How to Choose the Best Medicine Cabinet
A medicine cabinet is a great fixture to add to your bathroom and can be both stylish and practical. Your medicine cabinet will be a frequently used fixture in your daily routines, so choosing the right one is important. But how can you know which cabinet is best for you with so many available styles and features? This guide will help you choose the best medicine cabinet for your bathroom.
Some Considerations Beforehand
Before you begin your search for fixtures, consider these questions, which can impact how you choose the best medicine cabinet for your home.
- How much storage space do you need?
- Will this medicine cabinet be used for items you use every day?
- Do you need to store large bathroom items like bottles, or do you need to organize several smaller items?
- Would you prefer to cut into your bathroom wall to install a medicine cabinet or get one that you can install on the surface of your bathroom wall?
- What is the lighting like in your bathroom, and how can your new medicine cabinet enhance lighting?
Answering these questions will help you better understand your needs and make choosing a medicine cabinet easier.
Sizing
A crucial step when you choose the best medicine cabinet for your bathroom is to measure your space. Medicine cabinets come in various sizes, so measuring your area accurately for a proper fit is essential. First, measure the width of your bathroom vanity. Your medicine cabinet should be slightly narrower or the same width as your vanity. So, for example, if your vanity is 30 inches wide, a 24-30 inch medicine cabinet is ideal.
Second, determine the ideal height by measuring the distance between the lights above your vanity and the top of the faucet. You want to ensure that your new medicine cabinet has enough clearance between the lights and faucet, so the medicine cabinet should be slightly smaller than the available space.
Choose an Installation Type
After you have determined the ideal width and height of your medicine cabinet, the next step is to choose a medicine cabinet installation type. An important thing to know before selecting the installation type is to understand what your space can accommodate. For example, if cutting into the wall will be a problem, you may be unable to have a recessed cabinet.
Most medicine cabinets fall into these two installation types.
Recessed medicine cabinets are installed between the studs of the wall, which requires cutting into the wall. Recessed cabinets save exterior space while looking sleek.
Another less common option is a dual-mount cabinet that can be recessed or surface-mounted, depending on your situation.
Determine Hinges
Next, think about the hinges for your medicine cabinet, specifically which side you would prefer them on and how you would like them to open. You can install most cabinets with the hinges on the left or the right, determining door swing orientation.
- Standard: Standard cabinet hinges open around 107°-110°, moving slightly past where the door is perpendicular to the cabinet.
- Wide Throw: Wide throw hinges allow the cabinet door to swing almost a full 180°.
- Soft Close: Soft close, or slow close hinges make the cabinet door close much more slowly and softly than usual, which can protect the mirror on the outside and the items inside the cabinet.
Choosing a Design
Once you have the dimensions and installation type chosen, the next part of how to choose the best medicine cabinet is to select a design. First, choose the shape of the new cabinet based on your design goals. Medicine cabinets may be standard rectangles or have curved sides. Generally, more contemporary-style cabinets have an angular shape, while more traditional or classically styled cabinets have curved edges.
Second, choose between the different framing options you have for your medicine cabinet.
Framed cabinets typically have a more traditional style, and the frames can be made of various woods or metals.
Frameless is a more modern design for medicine cabinets, where the mirror can have a beveled edge for an elegant look or a sleek, flat edge for a more contemporary feel.
Side kits cover the sides of surface-mounted medicine cabinets and can add wood or glass to even frameless cabinets.
Choosing Additional Features
Medicine cabinets come with various features and options.
- Lighting can be added onto or already built into a medicine cabinet.
- Inside the cabinet, you can add mirrors or even lighting to help you see everything you have inside.
- Adjustable shelves can help you better organize all of your bathroom items, especially if your items are relatively large.
Visit Weinstein Collegeville to Choose the Best Medicine Cabinet
If you need a new medicine cabinet for your bathroom, visit Weinstein Collegeville. Our team has decades of experience helping people choose the best medicine cabinet and other bathroom fixtures. In addition, we offer expert consultation and guidance through our kitchen and bath showroom, and we have a large selection of bathroom fixtures from quality brands such as Kohler. So make an appointment today, and bring your dream bathroom to life.