Selecting a Medicine Cabinet: Styles and Options

Choosing the right medicine cabinet is one of the decisions you will have to make when renovating your bathroom. Although it may seem a simple enough decision, there are a number of things you need to consider when choosing a medicine cabinet. Even though the choice is a personal one, with so much money being going into the bathroom renovation project, you want to make sure you can live with your decision for years to come.

Recessed or Surface Mount

As your bathroom renovation takes shape the first decision you will need to make about your medicine cabinet is whether you want it to be recessed into the wall or simply hung on the wall’s surface. This choice will depend greatly on how extensive your renovations are. If you are completely gutting your bathroom installing a recessed medicine cabinet into the wall will be no problem. If your bathroom retrofit is just a coat of pain and new accessories, a medicine cabinet mounted on the wall is the easier choice.

Shape

Medicine cabinets come in all shapes and sizes; from a standard rectangle to the most curvaceous of new age designs. Perhaps a classic oval or circular medicine cabinet is more to your liking. Consider the entire decorating scheme of your bathroom project before choosing a particular shape for your medicine cabinet. Remember that the traditional rectangular medicine cabinet will have more storage space and will turn more freely on its hinges.

Mirror or Cupboard

Deciding whether your medicine cabinet’s door is a mirror or a door to match the other cupboards in your bathroom depends on where your medicine cabinet is located. If your medicine cabinet is going to be positioned over the sink so you will be looking at it while you brush your teeth, then a mirrored door is the best option. When your medicine cabinet is off to the side, especially if it is recessed into the wall, you will want it to match the rest of the cabinetry in your bathroom.

Finish

If you have decided on a mirrored door for your medicine cabinet, then the cabinet’s finish will be the least of your worries. Most mirrored medicine cabinets are standard factory wall mount varieties with painted steel sides and shelving. On the other hand, you will want your cabinetry style medicine chest to fit into your new bathroom’s decor. Having your medicine cabinet made and installed by the same company as the other cabinetry in your bathroom is a great way to ensure consistency throughout the room. If you are looking for a more rustic look for the cottage, a folk-art pine medicine cabinet can be easily hung on the wall.

Hardware

It may not seem important, but the hardware on your medicine cabinet can make or break the overall look you are trying to achieve in your bathroom renovation. Your medicine cabinet’s knobs and hinges should match the hardware you are using throughout the bathroom. Remember that you will be opening and closing your medicine cabinet many times a day, so don’t take the cheap route or you will be finding yourself replacing either the hardware or the entire medicine cabinet in the near future.