Burning Question: Mirror Or Medicine?
We’re back with another bathroom question and this time it’s all about what you love above the sink. Do you prefer a medicine cabinet for a bit of concealed storage? Or do you love the sleek clean-lined look of a mirror without anything hidden behind it? Would a bathroom without a medicine cabinet be a deal breaker? Or do you love the lighter look of a mirror without all the hidden Advil?
We’re itching to hear where you stand on the issue. In fact, we whipped up this handy little poll to keep everything tabulated:
[poll id="13"]
We’d love to hear more about why you voted the way you did, so feel free to comment away with more details.
Image courtesy of Pottery Barn.
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I’d have to pick an inset medicine cabinet where the mirror is flush with the wall. Best of both worlds. Oh great, now that miley song is gonna be stuck in my head all day.
During my bathroom makeover I had planned on buying a sleek mirror but I ran out of money. So I was stuck with my 50 year old standard medicine cabinet, it stood out so bad as an Old fixture so… I painted silver a frame around it on the wall. Similar to the Ikea Ung Drill frame. And now I LOVE it. I have the best of both worlds sleek mirror and storage. It might not be for everyone but I love it. And it cost under $5 to update it rather then the hundreds I thought I needed.
I hate medicine cabinets! It never fails, no matter how organized you are that one day you’ll open it and the Tylenol will commit suicide by throwing itself into the sink.
But I’m also not a fan of all your personal potions and lotions being out and about on counters. Thankfully we have lots of storage in our bath, not even our tootbrushes are out (ew.)
It’s funny, I just talked about this on my blog yesterday. If you do have to have your “stuff” a-showin’, do it funky and fun. Like so; http://everydaylifeofbellom.blogspot.com/
Like Liz, we have a medicine cabinet built into the wall with a mirrored cover that stands flush against the wall. We get the beauty of the mirror with the function of hiding the toothpaste and toothbrushes! Excellent.
I literally lost sleep over this just last week. We FINALLY decided, and chose a medicine cabinet over a mirror, with the thought that a buyer would want that extra storage space (we have a pedestal sink in the house’s only bathroom). I am hoping we made the right choice! I’ll be keeping an eye on the results!
I personally like a big mirror over the counter/sink and a medicine cabinet on the side wall.
Also, when we were going back and forth about this, I looked through all our catalogs (including Pottery Barn, the image you chose) and there were NO bathrooms featuring medicine cabinets. All the catalogs are selling mirrors now. So it seems that mirrors are very popular, but again, with a pedestal sink, we just thought the cabinet would be a better option.
We are in the process of redoing our bathroom. We found that lowes has some great cheap mirror options- http://www.lowes.com/pl_Mirrors_4294931894_4294933768_
I love the mirrors because you’re not limited to size. Both of our bathroom mirrors go to or almost to the ceilings. It just make a small bathroom seem so much larger. You can see one here: http://ourhumbleabowed.wordpress.com/category/our-main-bathroom/ I also like framed mirrors to add a touch of elegance
Well, we used to have a medicine cabinet and when we built our new house, I thought, OUT with you damn spot!!! and looked forward to the wonderful expanse of a larger mirror..
I miss my medicine cabinet dearly.. I’ve now got all the medicine stored in a basket in our walk in closet…which I guess isn’t a big deal, but I think that stuff would be better in the bathroom.. isnt medicine supposed to be in the bathroom?
Just my 2 cents
I have a medicine cabinet in the wall, so it looks like a flat mirror. We had to have a medicine cabinet for storage since we opted for a pedestal sink. I love both though because not having counter space forces me to keep it clean, and the medicine cabinet can store essentials like tootpaste and tampons.
We just moved into a rental that has a huge mirror above the sink, but no medicine cabinet (and the vanity has no drawers…). Our solution is to hang a medicine cabinet above the toilet, which is near the vanity and the mirror. Medicine cabinets really help me organize the bathroom better!
I like them both, so hard to choose! I do prefer the extra ‘invisible’ storage tho!
I love a simple mirror over the sink in a small, powder room space. For master baths, I prefer a little extra storage for those odds-and-ends that are vital for getting ready in the morning!
Normally I don’t mind medicine cabinets that much (though I do tend to put things in them and then promptly forget about it!) but the one in the apartment I just moved into is HORRIBLE–it just hangs on the wall, not built in, so it sticks out and I’m always afraid I’m going to smack my head on it when I bend over the sink to brush my teeth, plus it’s ugly and has definitely seen better days. I plan on taking it down and replacing it with a nice mirror–the bathroom is tiny, so I need all the space I can get, plus I can’t exactly put in a built-in medicine cabinet since I’m renting (I’ll probably have to put the monstrosity back up when I move out)
I love the hidden storage of a medicine cabinet, but I absolutely loathe the one I have in my bathroom. It’s essentially three tall vertical mirrors that open individually — so you always have the breaks in the mirror even when it’s closed, and it’s just hideous. Unfortunately, I don’t have anywhere else to put all our stuff or it would be on the curb tomorrow!
I agree – inset mounted medicine cabinet that has a nice frame around the mirror is the best of both!!
I have a huuuuuuge full-wall mirror across my 6 feet of double sink, with a medicine cabinet at a 90 degree angle to it on the adjoining wall. The house came that way, but I love it. Tons of mirror space, storage, and light. I don’t understand the hatred of big bathroom mirrors. Dated in a bedroom or living room, absolutely. But I love it in my bathroom!
I agree that a cabinetrecessed nito the wall, so that mirror is flush is really the best of both worlds. When we moved into our house I Wanted a mirror with a med. cabinet attached but we couldnt find one that matched the vanity we chose. Ive grown used to JUST having a mirror…but you cant beat the storage with a true medicine cabinet.
I had to pick “both” ’cause although I’d LOVE just a mirror, I “need” the cabinet ’cause I just don’t have enough other storage…
I prefer sans medicine cabinet because I feel it’s hard to find something STYLISH that fits the bill. I love open storage with a mix of closed storage (as let’s face it, some bathroom stuff just isn’t pretty- i.e. all of husband’s shaving gel/cream/mouthgard, etc!) Everything that is in a pretty bottle gets exposed, though!
Speaking of bathrooms it baffles me that you have one drawer to hide your stuff and that is enough for you, BRAVO!
When I re-did my bathroom, the great guys (I had some professional help) told me to find a cool mirror and they would make it into a medicine cabinet.
I found a funky, wooden framed rectangular mirror and they used a piano hinge and some shelves and inset the “cabinet” part into the wall. So it looks like a cool mirror, but I can hide my Advil and other misc. stuff. Great solution.
I’m sure this could be done DIY with someone who had just a tiny bit of skill!
a pharmacist friend of mine told me that bathrooms are not ideal storage places for many medicines, anyway, because they can get so humid. I also prefer the look of a mirror instead of a cabinet.
ChaChi, that’s absolutely brilliant!
I love the way a mirror looks. However, it our teeny tiny bathroom we need the space a medicine cabinet provides.
I picked just a mirror. We used to have a medicine cabinet, but when we switched it out for a white framed mirror I fell in love. Now I just keep medicine and other essentials in baskets underneath the sink (guess that only works if you don’t have a pedestal sink)!
I love the look of the sleek mirror, rather than medicine cabinet. But storage is so necessary. Especially in my extremely small bathroom with no closet or cabinets or room for shelves. Our medicine cabinet is all there is to use. And it’s soooo ugly.
I have to agree that I love the look of a flat mirror, but the storage of a medicine cabinet. One that is set in the wall would be the best option. We currently have a medicine cabinet that sticks out from the wall and I would love to replace it!
I’m actually very paranoid about people opening med cabinet (not that I have anything to hide!)so I prefer to keep all meds in a different cabinet all together! Plus I have three kids which means I have tons of “what if Med”.
I preserve the area over the sink for looking pretty!
Our 1930s home still has it’s original peach bathroom, but when we bought it there was just a huge flat mirror above the pedestal sink. As we like an uncluttered sink top, all medicines, tootbrushes, etc. were stored in the linen closet which created a constant in and out which was slightly annoying. After a little snooping behind the mirror, we discovered a hole where a cabinet used to be! We purchased a huge 3-piece oval medicine cabinet (http://www.americanstandard-us.com/bathroom-furniture/standard-collection-mirror-with-medicine-cabinet/) and had to make the hole slightly taller, but it was a perfect fit! Along with a new light fixture the bathroom looks amazing, and is much more functional.
I have to choose the function (and style) of a medicine cabinet. I just replaced the silver framed mirror over our bath vanity with this little beauty: http://www.potterybarn.com/products/hotel-wall-mounted-medicine-cabinet/?pkey=cbath-wall-cabinets-shelves
(except mine is from Target for 1/3 of the cost). I LOVE the storage and the style. Before, our counter top was covered with hair brushes, toothpaste, mouthwash, etc. Now, the counter top is super clean and tidy at all times.
For me, it honestly depends on the storage of the rest of the bathroom. I’ve only ever had small to super small bathrooms and therefore have always required a medicine cabinet.
Currently, we have a mirror over the sink and a recessed cabinet on the wall to the right. This is definitely my favorite option for a small bathroom, as it provides storage and lots of mirrors.
When I lived on my own in a 700 sq. ft. condo in Chicago, I also needed storage in the bathroom. My U-shaped sink that was probably only 18″ wide came with a matching arched mirror. My dad and I attached it to the front of an ugly (but white) medicine cabinet and hung it. It couldn’t be recessed b/c of a stud, but we put about 1,000# drywall anchors in the back and it worked and looked great! In fact, I like being close to the mirror when applying make-up and tweezing eyebrows, so it worked out very well for me.
I’d love to someday have a beautiful mirror above the sink and so much storage under it, I don’t know what to do with all of it. But alas, I know myself too well and know whatever space is available will get filled, no matter what.
Hmm..my choice of concealed medicine cabinet was not the most popular but you can’t even tell ours is a medicine cabinet because the cabinet part is recessed so the mirror is flush with the wall. It really is the perfect combination plus my vanity is free of clutter with more room for a sweet vase!!
When we bought our fixer-upper house, there was an old medicine cabinet in the one and only bathroom. It was pretty plain-jane and boring and pretty small. So out it went. I found a wonderful big mirror on craigslist for $5. Added some paint and voila – a great renovation on dime. Other than being boring and Old the medicine cabinet was fine, so we donated it to the Habitat for Humanity store – ReStore so they could use it or sell it.
One major drawback to having a medicine cabinet is that while you store your meds in there, it’s not the best place for them to store. The moisture and heat in the bathroom can cause the active ingredients in the meds to break down faster. Also, you end up storing out of date and expired meds that you should definitely sort through but never do, because you never see them.
You’re not really supposed to keep your actual medicine in your medicine cabinet..It’s too humid and moist in the bathroom to be ideal for storing drugs.
I think it looks fantastic! We keep all of our meds in one of the bathroom drawers since we have this same issue going on in our bathroom.
Recessed medicine cabinet = a win-win situation. It’s a total necessity in my bathroom, as I have a pedestal sink and just 2 little open shelves.
You can’t make me choose!
In our last apartment, we had a HUGE mirror above the sink and a mirrored medicine cabinet on the left wall. Ahh compromise :)
I would love to see a follow up on this with bathroom storage suggestions! We don’t have medicine cabinets and we have zero bathroom storage–no drawers in the sink cabinet and the cabinet storage is low and small. I would love some tips on how to make my bathroom more functional!
I prefer the look of a sleek mirror over a medicine cabinet, but with small children the medicine cabinet wins.
I couldn’t vote because you didn’t have my option:
I love the look of a plain mirror, but can’t have one because I need the storage of a medicine cabinet, lol.
I think one can never have enough storage space, so we choose medicine cabinets.
@tracy: actually, medicine is NOT supposed to be kept in a medicine cabinet; the humidity and changes in temperature can actually alter the effectiveness of the drugs. But they’re absolutely super convenient for things like toothpaste, cotton balls, makeup remover, etc. so I would miss ours if it left!
I don’t have strong feelings either way… but I think in small bathrooms (often with older homes,) a medicine cabinet is ESSENTIAL! Storage is a premium for those places with their tiny bathrooms!
I picked both because that’s what I did in my bathroom redo. The mirror is over the sink. The medicine cabinet is on the opposite wall over the toilet. This enabled me to have a large mirror over the vanity. In my other bathroom redo, I have only a large mirror. I don’t miss the medicine cabinet in there at all!
In my experience, medicine cabinets lead to clutter while more open / visible storage helps keep things tidy and expired products get tossed on time…but that could also just be me. :)
I prefer a mirror, but really need a uncluttered sink area, so the storage is sometimes a must. You can find some that aren’t bad for visual and still store a bit.
You will appreciate my DIY story. In our previous house that was rental we could renovate, I wanted to remove the wallpaper in the bathroom (which was removing itself at the time). So I thought I would remove the medicine cabinet to make working around that space easier. When I did hundreds of old, rusty, used razor blades fell out of the wall at me! It was a very old medicine cabinet with the slot in the back where you could “dispose” of your blades when you refilled your razor! So next time I will be prepared!
No mirror over the sink! Every time you comb your hair you add to the potential drain clog. A medicine cabinet is a necessity when family members need several medications daily. My father built my cabinet before my daughter was born and it has a very stylish lock to keep little fingers out.
I could do both. I never say no to extra storage, as long as it’s attractive and fits in with the concept of the room. What I really can’t stand are the 1/4″ thick frameless mirrors that often come builder standard with many new homes and cover half of the wall… I recently got rid of mine in favor of a much more luxe looking framed model and it really changes the look of the whole bathroom! Apparently I’m not the only one who doesn’t like them because it’s been impossible to sell the old one on craigslist so far.
I’ve got them both. 1920s house with the built in med cab in the wall. Don’t know if the placement is original, since the sink is on another wall but it is cool.
Having the storage in a sm bathroom is handy esp with a ped. sink.