Medicine cabinets have been a staple in bathrooms for decades, providing convenient storage for toiletries, medications, and other items. However, as bathrooms and interior design trends have evolved, the traditional medicine cabinet appears to be losing popularity. Here, we’ll explore whether modern bathrooms still commonly feature medicine cabinets.
The Decline of the Medicine Cabinet
While medicine cabinets used to be ubiquitous, several factors have contributed to their decreasing presence in contemporary bathrooms:
Shift Towards Open and Minimalist Design
Modern interior design favors clean lines, lots of open shelving, and a minimalist aesthetic. Medicine cabinets with their enclosed storage create visual clutter and conflict with this style. Open shelving units or decorative boxes for storing medicines are more aligned with current tastes.
Larger Master Bathrooms
As master bedrooms have expanded, so have master baths, allowing more wall space for freestanding storage furniture. The need for recessed medicine cabinets has lessened in these larger spaces.
Concerns About Dust and Grease Buildup
Enclosed medicine cabinets inevitably collect dust, grime, and grease. For those wanting an immaculately clean, spa-like bathroom, a medicine cabinet may not make the cut.
Lack of Electrical Outlets
Today’s bathrooms feature far more electrical appliances, like electric toothbrushes and razors. With limited outlets, a medicine cabinet with its inconveniently located plugs behind the mirror doesn’t suit modern needs.
Do Any Modern Bathrooms Have Medicine Cabinets?
While the days of every bathroom having a medicine cabinet are gone, they can still be found in some modern bathrooms, particularly:
Smaller Bathrooms
In modestly sized homes or condos with space limitations, recessed medicine cabinets remain a practical storage solution.
Bathrooms With Limited Natural Light
For windowless bathrooms or those with minimal natural light, an illuminated medicine cabinet provides essential task lighting.
Guest Bathrooms
Medicine cabinets keep toiletries and medications out of sight in guest baths. For those without big walk-in closets, they also provide personal storage when guests stay over.
Rental Units
Landlords often opt for affordable, low-maintenance medicine cabinets in bathrooms of apartments, condos, and vacation properties.
Bathrooms With Vintage Character
For homeowners wanting to preserve the retro character of a mid-century home, keeping an original medicine cabinet makes sense.
Medicine Cabinet Alternatives
Some popular alternatives to medicine cabinets in modern bathrooms include:
Frameless Mirrors
Installed directly to the wall, these provide a beautiful, streamlined look. LED lighting around the perimeter offers an ambient glow.
Freestanding Storage Furniture
Low cabinets or shelving units give space for folded towels, toiletries, and bathroom accessories while introducing stylish furniture elements.
Niches and Alcoves
Architectural details like niches and alcoves built into the wall store bathroom necessities discreetly and decoratively.
Decorative Wall Cabinets
Wall cabinets made of wood, metal, or glass add a design focal point while providing enclosed storage for bathroom items.
Under-Sink Organizers
Adding slide-out trays or drawers creates an organized space for bathroom essentials concealed neatly under the vanity.
Key Takeaways
While medicine cabinets were once bathroom staples, evolving design trends have rendered them less common in contemporary bathrooms. They remain useful options for small spaces, lack of natural light, guest baths, rentals, and vintage decor. Alternatives like frameless mirrors, furniture, built-in storage, and under-sink organizers help keep modern bathrooms decluttered. The choice comes down to personal needs and style preferences in creating a beautiful, functional bathroom.
FAQs About Modern Bathrooms and Medicine Cabinets
Do modern bathrooms still have medicine cabinets?
Medicine cabinets are becoming less common in modern bathrooms due to minimalist, streamlined design preferences. However, they remain useful storage solutions for smaller bathrooms.
Should I get rid of my bathroom medicine cabinet?
If your bathroom features an outdated medicine cabinet, consider replacing it with more stylish storage options like frameless mirrors and wall-mounted shelving. But efficiency may outweigh aesthetics for small spaces.
What looks better than a medicine cabinet?
Frameless mirrors, wall-mounted shelving, freestanding cabinets, and alcoves look more integrated into modern bathroom designs than bulky medicine cabinets.
What do you put in a bathroom without a medicine cabinet?
Use freestanding furniture like cabinets and shelving units, wall storage like ledges and boxes, or under-sink organizers to hold essentials if forgoing a medicine cabinet.
Are medicine cabinets out of style?
Medicine cabinets are becoming dated as interior design leans towards more open, streamlined bathrooms. But they still serve functional needs in some modern bathrooms.
How do I hide medicine cabinet in bathroom?
If keeping your medicine cabinet, reduce its visual prominence with tricks like painting it to match walls, adding frosted film, installing sconce lights on each side, or disguising it with a decorative frame.
Conclusion
While once ubiquitous, the days of medicine cabinets dominating every residential bathroom are fading. Contemporary design favors cleaner looks, more spacious master baths diminish the need for recessed storage, and enclosed medicine cabinets conflict with desires for easy cleaning.
Yet, medicine cabinets still prove useful, especially in smaller bathrooms. Those renovating can balance style and function by replacing outdated cabinets with solutions like frameless mirrors and freestanding furniture. With careful space planning, even the most modern bathrooms can accommodate necessities without medicine cabinets.
The key is evaluating your bathroom’s size, lighting, storage needs and decor style to determine if a medicine cabinet still fits – or if it’s time for an attractive new approach. With flexible storage options, it’s possible to achieve both a tranquil spa-like space and ample room to tuck away bathroom essentials.