SIDLER Blog Sidler Diamando with new LED light

A Recessed Mirrored Cabinet…A Disaster or Smart Design?

By Sally Mark January 27, 2021 SIDLER Blog

Is there an advantage to flush mounting your bathroom mirrored cabinet?

SIDLER Modello Mirrored Cabinet (Recessed Mounted)

A mirrored cabinet for your bathroom is a key design option to strongly consider when you are down to putting the finishing touches on your 2 month bathroom renovation project with 2 more weeks to go. Or when you are finding you need to de-clutter your bathroom counter or for smaller bathroom spaces.

Our everyday lives revolve around our bathroom mirror. If you count how many times in a day you use your bathroom mirror, you would be surprised to calculate it is more than you expect. So, even though we hardly notice the amount of time spent in front of our bathroom mirror; it is one of those key items we need in our daily life.

Another factoid based on an interesting study from ‘Yorkshire-based lifestyle brand Avaj’ (featured in the Daily News and DailyMail.com publications) as to which gender spends more time in looking at themselves in a mirror; provides some unexpected results. This study of 1000 men in Britain draws an interesting finding where it is determined men vs. women spend more time in front of a mirror on a daily basis. So, women who have often gotten a bad rap for spending too much time in front of a mirror are finally vindicated!

Man Looking at Himself In Front of Mirror

Given the amount of time a person spends in front of their bathroom mirror, using not only a mirror with a crisp, clear reflection but a mirrored cabinet is a practical and elegant beneficial addition to consider for your bathroom.

You ask yourself why consider a mirrored medicine cabinet? Aren’t medicine cabinets these bulky eyesores in a bathroom?

Gone are the days of those bulky, ugly, dated medicine cabinets, which inched so far from the wall you would end up bonking your head. Some of these old-school medicine cabinets came with or without mirrors. In recent years, medicine cabinet design has gone through a major transformation to sleek, seamless modern aesthetics with functionality.

Outdated and Bulky Medicine Cabinet (Surface Mounted)

A mirrored medicine cabinet not only functions as a mirror; it’s also a practical storage solution in an eye-catching and aesthetically pleasing design. Your bottles of face cream, hair products, first-aid items, toothbrush, make-up and razor can be stored away sight unseen, and in a customizable organized manner.

Okay, now that you are sold on buying a mirrored medicine cabinet for your bathroom, you then ask yourself if you should have it recessed (flush-mounted) into the wall or surface-mounted onto the wall?

Let’s examine the advantages and disadvantages of both options.

Sixth & Willow Bathroom with Surface Mounted SIDLER Diamando Mirrored Cabinet

The Surface-mounted Mirrored Cabinet

The surface mounting of a mirror cabinet is attached directly onto the wall. This option requires less effort and can also be implemented more easily in rented homes. You only have to drill the appropriate holes and the mirror cabinet is installed. The electrician has to take special care of the light connections as these have to be connected to the direct power supply.

The main disadvantage of the surface mounting is primarily the aesthetics. Of course, there are a number of mirrored cabinets such as SIDLER’s LED Collection or Diamando, which look very good even when surface mounted. But if you like more seamless, less bulky and contemporary design elements; flush mounting is the better choice.

Pros:

Less complicated installation
Better option for a renter who wants more storage in their rental home
Usually less expensive than the flush-mounted option
More narrow reach proximity between user and mirror

Cons:

The body of the cabinet is clearly visible from a side view
Inches out of the wall more creating a bulkier appearance
User will more likely bump into the corners

The Flush-mounted Mirrored Cabinet

For flush-mounted installation, the mirror cabinet is recessed directly into the wall. Often builders do not like when a mirrored cabinet in the bathroom protrudes from the wall and therefore, a recessed mounted cabinet is a seamless alternative solution they prefer to implement.

A niche is hollowed out of the wall where the mirrored cabinet can be inserted. The hollowing out of the wall makes room for the cabinet to be recessed installed into the wall. So, the mirror cabinet is inserted directly into the wall disappearing almost completely from the surface creating this ‘floating mirror’ effect. This is the installation process for a recessed mirrored cabinet mount to create this stunning design element.

Cllose-up of a flush mounted SIDLER Quadro Mirrored Cabinet With Handle

This effect is particularly impressive with the right lighting when the mirrored cabinet has an integrated lighting system. For example, the new SIDLER Quadro collection features 45 degree integrated ambient lighting framing the entire mirror, which illuminates your bathroom with crisp, atmospheric light. This light combined with the recess mount, further enhances the illusion of a floating mirror.

SIDLER Quadro Mirrored Cabinet With Ambient Lighting (Recessed Mounted)

However, recess mounting a mirrored cabinet requires a little more effort especially, with solid construction walls.

“The main advantage of recessing a cabinet into a wall is the appearance. When the cabinet is flush with the wall, it’s just more appealing, cotemporary and attractive. Although this entails more planning and construction, the effort is worth the time”, says Mario Sidler, Sales and Product Manager, SIDLER International Ltd.

Even though a recessed mirrored cabinet option requires more time and effort, the result and effect is well worth it for this beautiful and stunning design element. If you have invested alot of time and effort into creating a perfect bathroom in design and functionality, recessing the mirrored cabinet is only a natural avenue as it adds the pièce de résistance to your bathroom!