Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
rsoronen

Need help deciding on medicine cabinet options

Renée Soronen
13 years ago

I would like to put a medicine cabinet in my bathroom, but would also like the mirrored area in there to be fairly large -- by medicine cabinet standards. Somewhere around 25 - 30 inches. I linked a quick drawing of the setup I have. Do you guys think it would be possible to have a medicine cabinet that is big like that and still have the sconces on the sides?? If the cabinet is not recessed, but the lights only come out 5" that's a huge problem, right? I've only seen the larger widths of the type that are not recessed...

Are there any alternatives to having the medicine cabinet in the bathroom? Does anyone have any other clever ways to store all the tiny stuff that normally goes in there?

Oh, and the purple area is where we currently hang our towels. Crappy place, but in this bathroom, I can't think of a better place. I have toyed with the idea of putting the medicine cabinet there (so it will be behind the toilet and towels)....but have since decided that's not very convenient. :P

Here is a link that might be useful:

Comments (4)

  • doug32
    13 years ago

    Hi Therenee,

    Robern makes large medicine cabinets. They are very attractive. The cabinets come with a check, which can limit the swing to about 120 degrees. The M Series has a mirror on the inside of the door. This way you don't have to lean over the vanity for up close tasks such as shaving and make up.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Robern

  • nycbluedevil
    13 years ago

    Threnee-A few thoughts. First, Doug is right about Robern. Their cabinets are beautiful although expensive. I was thinking about buying the new Uplift cabinet, which opens straight up like a garage door. It avoids you having to step away to open the door. You could hang pendant lights in front of it--that's how they show it in the catalog. I ultimately decided not to buy the cabinets--I needed two and the scale didn't work anymore with my room. We decided to go with towers on either side, which I had before and I much prefer. We are putting the lights on the side of the tower. So you could try that. Finally, you might think about putting a tall, shallow closet on the back wall and either mirroring the door or using plantation shutter doors--I happen to love that look. A shallow closet would hold all the little stuff. I came to the conclusion that medicine cabinets are expensive and provide much less optionality that other solutions. HTH

  • jollyrd
    13 years ago

    One thing to consider - do you need it to be with a mirrow (which might be adding to the cost)? If you have a vanity, there is probably a mirrow over it, so you can just get a simpler cabinet without mirrow. Maybe later you could find a painting or poster and decoupage over it?

    I've been thinking about a medicine cabinet for couple years, tired of storing tiny bottles and tubes in plastic containers. But, I decided not to put in the the bathroom - think of all the steam, hot and moisture that the bathroom has. It is not the best environment for your medicine. I am not sure who and when started the tradition of storing medicine in the bathrooms, but that person should be questioned.

    So I am going to try and find a space between the studs in the master closet and start looking for a nice structured cabinet that I can use for this purpose.

  • relax2011
    13 years ago

    Luxury Spas has vanities that are very unique. The size of the mirrors are large on some with an attached cabinet or shelving system next to it. They are packaged as a whole vanity set, with sink etc. They are great for remodeling an entire bathroom.

    Here is a link that might be useful: vanity