An increasingly popular trend in bathroom remodeling is to look for antiques that will give the room a unique decor. Antique medicine cabinets not only fill this need, but they also add valuable storage space.
Buying an existing cabinet
When looking around for vintage cabinets, bear in mind that some that you find will actually be antiques, while others will be antique reproductions. A faux cabinet may actually be exactly what you’re looking for. And it may even obviate the need for you to restore or refinish it, since it might be in better condition than a real antique.
Some great places to search are online auctions, estate sales, and specialized websites. The price range for antique medicine cabinets runs from fifty dollars up to as high as four hundred dollars. Online auctions and estate sales may have them at cheaper prices because they are used items.
Making your own cabinet
If you can’t find just the right bathroom wall cabinet, consider making your own. Draw a sketch of the cabinet. Then go to local antique hardware stores and salvage stores to buy the fittings.
At this point, you have three options:
1) Take all the items that you collected, and visit your local cabinetmaker.
2) Buy a book on how to build antique medicine cabinets. or
3) Look online for step by step information on how to build bathroom medicine cabinets.
Restoring a cabinet
If you already have an old bathroom wall cabinet, and would like to restore it, your first task will be to make a thorough assessment. Look for missing and/or rotting parts. Then you will need to find some materials with which to repair it that closely resemble the original cabinet. If you need ideas, there are websites that have step by step instructions on the restoration process.
Whether you are designing your own, or restoring antique medicine cabinets, it is important to use period appropriate colors, like browns and greens. You can also apply a faux finish, to give your cabinet an expensive look.
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