Hello,
I’m redoing my bathroom and I’m installing a built-in cabinet. The walls in the bath are tiled and I’m wondering how the transition from tile to wood is handled. The cabinet is face-framed with inset doors and drawers. Do I simply install the cabinet slightly proud of the finished surface and tile up to it or do I need to install trim around the cabinet (similar to casing around a door). It’s a small bathroom with the cabinet being installed in a corner and projecting out into the room. Any trim installed around the cabinet will mean a reduction in the width of the cabinet, so I’m hoping to avoid this. How is this usually handled? Will it look funny if the cabinet isn’t trimmed out?
Thanks for your help
Matt
Replies
OK.....I was picturing what you were talking about one way.....than I looked at your picture.
Any way to slide it off that wall on the right?
I would typically install the cabinet and tile up to it.
Happy
Holidays
Thanks for the quick response.There's not a lot of room in the bath. How far would you slide the cabinet from the wall? Just enough to slip the tile past? The sink located next to the cabinet only has six inches on either side (see picture).I was wondering about adding trim around the cabinet because a similar one in the adjacent hall way is trimmed with 5" wide trim.
I've got some ideas....but not enough time at the moment. I'll try and get back to you tonight.
Happy
Holidays
Matt, how about installing the cabinet flush with the drywall? Assuming the tile layout will work, you could finish at the cab. with a bullnose tile, again, assuming the layout from the left outside corner works. If the layout doesn't work, set the cab. flush with the tile face and maybe you can make some nice cuts on the tile to butt to the cab. stile, maybe leaving a small gap (1/8") which you can fill with color-matched caulk, don't use grout, it'll crack. My 2 cents worth
Geoff
I would center the unit in the wall, first off. The way your drawing has it being tucked in behind the corner, against the studs, might look disproportionate when installed. One inch of the right stile will be covered by the DW and tile, and then the thickness of whatever trim you use. The 'reveal' on the left side will need to be made the same as what you end up with on the right. You could do this with trim (1/4''x2'' pieces maybe, over the tile/cabinet joint, which I would have flush) or by using a more narrow unit or by moving the right stud wall closer to the sink.
Just some ideas of the top of my head...you could do a variety of things with this.
Edited- I had my left and right mixed up
Edited 12/15/2006 8:44 am ET by FLA Mike
Attached is a quick sketch to help illustrate what I'm thinking.
Would you be adverse to building a small space to recess the cabinet within?
It looks to me from your own drawings, that there is, or will be, a partition wall seperating the sink from the cabinet. I'm wondering if it wouldn't work better to actually build a small "closet" to house the cabinet. Make the opening small enough so that only the sides of the cabinet can fit in and that the faceframe will stand proud of. Keep the two sides of the face of the "closet" equal and minimal. You could do it using 1 5/8" metal studs, so that you would end up with only about 2" to either side of the cabinet, which would help maintain space around the sink.
Check out the sketch.....it should clear up my lousey description. The white area is wall space, the shaded grey area the cabinet. Let me know if I'm making any sense.
Happy
Holidays
Thanks to everyone who's answered.
Everyone seems to be in agreement that the cab should be centered. I think my original reason for not doing this was to keep from having two small rows of tile on each side of the cabinet. But I think you're right and it needs to be centered.Mike - I'm hoping to avoid having to use trim around the cabinet. The house is an old California Bungalow and all the trim is 5" wide, so I'm afraid that 2" wide trim would look out of place. That's why I'm hoping that it's ok to use the rails and stiles of the cabinet as "trim". JD - The closet idea seems like a good one. I'm thinking of leaving the cabinet about 1" proud of the surrounding wall so that the profile of the chair rail won't stick out past the stile of the cabinet. Attached is a picture of what it will end up looking like ( I hope). Is 1" to much?Also, across from the sink and cabinet is the tub and toilet. The toilet sits in an alcove approximately the same size as the cabinet area. This leaves a space of approximately six feet to put a 5 " tub. My original intention was to build a 9" thick wall at the end of the tub near the entrance. Now I'm wondering if I should center the tub in the opening and have a wall of equal width on both ends. Will it look odd if the wall between the toilet and tub is thicker than the wall between the linen closet and sink? Drawings are attached.Once again, thanks for all the help that everyone has provided.Matt
Of the two...I prefer the tub as centered in the "overview.a" pic......but honestly, you might be better off sliding the tub (and the adjacent partition) all the way to the right (towards entrance wall), to allow yourself more room on the thrown. I understand aesthetically having the spaces on either side of the room line up might make sense....but there's not much worse than cramped quarters in a bathroom.
As for holdimg the cabinet 1" proud.....I think that would be fine if necessary, but if you can get away holding it proud only the thickness of the faceframe, I'd try that route. Definetly agree with not wanting to add trim around the cabinet.
Sounds like you're really putting the time in on the design end....which will make the room that much more user friendly in the end.
Best of luck with everything.
Happy
Holidays
Edited 12/16/2006 12:20 am ET by JDRHI