Alright, so you wanna know about putting up one of those surface mount medicine cabinets and lighting it right, yeah? Let's have a proper chat about it.
Honestly, my first go at this was a proper disaster. It was in my old flat in Clapham, back in 2019. I’d just moved in, fancied a bit of a bathroom refresh. Bought this sleek, modern-looking cabinet from a big-box store—thought it’d be a doddle. How hard could it be, right? Ha. Famous last words.
First off, let’s talk positioning. You don’t just slap it on the wall willy-nilly. Think about who’s using it. In my case, I’m tall-ish, but my partner isn’t. We had a right old argument about the height. I wanted it higher up, she wanted it lower. Ended up compromising—mounted it so the bottom shelf was about, oh, 48 inches from the floor. That way, she can reach her moisturisers without standing on tiptoes, and I’m not cracking my head on it every morning. Little tip: hold it up on the wall with some masking tape first, live with it for a day. Walk past it, pretend to grab your toothpaste. Sounds daft, but it saves arguments!
Now, the actual fixing. This is where I messed up big time. My wall… turned out to be a weird mix of plasterboard and an old brick patch behind. I just assumed it was all solid. Started drilling, hit a cavity, and the rawl plug just spun. Heart sank. Had to go out, get some proper heavy-duty toggle bolts. What a faff. So, for goodness sake, invest in a decent stud finder—one that detects pipes and wires too. Last thing you want is a surprise shower of the electrical kind. And mark your drill points carefully! Measure thrice, drill once, as my grandad used to say.
Lighting. Oh, this is the fun bit. You don’t want it looking like an interrogation room, do you? That harsh, shadowy glare. I made that mistake initially—stuck a basic LED bar above the mirror. Made my face look like a tired, blotchy pancake at 6 AM. Not a good look. What you want is soft, even light from the sides. Sides, not just the top. It fills in those cheek shadows, makes shaving or putting on makeup a breeze. I swapped mine for a pair of simple, warm-white wall sconces. Got them from a little place on Tottenham Court Road. They’re not too bright, about 400 lumens each, and they cast this lovely, gentle glow. Makes a world of difference, trust me.
Wiring for the lights… now that’s a job. If you’re not confident, for heaven’s sake, get a sparky in. I thought I could just extend the existing circuit. Let’s just say I tripped the fuse for the whole floor for an afternoon. My neighbour, lovely chap named Gary, was not amused when his football match cut out. A qualified electrician sorted it in an hour. Money well spent.
And the little things! Like, make sure the door swings clear of your towel rail or light switch. I didn’t. For a week, I had to open the cabinet door at a weird angle just to turn the light on. Drove me bonkers. Also, the inside—stick a little battery-operated LED puck light on the top shelf if your cabinet doesn’t have a built-in one. It lights up the deep recess where the paracetamol always disappears to. Absolute game-changer when you’ve got a headache at midnight.
So yeah, that’s the long and short of it. It’s not just about screws and wires. It’s about thinking how you live with it. That surface mount cabinet? It’s just a box on a wall. But getting it right… it’s the difference between a daily hassle and a little moment of calm in the morning chaos. Mine’s not perfect—it’s got a tiny scratch from where I dropped a screwdriver. But every time I open it and the light just *works*, I get a silly little sense of satisfaction. You will too. Just take your time, and for pity’s sake, mind the pipes!
Leave a Reply