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What light fixture for a surface mount medicine cabinet?

16 years ago

It was painful, but I FINALLY ordered a surface mount medicine cabinet. I am getting so close to completing my new MB. Given the cab will stick out five inches from the wall, what type of fixture would work with it? And, where does it get mounted in relation to the top of the cab? Thank you ever so.

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Comments (4)

lkremodel
16 years ago
I went to a lighting store with the same question. In our case, we put a short, compact 100 watt single bulb fixture in the ceiling about about 3-6 inches in front of the medicine cabinet. It doesn't get in the way of the door opening.

I read somewhere that the best lighting for a mirror is with light placement at mid level of mirror. So, you could use fixtures that stick out and have one of each side. This light placement doesn't give you the shadows on the face that overhead light placement produces. All three of our medicine cabinets have overhead lighting and the shadow doesn't bother me.

In another bathroom, the carpenter built a wood frame around the medicine cabinet that includes a place on top to mount the light fixture from the wall.
kgwlisa
16 years ago
We are using wall mount sconces with turtle shades. I hope it doesn't look bad!
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I know this is an old thread, but I faced the same issue: surface mounted medicine cabinet 4 7/8" deep. I found a Kohler Tone 3-light vanity fixture Model #31770-SCO3- BNL (brushed nickel one) that was perfect. It extends 10 3/4 inch out, but it's only 6 inches high. It was beautiful, but after ordering from Lowe's, it went from delivery 6/12 to delayed to out of stock. Damnitall. Whoever reads this...it will be available in October, 2023. I talked to a Lamps Plus clerk who said the entire bulb must fully extend out past the medicine cabinet to avoid all shadow. This Kohler model does that. I had to totally switch gears to a fixture that pointed up. I hope it will work to provide enough light. I'm not as thrilled about it, but you have to be practical to get the bathroom remodeled in time. I hope this is helpful. Good luck to all who face this issue!
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If you wanted a deeper cabinet, you could recess and have some sticking out ;) too. A third option! I've had recessed in old bathroom and it was fine. I now have a new surface mounted one that just got put up this friday. I have an exterior wall in cold Iowa. It was made for me by my fab carpenter to go with an old Robern medicine cabinet mirror door I've had for 20 years (got it for free in an alley outside a design shop-she said "take it"). With the recessed and want to change the set in the future, you'd have to do major wall repair or find a cabinet that fits. But wouldn't that be unlikely? If I didn't like the protrusion, then recessed is what I'd do.
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I think, even though it is a weight bearing wall it can be recessed so long as wiring doesn't interfere. You need to frame it in with a header, much like a window in an outer wall. And depending on the wiring situation, if it isn't right across the centre, it maybe could be moved above or below the mirror opening. Just a thought. We are just re-doing our bathroom and had a surface mounted 36 inch medicine cabinet until now. We are gutted to the studs and found the vanity wall to be a 6 inch wall because the stack is in that wall. So our contractor just cut into the 2 x 6's part way (about 4 inches) and framed it In with a 2 x 4 header and frame. We just bought a 40 inch Kohler tri view cabinet. It has soft close doors and seems like a very nice one but it was not cheap. We didn't find many 40 inch tri view ones so chose to pay for the Kohler brand. It does have mirror inside and out and a sliding magnifying mirror inside the centre door, which might come in handy since the mirror will be farther away now with being inset.
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I installed a pair of these skinny Kovac fixtures in my bathroom remodel and they have been great: Kovacs sconce The backplate is less than 5" wide. The fixture comes in a variety of finishes and bulb types. I chose the halogen version because it puts out the most light (120 watts per fixture). Here is the kind of light they provide:
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nancita
Original Author
16 years ago
Unfortunately, I am limited in the location of the light. I do not have enough room for sconces and my DH already put an electrical box into the wall while he was building the bathroom. It is above the soon-to-be-installed cab. I don't know what type of fixture to use. Do I use the type that is flush or one that has an arm that had the bulb over the cab? Thanks again.
lkremodel
16 years ago
If you can find something with an arm extending out that would be your easiest solution.

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