A recessed medicine cabinet allows you to improve the use of space in your bathroom. You can organize and store your toiletries, razors, medicines and other small bathroom items in the cabinet, out of sight, and out of children’s reach. A small bathroom, or in a bathroom where a medicine cabinet is near a door, a recessed cabinet makes allows a sense of openness while increasing efficient. The look and feel of your bathroom is greatly impacted by replacing an older, undersized, or outdated medicine cabinet with a newer, appropriately-sized medicine cabinet as part of your remodeling project, or even if you are simply updating your bathroom with a few new fixtures.
You can find recessed medicine cabinets in a variety of styles, colors, shapes, and with updated features not found on older models. Choose a style and design that matches your personality, needs, and your bathroom design. Current models vary in size from the standard medicine cabinet size, to double-width models, and models featuring three panels. Newer models also come with wooden or metal frames, which you may use to match your other bathroom fixtures, or framed prints. Typically, medicine cabinets use a single swinging door, but sliding doors are increasingly common. Additionally, some recessed cabinets also come with built-in lighting, saving even more space.
An increasingly popular style is the Concealed Cabinet, which looks like and doubles as a picture frame for real pictures or prints. When installed, the cabinet is flush with the wall, like a mounted picture frame, as it contains your small bathroom items, just like an obvious medicine cabinet. The recessed cabinet model is best for both maximum privacy, and maximum functionality.
Prices for these cabinets range from $65 to more than $3000. Toward the high-end for recessed medicine cabinets is a model the size of a full-length mirror that is large enough to act as a linen closet besides as a holder for your small bathroom items. The main issue after purchasing is installation. Recessed cabinets are more difficult and painstaking to install than their surface mounted counterparts. Recessed cabinet installation required using a stud finder to fit the cabinet between studs; if the cabinet is larger than the space between studs, then bracing the wall is necessary to make the cabinet a perfect fit. Doing this often requires additional tools besides the hanging equipment that comes with the cabinet. Cutting into the wall also requires avoiding wires or plumbing behind the drywall. It may be best to consult a professional home improvement specialist, an HVAC contractor, or a cabinet installation professional to avoid costly mistakes.
Recessed medicine cabinets are available at many nationwide hardware stores including Ace Hardware, Home Depot, Lowes, and Restoration Hardware. Online retailers include Amazon, Overstock, Bathroom Source, and Faucet Direct.
Depending on the size of your bathroom, a recessed medicine cabinet is an excellent space-saving storage piece that helps alleviate the clutter of your small personal items, while fitting in seamlessly with your existing bathroom décor.