Medicine Cabinets

Choosing a Medicine Cabinet for Your Bathroom

Medicine cabinets add concealed storage at the vanity while keeping a mirror in the same wall area. They are useful for toiletries, grooming items, medications, and other small bathroom essentials, and are available in compact single-door formats as well as larger cabinets for wider vanity layouts.

The first decision is usually recessed versus surface mounting. A recessed cabinet fits into an opening in the wall and can create a lower-profile appearance, but the wall cavity must provide enough depth and be free of plumbing, wiring, or framing conflicts. Surface-mounted cabinets attach to the wall face and can be easier to use where a recessed opening is not practical.

Measure the available wall space and compare the cabinet’s overall width and height, required rough opening, interior depth, and door swing. Mirror-edge details, frame style, hinge location, and shelf configuration can also affect how the cabinet works with faucets, lighting, backsplashes, side walls, and nearby fixtures.

For replacement projects, do not assume a cabinet with the same outside dimensions will fit an existing wall opening. Compare the manufacturer’s recessed opening dimensions and mounting instructions for the exact model before removing or modifying the existing cabinet.