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Recessed or wall-mounted medicine cabinet?

14 years ago

I'm looking at Robern medicine cabinets and deciding between recessed or wall-mounted? My contractor needs to know soon because he is putting up the studs and wants to frame for the mirror if I choose recessed. I like the look of recessed, but can't seem to decide the exact placement because I haven't chosen my tiles, faucet and vanity. Any suggestions on how to proceed? Should I go with wall-mounted and make it easier for myself?

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Comments (3)

dinkledoodle
14 years ago
Those Roberns are a pretty decent investment. I think you should have your entire design completed before making that decision. And, I agree, recessed is always better.

For now just have him frame as normal, and put up the drywall. Reframing a cutout for a recessed cabinet later is no big deal. Much easier and cheaper than undoing his reframing and reframing again. While you're deciding, just hang a department store mirror. Then get exactly what you want once you decide.

My 2 cents FWIW....
suero
14 years ago
Just make sure that you'll have enough clearance to operate the faucet.
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Thanks for your thoughts.fori, I think it will overwhelm, my DH doesn't and the salesperson at the bath/plumbing supply company tells me oversized cabinets are the style! It is a 10x10 bathroom, with a 78 inch vanity on one wall. The cabinets are 24x33, 5 1/2 in. deep...just seems way too big to me. I don't need the storage, we're having an antique-style linen closet built for the other wall that will have plenty of storage. pricklypearcactus, the "window framing" was just what our GC was going to do for our recessed cabinets in the other bathroom! I just wasn't sure if the construction of a wall mount would allow it to be recessed....guess we'll have to go look at them (we're keeping them stored at the supply co. until we're ready for them).
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Thanks Skilz— I hadn’t thought of any of that- The current medicine cabinets insets have a 15 1/2” box width. The mirror width on these new ones is 22 1/2”, so I think even that white inset is larger than what would fit between studs. It looks from photo like 18”. The wall is non load bearing, and on second story with non floored attic above. There is currently a sconce above the mirror but that will change to side sconces. I think that wiring will drop down from the attic like the closet light in the next room over but i don’t know. There is no plumbing in that part of the wall. So it sounds like I will need framing for the medicine cabinet that is an inset, so is it possible to Recess the brown cabinet that was meant to be wall mount? Thank you in advance!
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For size, you can also get customized sizing where cabinets can be ganged together. For example, two 12 inch cabinets ganged together or two 15" ganged together would work where you can add lighting as an option and have interchangeable left or right open doors. It gives you alot of storage over your vanity without looking too wide. And if you want to spend the extra cost, you can have them recessed mounted as well. This will make them look flush with wall and less bulky over any sized vanity. And some of these mirrored medicine cabinets have integrated LED lighting, which can also offer a nightlight with dinner function. So, you will not only have lighting from your main bathroom, but an additional light source. I hope this helps
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That's pretty much the worst place you could have a medicine cabinet. Medicine stability data is generally obtained at room temperature (60-70 degrees) and low hunidity. "Accelerated" stability is obtained at 90+ degrees and high humidity (just what you have in Florida). Most medicines are not particularly stable under those conditions so I suggest you fine a different place to store them.
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doingygirl
14 years ago
FWIW- I wish I had done recessed medicine cabinets BEFORE the drywall went up. We are having ours installed now after the fact . I prefer the recessed style for two main reasons:1) it's a cleaner more finished look 2) if you will be needing to place lighting above each cabinet it will give you more clearance as well as more room between you the faucet and the cabinet. The only reason I would opt for a wall mounted cabinet is if you couldn't insert a recessed cabinet due to plumbing within the wall. I was going to place a wall mounted medicine cabinet in our guest BR since we couldn't do a recessed version due to pipes running between the wall but when I went to hang the cabinet realized that it projected too far from the wall. We have a very small pedestal sink in that BR and when you would stand at the sink your head would be quite close to the front of the cabinet.

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