Just make sure you take into account how the door is hinged and what clearance it needs to open fully. Some cabinets designed for surface-mounting may not open properly when recessed.

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.

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).

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