don’t stick out at all, even though they still have a shelved cabinet feature behind the mirror. The mirror’s frame hides the cabinet’s hinges, so no one will even know that there’s storage space behind it unless they pry.

There are a few drawbacks to a recessed mounted cabinet, though. They do not afford a lot of storage space behind the mirror. The depth of the cabinet depends on the space between the walls of your bathroom and the other side. The amount of storage you have with a recessed mounted cabinet depends entirely on that space.

Installation for these types of medicine cabinets isn’t as simple as a wall mount.

Wall Mounts

Wall mounts are stuck to the wall with strong adhesive or screwed directly into the wall. These types of cabinets have excellent storage space as they are not curtailed by spatial restrictions, except for one. For a wall-mounted medicine cabinet, you need to make sure that it doesn’t jut out from the wall too dramatically. If it sticks out too much, it can be a hazard to your head.

If you have a small bathroom, you may want to consider a recessed mount over a wall mount as the latter may take up too much space in a finite amount.

What are the best materials for a medicine cabinet?

The material and finish of your cabinet depends on your personal preferences. Are you looking for a mostly functional cabinet, or are you jazzing up an otherwise dull bathroom?

If you chose a medicine cabinet with a mirror on the front, you have limited options in terms of materials. Remember that it is mainly the sides of the medicine cabinet and the frame, if you have one, that will display the material you chose.
A weathered or lighter colored wood for a frame or the slatted front of a cabinet gives off a beachy feeling.
Darker woods or metal finished, especially with exposed industrial elements, emits a modern vibe.

What Are the Different Features of Modern Medicine Cabinets?

Similarly to the types of installations, medicine cabinets now come with a range of other features.

For the mirror that is the centerpiece of your medicine cabinet, you can opt for a frameless version, beveled edges that slope around the frame, or a flat finish that has no frills.

You can also choose a medicine cabinet that is mirrored on the inside as well as on the front. Mirrors on the inside are a great way to see the products in your cabinet clearly, and it makes the inside of the cabinet look bigger.

But you don’t have to have a mirror on your cabinet. If your bathroom already has an ample amount of reflective surfaces, you can opt for a slatted or wood front to your cabinet.

Quick Tips

Make sure you’re not cutting into any pipes or wiring in the wall behind the cabinet if you’re installing a recessed one.
Take into account how much storage space you have in the cabinet you plan on installing and how much storage you have in the bathroom as a whole.
When you’re calculating the weight that will be hanging on your bathroom wall, also compute the load of all the items that will be inside the cabinet.