When we first worked with our architect we never thought to explicitly request medicine cabinets in our bathrooms.  All of our small NYC apartments have had them as a means of maximizing space.  We’ve learned the hard way that when you don’t ask you don’t receive.  Because they were not in the plans, the contractor put a plumbing vent straight down the middle of where you would install one i.e. the middle of where the vanity was going.  We had to pay extra for them to change it in one bathroom and decided to leave it in the other.

Before the drywall went up we got a quote from our contractor of a few hundred dollars to install the cabinets. Since we hadn’t purchased it yet, we let them close up the walls figuring I could come back and install the cabinets later. Which is exactly what I did this past Saturday in my daughter’s bathroom. Here’s how.

Tools you’ll need:

• 3 Foot Level
• Pencil
• Utility Knife
• Drywall Saw
• Scrap 2x4s
• Hacksaw, snips or grinder if you have metal studs
• Sawzall or handsaw if you have wood studs

Step 1: Mark the wall opening with the level and pencil. The cabinet’s instructions should indicate how large of an opening you will need. Be sure to carefully make all the lines perfectly level or the cabinet will be crooked.

Step 3: Remove any wall studs in the way. We have metal studs and sure enough one was in the way so I went to work with my grinder and cut it out carefully. For wood studs you’ll need to do the same with whatever tools you have on hand.

Step 4: Add in some additional blocking for support. I cut three 2x4s down and mounted one on each side and one to the bottom. Most cabinets will have screws which mount into the blocking on the side from inside the cabinet, at least the three I’ve installed worked this way. The stud that was cut out in step 3 will support the bottom of the cabinet but I mounted some more against the drywall for good measure. 

Step 5: Slide the cabinet in and put in the final mounting screws and you are all done.

As projects in my house go this was by far one of the easiest.