The Best Position for Bathroom Cabinets

Bathroom cabinets are often discounted as unimportant. While nothing could be further from the truth, there are practical reasons for this. One problem is that this is a wet, steamy environment and if ventilation isn’t adequate this could affect whatever is being stored in the bathroom.

So, instead of having cabinets and cupboards to store towels where they are needed these are often stored with bed linen in another room. Similarly, makeup and personal items like deodorant and face cream are often kept in the bedroom.

Certainly, the size of a bathroom will determine the type and number of bathroom cabinets. To a large extent, size will also determine their position.

Common Types of Bathroom Cabinets

Undoubtedly, the most common type of bathroom cabinet is the unit that accommodates a basin. Some, but not all, incorporate a working surface. Generally, the basin either slots into or over the top of the cabinet. Many of those that fit over are by design the same size as the basin in terms of width and depth. Nevertheless, some basins molded from synthetic materials do incorporate a work surface and these also slot over the cabinet or are part of it.

Wall-mounted medicine cupboards are also common. These are generally shallow and often have mirror-fronted doors. While off-the-shelf “kitchen” cabinets and drawers have been used in bathrooms for at least four decades, many people don’t think out of the box and so they don’t choose to use them unless these are marketed for bathroom use. But deep pot drawers are brilliant for storing dirty laundry; hinged swing-out doors that accommodate dustbins are as useful in the bathroom as they are in the kitchen; tall cabinets are perfect for towels and linen; and ordinary kitchen drawers are great for organizing just about everything else in the bathroom.

The best cabinets for kitchens and bathrooms are made of either solid wood or medium density fiberboard (MDF), which makes them versatile. Chipboard is not a good option as it does swell when it comes into contact with moisture.

Where to Position Bathroom Cabinets

The average bathroom comprises a bath and/or shower that may be combined, a basin or two, and a toilet. Some also feature a bidet though these hygienic appliances are still more common in Europe than in other parts of the world. So, these fittings are the primary consideration when it comes to designing any bathroom layout.

Generally, baths, showers, toilets, and bidets stand apart from any form of storage in the bathroom. Basins and sinks, on the other hand, are frequently incorporated as part of the storage plan. Any other storage in the form of cabinets, cupboards, or open shelves needs to be positioned so that it doesn’t interfere with the primary fixtures.

A plan drawn to scale on paper is a good starting point. This should take cognizance of basic space requirements so that people can use baths, basins and so on comfortably. And a good method is to use templates to decide where everything goes.

Unfortunately bathrooms are often the smallest rooms in the house, so there isn’t always the opportunity to use cabinets in bathroom design. But where they can be used it is a good idea to carefully consider what type of cabinet will work. For instance, the fact that wall-hung units are most commonly included in smaller bathrooms rather than the usual kitchen base units is largely because of space, but also because of the damp factor.

Where there is sufficient space for bathroom cabinets an excellent solution to the damp factor is to mount cabinets on the wall above the floor. So, instead of using base units for a basin, a wall-hung unit could be substituted and installed so that the basin is at the right height and the cabinet is above floor level. The same applies to tall units as the picture above shows.