Years ago when someone described a bathroom cabinet, or a medicine cabinet, it usually meant the same thing. They meant that little, usually metal cabinet mounted on the bathroom wall and used to hold aspirin and other small bathroom items.
Almost every bathroom had some type of small wall mounted metal shelving unit fastened on the wall. You’d find these little metal bathroom cabinets above nearly every sink, complete with a mirrored door. They were useful all right, but they really had no other appeal to speak of.
We’ve Come A Long Way Since Then
We use our bathroom cabinets a little differently than we used to and with this change has come a whole new world in terms of bathroom cabinet design, with a lot of different colors, styles and materials now available to consumers which are functional as well as stylish.
No longer are you limited to a choice of one color, one style and one size. You can now find bathroom cabinets bathroom cabinets in materials which include wicker, plastic, bamboo, polished nickel and chrome. There are also many different styles to choose from which can make this once strictly functional element into something which can add a lot of aesthetic appeal to your bathroom.
Understanding Vanity Bathroom Cabinets
We’re all familiar with the bathroom vanity cabinet – the cabinets which house the bathroom sink and sink fixtures, as well as serving the purpose of hiding the pipes and intake valves. There is of course a vanity counter top, which you can find in many different materials; marble and tile are especially popular choices. There are usually 2 or more doors in this cabinet that allow access to an under-sink storage area, and a large number of these bathroom cabinets will have pull out drawers included.
Most people will pair the floor cabinet with a matching lighted vanity cabinet fixture that hangs above the sink. These can be wide and tall but are fairly shallow, and they hang flush against the wall. The doors are generally mirrored and there will be shelving inside to store all of the items which often end up as clutter in the absence of a bathroom cabinet.
Matching Your Existing Bathroom Decor
Bathroom cabinets are available in any size which you could possibly want, with some large enough to provide a place for linens and towels to be stored. Many bathrooms are small, so homeowners always like being able to make the best use of limited space with adequate storage which is also attractive and fits the rest of the room’s decor.
American and European Style Bathroom Cabinets
There are two distinctively different styles of bathroom cabinets that include both American and European.
The American cabinets generally rely on face-framing to complete the appearance. This means that the doors, mirrors, or some other type of covering frames the front of the shelves giving it a closed appearance. European-style bathroom cabinets have a more open look and a minimal amount of trim on the shelving’s framework.
Choosing Your Bathroom Cabinets
When shopping for bathroom cabinets there are stock, custom, and modular units to consider. With a stock cabinet item, the piece has been produced for the mass market and these will only come in set sizes and styles. These are inexpensive but they are quite common with limited style availability.
Modular cabinets are available in a much larger range of sizes and styles and are designed to easily integrate with other, usually matching pieces. For the connoisseur who wants a bathroom cabinet that stands out from the crowd a custom piece is the one to choose.
Custom bathroom cabinets are made to order and can be made in any size, color, style and in any material you specify.
