The old medicine cabinet needed to go.
It had a mirrored door that squeaked every time you opened it. The shelves inside were narrow. You could barely stand a bottle on them. It worked, but it looked like something nobody had thought about in years. I finally decided to do something about it.
The hole in the wall was already there. I did not need to make it bigger or change anything structural. I just needed to use that space better. I built a tiled recessed shelf to go in its place. White subway tile on the back and sides. Two open shelves. A decorative hexagon tile border around the outside. No door. No mirror. Just a clean, open shelf built into the wall.
It took more steps than I expected. But the result was worth it.
Step-by-Step
1. The before
An old mirrored cabinet with a squeaky door and shelves too shallow to be useful. Nobody had touched it in years. It was time for it to come out.
2. Building the wood box
Once the old cabinet was out, I built a wood box to fit the opening — four sides, a back panel, and two shelf supports. The old opening was not perfectly square so I had to adjust and trim until it fit right.
3. Cutting the tile
I moved to the garage and set up the RIDGID wet saw. Two types of tile to cut — white subway tile for the inside and hexagon tile for the border. Tile does not forgive mistakes so each cut has to be measured carefully.
4. Getting the cuts right
The hexagon border pieces had to meet cleanly at each corner. I measure twice, cut once, then hold the piece up to check before moving on.
5. Tile set inside
The subway tile inside the box is done and the two shelves are in place. The raw wood frame around the outside is still showing here — the hexagon border tile goes on next.
6. Grouting
You push the grout into the joints and wipe off the extra. The white grout against the white hexagon tile gives a clean, simple look. Not flashy — just right.
7. Checking the trim
Where the tile meets the wall the line needs to look clean. A small gap in the wrong place makes the whole thing look unfinished. A little extra time here is always worth it.
8. Done
Same hole in the wall. Completely different bathroom. No squeaky door, no mirror nobody wanted. Just a shelf that looks like it was always supposed to be there.