Mirror vs Medicine Cabinet, which to choose?
12 years ago
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12 years agoRelated Discussions
Medicine cabinet vs. mirror above sink
Comments (7)We are redoing master bath in home made of cement blocks (it's in FL) and double vanity is placed on outside wall--and there are pocket doors on either side so can't do side-installed ones--can't recess the medicine cabinets w/o BIG expense... We are going with framed-out medicine cabinets in same style as the vanity-- they will project from the wall but since we are going w/more traditional style don't think it will be that out of place... We can't just frame the wall out above the vanity to allow for a recessed look- I asked about that but it would mean pushing the vanity out further from its current depth into the small space-- We love medicine cabinets and would love to have them in our TX house but the counters in bathroom are too deep (poor design IMO) and too tall... we have wall mounted mirrors above those vanities... Personally having medicine cabinets recessed to align w/wall mounted mirror would be ideal to me--lots of reflective light-- and you can get the pressure open-close doors so you don't need knob...See MoreForm vs. Function-- which would you choose?
Comments (27)First off, I'm a function-over-form gal! So, keep this in mind as you read on... Since there is a possibility that you may stay longer than a couple of years, I would think about remodeling with what will please you...and, IMHO, I think a combination of function (#1) and form (#2) would please you best. Cabinets: Have you looked at IKEA cabinets? They are very affordable and many people here really like them and have found they're not too difficult to DIY the install. They're actually designed, I think, with DIY in mind. Even if you don't like the door styles, Scherr's has many different styles and now is able to drill for IKEA cabinets. Cost is a fraction of the cost of most stock & semi-custom cabinets. Style: I think if you use wood doors and a simple but classic door style (shaker or simple raised panel--similar to what you like in Harbor) you will find they will remain current enough for resale a few years down the road. Materials: Wood for doors. For Countertops, possibly granite (tiles, prefab, or a low-cost "pattern" like Uba Tuba) or a higher-end laminate would work in your area. Stay away from ceramic/porcelain tile. I think that's already dated and many people would look at it and think it would be hard to keep clean (I know I would) Appliances can be either stainless steel or white. I think both are acceptable in mid-to-high end kitchens. I'd probably stay away from black b/c they are more difficult to keep clean than SS, at least I think so (I have a black cooktop & it's the most difficult item in my kitchen to keep looking clean). For a sink I would stick with either stainless steel or Silgranit. I'd let cost & form drive that decision. (For SS, check out Galaxy Tool Supply's Ticor sinks w/the free sink grids (http://www.galaxytoolsupply.com/category_s/58.htm).) For faucet, I would go w/a pullout or pull down with or without a soap dispenser...I think a soap dispenser is a nice-to-have, but I don't think it will necessarily add to resale...but if you want one, go for it. As to finish, chrome is fine or go with a SS or brushed chrome or SS. I'm not sure if there's a price difference b/w brushed chrome and something like brushed nickel or oil rubbed bronze. Cabinet Hardware: Hardware doesn't have to be high-priced. Check out Home Depot or Lowes for lower priced but still very nice hardware. Look at finishes such as iron or pewter. Stay away from black if it's a painted finish...the paint will eventually chip on your most-used handles/pulls. Refrigerator: Your refrigerator will look best if it is cabinet depth and enclosed so it looks built-in. To achieve this look, install a 3/4" finished end panel on each side of the refrigerator, approx 27" deep--deep enough to cover the carcass (but not the door). Put a full-depth cabinet over the refrigerator to further make it look built in. If you cannot get a full-depth over-the-refrigerator cabinet, then get a regular......See MoreCustom medicine cabinet - which way should doors swing
Comments (5)Thanks. I hadn't thought about using the water pik in the center cabinet -- I'm not sure how long the hose is -- it would need to reach the sink and as I said, in our bathroom, there is more space between the cabinets so the center cabinet is farther from the sinks. I will make sure we put an outlet in each cabinet so that is an option. In my opinion, I kind of figured the center cabinet would stay closed most of the time and we would mainly use the ones above our respective sinks. But I will have to measure the cord on the water pik and see if it would work to use the center one as the main one. On the subject of two sinks, we only have one sink now and I never understood the desire for two sinks (it always seemed like people on househunters were completely irrational about it, LOL!). In my opinion, a second sink was just more work to clean. But here we are putting in 2 sinks because my dh has a lot of dental problems and his dentists keep adding steps to his nightly tooth care ritual to the point where it takes him like 20 minutes to brush, floss, use this other weird gum cleaning tool, water pik, rinse with special prescription rinses, etc. In the meantime, I am standing there exhausted waiting my turn at the sink so I can brush for a minute and go to bed (I was blessed with good teeth thankfully!). So I cannot WAIT to have two sinks even though I will end up cleaning them both....See More58" double vanity, split between mirror vs medicine cabinet with mirro
Comments (9)You have to think on the scale of a real-life homeowner, not a designer of high-end homes (unless this is a high-end home!). When things are tight, you look for solutions! If 58" is too tight for two sinks, look at a trench sink - a long skinny sink with a faucet on either end that serves two people. This is the concept, but like so much stuff on Houzz it is marginally useful because whoever posted it just slapped it up without dimensions. In this kind of a get-up, WHERE to center two medicine cabinets becomes the issue, so a single mirror wall does seem to look better. In this example, designer Kelly Gardner does tell us all about her project, which seems only the right thing to do if a designer is getting advertising by posting it here for us to see! She says, " kelley gardner The sink is 34" and the entire width of space is 48". The space between the faucets is roughly 22"Now, doesn't this look like something you could do in your 58" space? Ask your contractor if it is too late for wall-mount faucets (it probably is). Your sink would have 5" more counter on each side. Come to think of it, this may be a shallow counter (maybe they had a space issue) and with a 22" deep counter you may have plenty of room for a faucet. Kelly says that this sink is from Lacava, so if you like this look, review their catalog online, then find a source to buy one. My original bathroom plan was to get a Kohler Brockway sink. Funky, old fashioned and really splash-happy! The Brockway has a backsplash and the whole sink is 18" deep, so in a 22" counter, you can make a little shelf between the backsplash and the wall. The sink has a big round belly that begs to be pulled forward out of the cabinet, and if you do that, you can have a deeper shelf behind the splash. Here are couple of installations.First, this is the smallest Brockway, the 3 ft (36"). It comes in 4ft with two faucets, too. Here, they mounted it against the wall in order to have a bit of counter in front of it, instead of pulling it forward and putting a shelf behind it. Also an excellent choice. This is one of my favorite installations and it also gives you ideas of what you can do with mirrors and cabinets. It is a cottage look, though. This is the "belly exposed" look, where pulling the sink forward gives you room for a shelf behind it. I can't really see a shelf here, but you can see where it would go, where the sink top ends. Just make a shelf behind the sink that fills the space between the sink and the wall. If you have stuff on it, you cannot open the doors of the cabinets here, which is a good reason to leave it off, I suppose! This is the 4 ft model, which is too large for you, giving you only 5" on each side for counter. You should go with the 3 ft, giving you 11" on each side for counter. Wetstyle, from Canada, has many trough sinks. Here are some that sit on top of the counter, just in case the cabinet you ordered cannot take a sunken one.This the the Wetstyle Ove sink in the 48 x 15" size. It is only 4" deep, so you have to be careful to chose a faucet that will not splash the water out. But it gives you rounded corners, lots of space in front or back of it in a 22" deep counter, and you each get 5" on each side to have to set things down. What is even better about this picture is the mirror design. See it? A mirror is inset into the wall cavity, giving you a small ledge to set things on as you are getting ready. It looks like the side mirrors could be small med cabs, if they are not. What a smart design for your small space! Click on the photo to enlarge it and see the details. Click on "More Info" to go to the web page and read what is available about the picture. Here is the Wetstyle Cube collection sink in the same dimension. It is just a rectangular version. Click on "more info" to get a version with the price tags, where you can click on the tag to get a close-up of the sink. Being only 15" front-to-back, there is lots of room for faucets behind it. If you do a shelf in front of a recessed mirror, you may get away with a 4 ft long sink - especially if it gives you space in front or back to set things down. Check out Lacava, Nameeks, and Duravit and you will see many more sinks that sit on top of the counter that are long enough to have two faucets. There may also be some that are "semi-recessed," which means that there is some sink below the counter, too, giving more depth....See MoreRelated Professionals
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here is the Kohler medicine cabinet we installed. I love it - it has a ton of storage without the look of a medicine cabinet.
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