Crafting a Budget-Friendly, Durable Oak Bathroom Cabinet

A bathroom cabinet, sometimes referred to as a medicine cabinet, serves as a convenient storage solution located near the bathroom sink. Typically, these cabinets are meticulously crafted to accommodate a range of everyday essentials such as toiletries, medications, and hygiene products, ensuring easy access and organization within the bathroom space.

In a shared bathroom setting, the presence of a well-designed and durable bathroom cabinet becomes paramount. This essential fixture not only facilitates organization but also promotes a harmonious environment. Streaming the morning routines and contributes to the overall functionality and aesthetic appeal of the shared space, ensuring everyone’s needs are met efficiently.

Choosing between a bespoke (custom-made) or off-the-shelf bathroom cabinet entails weighing various factors. A bespoke cabinet offers unparalleled customization, tailored to fit your bathroom’s dimensions and style preferences precisely. This option allows for unique design elements and optimal space utilization, though it often comes with a higher price tag and longer lead time.

Conversely, off-the-shelf cabinets provide affordability and convenience, readily available in a variety of styles and sizes. However, customization options are limited, and quality may vary. While bespoke cabinets offer superior craftsmanship and personalized design, off-the-shelf options offer quick installation and a wide range of choices.

The bespoke option undoubtedly delivers a superior product, surpassing the quality of off-the-shelf units, albeit at a higher cost. However, if you’re willing to invest your time and effort, building the cabinet yourself presents a compelling alternative. In this post, we’ll demonstrate just how achievable and rewarding this DIY project can be.

The Bathroom Cabinet Build

The original medicine cabinet featured a single-piece metal mold design with two adjustable shelves, finished in white enamel. Its mirrored door was framed by a decorative wooden pine frame. The objective of the Real-life Makeover project for the cabinet is to replace it with a more contemporary alternative while minimizing costs, retaining the functionality of two shelves. However, should you desire additional storage space, extra shelves can be added, ensuring that at least one area provides sufficient height to accommodate the tallest item intended for storage within the medicine cabinet.

The primary materials will include recycled pine for the trim, the wood will provide a cohesive aesthetic as it was left over from bathroom countertop build. Additionally, solid oak planks will be utilized for the sides and shelves to ensure durability and complement the overall design. The back panel will be crafted from a piece of scrap wood, contributing to sustainability and cost-effectiveness. To enhance functionality and modernize the cabinet, an Ikea Vattern Femmen 600.482.21 mirror door will be incorporated. An added bonus is that the door already comes with pre-drilled hinge holes, simplifying the installation process significantly.

To determine the height and width for the medicine cabinet, start by assessing the dimensions of the original wall cutout. Typically, this cutout dictates the size of the new cabinet. However, you have the option to enlarge the opening up to the maximum width of the wall studs or accommodate pipes and wires as needed. Exercise caution when cutting into the wall to avoid damaging any existing pipes or wires, and remember to wear protective glasses and gloves for safety.

We precisely cut the oak plank into the following dimensions: 2 pieces measuring 25 9/16″ in height for the sides, and 4 pieces measuring 14″ each for the top, bottom, and two shelves. It’s crucial to ensure accurate measurements and securely fasten the oak pieces before cutting to guarantee symmetrical and precise components for the cabinet. This meticulous approach ensures a professional-quality result for your project.

To ensure precise placement of the shelf supports, utilize a combination square for accurate measurements before drilling pilot holes into the oak cabinet side pieces. Before drilling, it’s essential to purchase the shelf supports to determine the appropriate size of the drill bit required. This method guarantees that the shelf supports fit snugly and securely within the cabinet, contributing to its stability and functionality

To begin the wood trim, accurately measure the depth and height required for the pine trim. Once measured, carefully cut the pine into two pieces according to these dimensions. The depth of the cabinet will be constrained by two factors: firstly, the depth of the bathroom wall, and secondly, how much the cabinet will protrude from the wall once installed.

Next, proceed to drill two inset holes into each of the oak side pieces to support the pine trim. These holes should be strategically positioned where they will be concealed by the shelves, as depicted in the image below. Following this, drill two pilot holes at each corner to securely assemble the medicine cabinet. Notches can also be crafted on the underside of each shelf to ensure a flush fit with the shelf supports. This approach ensures concealing any hardware for a clean finish.

In the image below, one side panel is displayed, showcasing the installed shelf supports along with two pilot holes. One of these pilot holes will be utilized to secure the unit firmly in place, while the second one will serve the purpose of attaching the trim.

After drilling all the pilot holes, each side oak piece for a two-shelf medicine cabinet should have a total of 2 pilot holes for the shelves, 2 inset holes to support the pine trim, and 2 pilot holes at each corner to attach to the top and bottom oak pieces. Similarly, the top and bottom oak pieces should each have 2 pilot holes on each end to facilitate attachment to the side pieces of the medicine cabinet. This comprehensive hole placement strategy ensures proper alignment and secure assembly of the cabinet components.

After completing the cutting and drilling of pilot holes, proceed to secure the oak shelf pieces. Using a small chisel, carefully cut out grooves on each end of the shelf to accommodate the supports, allowing them to slide in seamlessly. Alternatively, you can opt for L-shaped supports or non-slip rubber supports as substitutes to avoid the necessity for grooves.

Once all the pieces are prepared, the next step is to stain or paint them and protect the cut wood with at least two coats of polyurethane. If additional protection is desired, a third coat of polyurethane may be applied. However, before applying the third coat, lightly sand the wood with 220-grit sandpaper to ensure a smoother finish. If only two coats of polyurethane are applied, there is no need to sand between coats. This process ensures both a visually appealing finish and long-lasting protection for your medicine cabinet.

Additionally, you may choose to stain the wood before or after preparing the wooden pieces, depending on your preference. If you choose to stain before cutting and drilling, be prepared to make touch-ups as needed. Additionally, a Q-tip was employed to stain these notches, achieving a seamless and uniform appearance throughout the piece.

With the sides assembled, the next step is to trim the back panel. Position the board at the rear of the cabinet’s frame, trim it accordingly, and then place it aside. You can either use drill pilot holes for the rear panel, or opt for finishing nails for attachment.

For the mirror door begin by attaching the hardware to the back of the mirror. Then, place the frame onto the rear of the mirror and mark the locations for the pilot holes where the screws will support the mirror onto the frame. Once marked, remove the frame from the mirror and drill the pilot holes at these marks.

Next, reposition the frame on top of the backside of the mirror and screw the mirror supports onto the oak frame. It’s recommended to replace the original screws with 12 x 3/4″ metal/wood screws for added durability and stability. This ensures a secure attachment of the mirror door to the frame.

The images below depict the backside of the mirror door attached to the oak frame, with the pilot holes for the rear panel visible along the back edge of the frame.

For our project, we originally obtained a laminated board for the back from a hardware store’s scrap bin, costing a mere couple of dollars. Many hardware stores offering wood cutting services often have bins with leftover pieces from previous cuts. Our back panel piece was discovered in such a bin and only cost us $2.50, inclusive of the cut to measure! This approach not only saves money but also helps repurpose materials, contributing to a more sustainable project.

The Finished Cabinet

In the exterior and interior views of the completed medicine cabinet, showcased within the renovated bathroom, the subtle addition of two pine strips affixed to each side serves as a nuanced design element. These strips not only infuse a sense of warmth into the space but also contribute to upholding a contemporary aesthetic. This amalgamation of materials strikes a delicate balance, harmonizing traditional warmth with a modern sensibility, thus elevating the visual appeal of the cabinet within its newly refurbished surroundings.

…and all at an affordable price!

After a few weeks, we opted to enhance the appearance of the laminated back board by covering it with ceramic tiles. This decision was purely aesthetic and not due to any shortcomings with the laminated board itself. This upgrade gave the cabinet a more sophisticated look when opened, while still preserving its clean and minimalist appearance when closed. Additionally, we added a small piece of round aluminum tube, installed on the left side between the pine trim and the oak, as shown in the image below.