Medicine Cabinets
and
Accessories

The details are what set a room off and make it striking. In the bathroom these are the cabinets, the towel bars, soap and tissue holders, and shower doors.

Sadly, these items are sometimes neglected in the selection process, but they are often the first things one notices when entering the room. If everything matches, and if all the elements complement each other, the result forms an eye-pleasing collage. If they're not coordinated or they don't blend together well, the result is disharmony.

Styles and Types
Medicine cabinets can be recessed or flush mounted, with or without integrated lighting, with multiple doors and mirrors. Some come with double doors, mirrored on both sides to let you view yourself from behind.

Shower doors may be sliding, bi-fold, or swing type. They come in standard sizes for tub-shower combinations or for standard one-piece shower enclosures, but they're also site-engineered for custom-built showers. Generally, a representative from the supplier will measure the opening on site and arrange for the door to be built to order.

Towel bars, soap and tissue holders, and other misc. items are available in a number of finishes to match your faucets. Almost all faucets Keidel sells have coordinating accessories; it's best to buy all items from the same manufacturer because all similarly-named finishes are not identical.

Towel warmers are quite popular in high-end applications. These resemble standard towel racks except that they are heated either by electric current or by a re-circulating hot water system. There's nothing like stepping out of a shower and wrapping a warm towel around you. These units are quite costly and require an electric or hot water connection, but many people consider them worth the added cost.

Other items you may wish to consider are things such as built-in soap dispensers, hot water dispensers, water purifiers, and holders for glasses and toothbrushes. All go into making your bathroom complete, and if added later, may not match the items already in place.

Materials
This category covers a variety of items. They're nearly all constructed of steel, brass, or aluminum.

All are available in a wide selection of finishes and styles, from ornate Victorian to ultra-modern. The critical point to consider is that they all match not only each other, but also the faucets and decorative trim of the lavatory, whirlpool, and shower. It's best not to pick these items out of a catalog because there are subtle color differences between manufacturers. You'll want to see these items side by side if possible.

Options to Consider
It's best to wait until the walls are finished before selecting towel bars, because last minute design changes often alter available wall space, so that the 36 inch bar may no longer fit where you planned it, and has to be replaced by a 30 inch bar instead. You may find that a ring will work best.

If you decide to buy a towel warmer, you must make this decision before the bathroom walls are completed, however, because your electrician or HVAC contractor will need to run a service line to feed it. Make sure your contractor is aware of this.

Consider buying a recessed medicine cabinet rather than a flush mount. Otherwise you may find that the cabinet casts a shadow on the lavatory, which will prove to be annoying in time.

Caution: recessed units should be selected before construction starts because they're mounted between the wall studs and the carpenter has to frame the wall accordingly

See Also:
Living With Your Selections - Care & Maintenance Considerations

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