Is the cabinet shallow enough that it will fit inside the wall, or will it have to stick out some distance?

Does the cabinet have a face-frame?

How wide is it? If the cabinet is wider than the distance between studs (typically 14 1/2") then you'll have to modify the wall framing to make space for it.

Jon,
Thanks for responding to my post. The cabinet is 5 1/2 inches deep so I'm sure it will stick out some but I don't think anymore than some of the recessed medicine cabinets I've seen. As for the width, the studs will definitely need to be modified since it is 18 1/4" wide at the body and 22" wide at the top where the crown molding is. I think the cabinet has a face frame (i.e. approx. 2" of wood surrounding the door) -I'm not quite sure if that's what you are referring to? The cabinet is the Cartwright medicine cabinet that Restoration Hardware carries. I had ordered both the small and large recessed medicine cabinet that they carry but the large was too large and the small was too small. I'm therefore wanting to use the wall mount cabinet as a recessed if possible since it would be the perfect size.

Thanks again,
Robin

Hi Robin,

It's probably possible, but it's tough to say exactly how to do it without being able to handle the thing in person. The one photograph on the RH website isn't sufficient to work from.

What you need to keep in mind is that the hole in the wall that the cabinet fits into is, by nature, a bit oversized and rough around the edges. The face frame of the cabinet that's intended to be recessed probably extends well past the outside of the carcass box so that it can act as a flange that covers the rough gap between the cabinet and the wall material. The face frame of the cabinet that's meant to be surface-mounted is probably (very nearly) flush with the outside of the cabinet, so there's nothing there to cover the inevitable gap. You may come up with a novel way to skin this cat, but it could be risky and/or a real PITA if you don't have some experience with fairly finicky woodwork.