I love medicine cabinets because I can always use the storage.

We recently renovated two bathrooms. In both, we replaced large wall mirrors (which always looks like 1970 to me) with separate recessed mirrored medicine cabinets. Love them-- lots of storage space, and because they're recessed, they look just like individual arched mirrors over the pedestal sinks. They are made by Robern, which Kohler owns, and they have a beautiful line of medicine cabinets from which to choose-- all sizes and shapes.

It's all about the storage. Things like hairspray bottles, mouthwash, toothpaste, contact lens solution, shaving cream and on.... need a place to be. I'm in the process of redoing my bath and the loss of putting those items neatly away when your rushed is annoying.

So now I have to toss them in a basket and put that basket under the sink. Ok fine, But ...my husband is still learning how to put toilet paper on the roll so this is not working well for him.

The solution is to carve out niches next to the mirror to stack that "stuff" with a door. (He knows how to open a door but the basket and the door and bending down boggles him).

You can get a large mirror with a medicine cabinet. They are quite pricey. You can also buy a tower to sit on the counter or wall mount but those will take away counter space.

Ikea have lovely ones. Who doesnt need more space in a bathroom?

I had one install in my bathroom

I was hesitant about putting them in, and now I can't imagine where the stuff would go without them! Kohler has some beautiful ones, good quality, and mirrored on inside too. But RECESSED is the way to go! Pottery Barn had some cute ones too if you can't go recessed.

Always had and always will have mirrored cabinets instead of just mirrors in the bathroom. Where do people put all their stuff otherwise?

Yes, they're good. Just don't stand up under the corner. Ouch.

It's all about the storage. You can get or make really nice ones that don't look like medicine cabinets and gain valuable space and aesthetic. If you don't need the space though, then there's no need.

Again, check out the Robern medicine cabinets. They offer so many styles and sizes (both recessed and surface mount). And if you opt out of interior electrical outlets in the cabinet, the price of these go way down. You can also find Robern less expensively on some of these online places, like Quality Bath, instead of buying from your local showroom.

I personally don't like medicine cabinets. They either have to be recessed into the wall, or they stick out. I haven't seen one that i would call beautiful. You can do so much more with an artistically or creatively framed mirror. I believe that if you need storage, drawers in a vanity or cabinets on the wall are a better choice. However, if a client really wants one, I will do the legwork to find the best one for the space.

I really like using individual framed recessed medicine cabinets in lieu of larger mirrors. While Robern makes great cabinets, they are pricey. Similar framed recessed cabinets are also made by Nu-Tone, Kohler, and Pegasus.

Put a recessed medicine cabinet in a side wall with either a panel door or mirror front if you prefer a large mirror above the vanity. That way you have the best of both worlds. The more clutter of product you can keep off the counter the better. And yes - Robern medicine cabinets are the best but will require a higher end budget.

I have a large framed mirror. My storage is underneath the sink. One narrow door to the right with a slide out drawer and space underneath, and double doors on the two-thirds left space. I use a small shelf in that space. I thought I'd miss the wall storage but it's made me be more thoughtful in deciding what stays and what goes.

elissabi: Robern is actually owned by Kohler. As stated earlier, if you opt out of the interior electrical outlets, the Robern cabinets are very affordable. And the price also depends on the size that you purchase (and where you purchase).

Looking at other cabinets and comparing them to Robern, you can see why Robern might be priced somewhat higher, though. The hinging all by itself is so far superior to other cabinets we saw. Again, places like Quality Bath or eFaucetdirect offer them at a better discount than local showrooms. On eFaucetdirect, for instance, the Robern medicine cabinet price range is huge-- anywhere from $171 to $4500. So you have a lot of choices. I also found them to just look better (not so much like traditional plain medicine cabinets, as lovely mirrors) than other brands. We bought two of the arched beveled mirrored cabinets 19-1/4x34 (recessed), which were around $470 each. With the interior electrical outlets, that jumps to something around $1400, I believe. Since we have electrical outlets on the wall, paying that much to place outlets in the cabinet seemed unnecessary.

To my mind, the biggest problem with Robern is that they have too many incredible choices.

We're going to pull out a plain mirror to install a recessed cabinet with a mirror in our downstairs bathroom. It's a small room but it serves as the guest bathroom, so we really feel like we need to provide more storage space for guests to stash toothpaste/toothbrush/etc. - there just isn't any good way to get that storage in the room any other way. The room is small enough that the biggest vanity that will fit is basically just enough space for spare TP, sink plumbing, and a small garbage can. (Can has to be in the vanity because otherwise it'd get tripped over. Very small room.)

dianahb - I agree with you on the quality of the Robern - it's very good. It's just that the average price is over $500 on their cabinets. For those on a limited budget who want a similar look, there are alternatives in the $100-$200 range.

elissabi: Yes; I think it really depends on what you want in a medicine cabinet. For instance, I didn't want anything with a frame, so that saved me money right there. But that is why I mentioned that Robern has an entire series that begins at $145-- so, really, there are plenty from which to choose that are anywhere between $145 and $250. They really do offer an amazing range, in both price and style. I just like them, because no one can beat Kohler's customer service; they are incredibly well-made-- better than anything else we saw, which couldn't even come close to Robern's quality; and I am 99% sure they're made in Wisconsin (not China). From my experience, I'll choose something made in the U.S, over anything made in China, any day of the week, because I don't think China has any product quality control. I just don't want to have to replace something in 5 years or less. (I should add that, though it sounds like it, I do not work for Kohler, nor do I have stock in Kohler.) :)

Beautiful bathroom Hyde Evans Design!

The mirrored medicine cabinet was the first thing on the list to go when we renovated our bathroom. Never liked them. There is never enough room to store things properly and things fall out. We keep our medicine and other items stored in a cool dry space.

We are planning to remodel and it seems a no brainer that we would put a large recessed medicine cabinet. Never understood how framed mirrors became the 'in thing'

oh my goodness Hyde Evans Design... that is gorgeous!!!
We are completely remodeling/rearranging our en-suite bathroom and i cannot decide on two or one mirror, medicine cabinet or not, I want it all!

I love the look or two mirrors with 3 sconces but I have a 2 year old and I know as a teenager the two of us trying to get ready in there and her using Dad's mirror will irriate him LOL... so I feel like I need one large mirror... but I want the lighting on the sides... your design is the PERFECT solution!!!

I am constructing a new home......I totally agree with Mark, recessed medicine cabinets are not practical at all. The actual storage space is way too narrow and you end up dropping items from the cabinet. I have canvassed the more high end home developments and none have recessed medicine cabinets. They are being phased out. No medicine cabinets for me, I am installing nice framed mirrors, as there is plenty of pull out drawers in the restrooms to accommodate my items. (I do not store meds in my restroom) not recommended.

You have to get a good medicine cabinet, is all -- there are plenty where the interior space is as large as the exterior space!

Yeah! When you have an old home, and bathroom space is very limited, there's really no choice!

I don't have them in this house, but I always thought they were great.

Hyde Evans, Love your vanity mirror combination. Where do I find the medicine cabinets you installed and the specs on this design?

I have a ton of products and I am an entertainer for a living, so I always opted for wall cabinets, vanity cabinet space, AND a large mirror, or beveled glass. A larger mirror looks more beautiful and is more functional in my opinion. If you do install a medicine cabinet, recessed is the way to go.

Nope. I keep medicine in a basket in the pantry and I take it in the morning. Anything needed for the evening is in my nightstand.

I always thought they were great.lighted medicine cabinets are the best.

bumping. if I can't do a medicine closet recessed is it worth the bulky look?