Is your cabinet showing its age? Is it too small, poorly designed, or just plain ugly? You can replace the cabinet by buying a particle-board wonder, but it’s rather easy to make a much better cabinet. Building your own takes work, but it also puts you in control of size, materials, and design. It’s a great introduction to the art of cabinet-making. And you can admire the fruits of your labor first thing in the morning and last thing at night!
Step 1: Designing the Cabinet
Although over-the-sink is the standard location for a medicine cabinet, that’s not enshrined in the Constitution—you can place the cabinet wherever it works. How big to make the cabinet? I prefer a large cabinet, for two reasons. First, the large mirror makes a bathroom seem bigger. Second, well, look inside your medicine cabinet, and you tell me if it’s big enough! The sample cabinet shown in this chapter measures 20" wide by 30" high on the outside, with shelves 2 3⁄4" deep. Because these cabinets are screwed through the back, as long as it covers two studs you’ll find good fastening. What materials are best? I used melamine-coated particle board, a standard stain-resistant material sold as sheets or shelves at lumber yards, but you could also use 3⁄4" veneer plywood. The door frames are hardwood. The following table lists the parts needed for a medicine cabinet that’s 20" wide by 30" high on the outside, with shelves 2 3⁄4" deep.
