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Home Decorating
ladyamity

Anyone help me - How high to hang Medicine Cabinet?

ladyamity
16 years ago

Something so trivial --- it shouldn't be this hard to make a decision!

Please help me decide as we've been going 'round and 'round all day about this.

Wall on left is a 3/4 wall to shower. The bathroom door, when open, is the exact size of the shower entrance.

The 3/4 wall will have two ORB towel rings, one above the other but off-center.

The ORB faucet/fixtures will be off-set on the right because my thinking was to have it on the left would be too much ORB in one corner.

So far, everything was going along smoothly.

We set up the vanity (not plumbed, centered or secure to wall) to get an idea how high we wanted the medicine cabinet.

That's where our problems started.

Had I thought ahead --- waaaay ahead...

No, hubby will Not cut down the 3/4 wall by a foot --- I already asked. The look on his face---priceless.

The 3/4 wall is the exact height as the top of the med cab.

Looks funny to me.

Hubby is going to cap the wall with 1 3/4" wood (counter top) with small over-hang, for a plant (his decorating contribution so I can't say no *g*)

Here are pics, mock-ups we are doing to try to decide where to put the med. cab.

Higher? Lower? Too low and it will give a crunched-in look to the faucets (pic of hubby holding spout in approx location in last pic).

Too high and I'm having to tip-toe see my whole face in the mirror but to me it looks better in relation to the 3/4 wall.

I'm sorry this is so long but I canNOT believe such a simple thing, a simple decision "How high do you want the med. cab.?" could possibly cause so much frustration. LOL

Many times today we've told each other "Let's take a break from this, go on to something else and come back with a fresh mind". It's not working. We come back and all I do is add books, take away books, stand back, add books. All the while poor hubby is shaking his head, leaning on the backer board counter and holding a spout.

What was supposed to be a simple medicine cabinet install this morning at 9 a.m. is still a med cab held up with books at almost 9 p.m.

I'm very much asymmetrical when it comes to seeing things with my eye. The idea of the top of the 3/4 wall being the exact height as the med. cab. is --- well, it's odd, off, something's not right in my mind's eye.

Any advice how to 'fix' the wall/med. cab. situation?

Or is this something that is only a problem in my own mind and not something I should be so frustrated over?

Featured Answer
  • ladyamity
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Mclarke,

    See? that was (and still is) my thinking too --- or at least how my mind's eye saw it should/shouldn't be.

    But taking into account all the replies (and they were all so right-on about it), I realized I was focusing too much on 'the look' and not what would be the best function for us.

    My plan when doing this bathroom: I'm not leaving this house without a toe-tag so I wanted everything as perfect for me as I could get it, for the long-term.
    This same height cab and wall is going to be very hard for this slightly (ha!) anal person to get used to! LOL

    Annie1971,
    Oh shoot---had I known, I would have saved all zillion white with pink speckled tiles for you! *g*

    Before joining this board, all those years with the pink tiles, I was brought up to 'match', to coordinate. So, all those years I went with a pink or mauve or burgundy bathroom.

    After joining this forum I learned how I could have worked 'with' that tile. I wish I had known about this forum years ago--would have saved me years of bathroom color boredom!

    And Mclark, I DO have very old, very pretty amber colored glass bottles. They remind me of pharmacy glass bottles.
    I'll dig them out of storage sometime this week and hopefully they will fit on the top shelf of the med cab.
    With the new, bigger window the light will reflect on the pretty amber color of the bottles.
    Great Idea - Thank you!

    You all were so helpful in making me focus on the function and other little points I hadn't thought about I figured I'll stick some pics in here to show you what we've done.
    As much as I'd like the cab to stay where it's at (held up with 2 screws so we could get the books out of there/out of the way so we could work on other things), function would be wrong so it's going up a couple inches.

    During the med. cab height dilemma, we also found the rounded front of the plywood countertop hindered me from getting close to the mirror.

    Countertop shape has been changed and I'm very pleased with that part.

    Again, all of you -- Thank you so very much!
    {{gwi:1436297}}

    {{!gwi}}

    {{!gwi}}

    Comments (8)

    • kim2007
      16 years ago

      Well, it's got to be functional first and foremost, right? So I'd say hang it at a level that is comfortable for both of you and disregard its relation to the top of the 3/4 wall and other distractions. I'm a short person and it's one of life's chronic problems that I'm rarely able to comfortably use a medicine cabinet mirror!

    • oceanna
      16 years ago

      It should be hung at a height where you can see yourself well in the mirror, and your DH shouldn't have to stoop down to see himself either, so a compromise will be in order if you two are very different heights.

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    • annie1971
      16 years ago

      I agree with the others. We're going through the same thing at our house; but when it comes right down to it, it has to function properly. Opening the door without interference with the faucet, having the right height for both of you is far more important than the issue you've been struggling with. As far as that goes, however, I like height #2 or #3 (my preference).
      When you get your cabinet position sorted, maybe you can help me with mine! Good luck,

    • mqmoi
      16 years ago

      After you determine the right height, check to see what the mirror is reflectig. E.g., I don't like #2 pic because of that reflection across the top of the mirror. I like #1 pic because it looks like it will reflect more -- your face and upper torso rather than just your face and blank wall above the head. It's more useful.

      Once you put a plant on the capped wall, it will break up the lines a bit.

      Nice looking combo.

    • ladyamity
      Original Author
      16 years ago

      First ---
      I titled it "Anyone help me" because being it was a holiday I didn't expect anyone to be online and it was sort of 'YoooHooo, anyone out there?'

      And here you all were and giving me options and opinions and even bringing up important points that I hadn't even thought about because I was too focused on just one thing---the med cab and 3/4 wall being the same height.

      I guess I was just too excited over getting rid of our 1970's pink speckled tile bathroom that I completely overlooked "Form Over Function" and overlooked all the other points you all brought up.

      Thank you, Thank you, Thank you all so very much!

    • mclarke
      16 years ago

      In addition to everything previously mentioned --

      I like photo #1. I don't think the cabinet should be the same height as the wall; it creates a very strong line which draws the eye in a way that is not pleasing to me. But of course that might just be me.

      Will there be anything on top of the cabinet? On top of the wall? You might want to decide this first...

    • annie1971
      16 years ago

      That pink speckled tile 70's bathroom sounds like something I might like. (I'm going through a quirky phase).

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