Right, so you're asking about bathroom medicine cabinets, yeah? Funny you should ask, because I was just having a proper nightmare with mine last week. The old mirrored door on my cabinet in the flat in Islington – you know, one of those standard-issue ones from like, 2005 – the hinge just gave up the ghost. Shattered glass everywhere, my toothpaste and paracetamol rolling into the sink… what a mess.
It got me thinking, though. We all just sort of accept these things, don'tt we? That boring box above the sink. But honestly, the world of what you can stick on your bathroom wall has gotten so much more interesting. It's not just about where to hide your plasters and spare razors anymore.
Let's talk mirrors first, because that's what you see every morning. I used to think a mirrored door was just… a mirrored door. But then I stayed at a friend's place in Bristol last autumn, in this converted warehouse. Her medicine cabinet had this gorgeous, slightly antiqued mirror with a beveled edge. It didn’t just show your reflection; it gave the whole room a softer, warmer feel. Made my 7 a.m. face look a bit more forgiving, you know? Then there's the lighting. Oh, the lighting! The absolute game-changer. I installed a cabinet with integrated LED sidelights last year – not those harsh, clinical strips, but warm white ones. It's like having permanent golden hour on your face when you're trying to sort out your eyebrows. No more leaning into the window like a sunflower!
And storage… blimey, where to start. The classic is just shelves, right? But they're a right pain if you've got lots of little things. I learned that the hard way in my first flat in Clapham. Bottles of contact lens solution, nail clippers, tweezers… all just jumbled together in a chaotic heap. Now, I'm a total convert to cabinets with adjustable shelves. You can make a tall space for a bottle of mouthwash or a short one for your lip balms. Some even have little pull-out trays or sections on the inside of the door – perfect for standing up your toothbrush or those tiny pots of fancy face cream you save for special occasions.
I saw this brilliant one in a showroom in Chelsea last month – looked like a simple, sleek mirror, but when you pressed it, the whole thing opened like a book, and the sides had these genius, shallow racks for makeup brushes and tubes. All hidden away from the steam of the shower. Speaking of which, that's another thing! Not all cabinets are sealed properly. My old one used to let in all the damp, and my aspirin would go all… clumpy. Make sure you get one that's rated for bathroom humidity, especially if your bathroom's as steamy as a London Underground platform in July.
And size! Don't just get the standard width. Think about what you actually need to store. Are you a minimalist with just a toothbrush and floss? Or do you have a small pharmacy like my grandmother? Measure your wall, measure your biggest bottle, and for heaven's sake, think about how high you're mounting it. I once put one up too high in a client's ensuite in Hampstead – lovely chap, but he was about 5'5". He had to stand on his toes to see into it! Felt terrible.
So yeah, the humble bathroom medicine cabinet. It's gone from being a purely practical afterthought to a proper piece of design that can add light, style, and a serious dose of sanity to your morning routine. Just promise me you'll avoid the one with the flimsy hinges. Trust me on that one.
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