It used to be that when someone said the words bathroom cabinet, they were invariably talking about the same thing. They meant that little, usually metal cabinet mounted on the bathroom wall and used to hold aspirin and other small bathroom items.

You could find these metal cabinets mounted on just about any bathroom wall you cared to mention. It was generally mounted right over the bathroom sink, had a white enamel finish and a mirror on the front. They were useful all right, but they really had no other appeal to speak of.

All That Has Changed

The way that our bathroom wall cabinets look and even the way that we use them has changed a lot since then. There are now a nearly limitless variety of styles and colors available to consumers which are stylish and yes, still very much functional.

The days of “any color you want, as long as it’s white” are gone and there are now bathroom cabinets available in materials including chrome, bamboo, wicker, plastic, polished nickel and more. There are also many different styles to choose from which can make this once strictly functional element into something which can add a lot of aesthetic appeal to your bathroom.

Matching Your Existing Bathroom Decor

Consumers have a lot of choices in bathroom cabinets. They come in any size which is practical for use and some are even large enough for towel and linen storage. Many bathrooms are small, so homeowners always like being able to make the best use of limited space with adequate storage which is also attractive and fits the rest of the room’s decor.

Bathroom Vanity Cabinets

People often find themselves in need of a bathroom vanity cabinet. These are the cabinets which house your sink and the accompanying water fixtures. There will be a vanity counter top which can be made from tile, marble or any number of other materials. The cabinet also has room for under sink storage, with 2 or more doors placed on the front to provide access to the storage area. Many models of vanity bathroom cabinets will also feature drawers for storing small items.

Generally, people choose to match their vanity cabinet with their vanity cabinet fixture placed above the sink. The cabinets are mounted flush to the wall and are usually shallow, but may be as wide or as tall as desired. These cabinets will have mirrored doors and shelving inside of the cabinet for easy storage.

Bathroom Cabinet Styles: American and European

The two basic types of bathroom cabinet are the American and the European styles. American-style cabinets typically use face-framing, meaning that the doors or other covering surface is needed to give the cabinet the appearance of being closed. European-style bathroom cabinets differ in that they have open shelving with only a bare minimum of trim on the framework of the shelving.

Shopping for Bathroom Cabinets

When shopping for bathroom cabinets, you can choose from cabinets which are stock, custom or modular. Stock cabinets have been mass produced and are only available in those sizes and styles which the manufacturer saw fit to produce. These tend to be the least expensive, but you will be limited by a much smaller choice of styles and sizes.

Modular cabinets are available in a much larger range of sizes and styles and are designed to easily integrate with other, usually matching pieces. However, if you want your bathroom cabinet to be truly your own, then a custom bathroom cabinet is the only way to go. These, as the name suggests are made to the specifications you choose and will be made from your choice of materials in the color, size and style you want.