MEDICINE CABINETS

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Medicine cabinets seem boring, but they never go away. They have too many practical uses. For some people they are an ugly necessary fixture, but it doesn't have to be that way. You can now get a very stylish medicine cabinet to complement the fixtures and decor of your bathroom.

Your options include single, double and triple door styles, one mirror or multiple, small or large size, wood or metal, chucky or sleek. My favorite style of medicine cabinets would be the trifold doors with mirrored surfaces that allow you to see all sides of your head at once. Perfect for women getting ready in the morning during the beauty ritual. Single door cabinets are fairly useless for women, but perfect for men who don't spend a lot of time grooming.

There are some basic things to consider regardless of which bathroom medicine cabinet you get. Be sure its size is proportionate to the bathroom vanity underneath. You don't want one to dwarf the other, they should be a good fit. Be sure the mirror is a real mirror and not a cheap immitation. If you have pipes or other obstructions on the wall to work around you can get a surface mounted cabinet instead of something that is built into the wall itself. Or you could rebuild the wall if necessary.

For decor, wood and gold trim are the two most common. Be careful you don't end up with something cheaply made that will flake apart or look chintsy. It doesn't have to be ugly unless you want it to be. You can also get the trim to match the color of the bathroom faucets.

The absolutely best medicine cabinets will often have drawers and slide out trays, and even electrical outlets built in for additional hair dryers and curling irons. For the most in safety be sure there are lockable compartments or doors if kids are around and you keep anything small or dangerous inside.