Toilet cabinet, purpose, features, placement methods

Purpose and features

The bathroom is one of the most important rooms in the house, and mistakes in its arrangement can affect the comfort of life. To improve the ergonomic characteristics of this space, it is worth choosing functional, beautiful, durable cabinets for the toilet.

Furniture of this type has a huge number of advantages and allows you to solve many important issues when arranging a bathroom:

By veiling communications (sewage and water pipes), you can give the room an attractive, neat look. Exposed pipes can hardly be called beautiful, and their design rarely fits well into an apartment. Therefore, you should not ignore them. By choosing the right locker, you will be able to get to communications at any time without any difficulties, which is extremely important in the event of a breakdown;
By choosing a spacious model, you can provide yourself with additional storage space for household chemicals and cleaning items. If you divide the space inside the product into an area for pipes and shelves, you can save a decent amount of bathroom space. This is especially important when the room is small, as, for example, in Khrushchev-era buildings;
if there is a water meter, it can also be hidden in the toilet cabinet. This way, you will provide yourself with hassle-free access to the equipment, but hide it behind the facade of the furniture for greater interior aesthetics.

Such furniture has a lot of advantages, which is why it is so popular these days among owners of country houses and apartments. But they reveal themselves to the maximum if a quality product is purchased.

Varieties

Cabinets in bathrooms vary in size, design, and design. The variety of models allows you to choose an option that matches both the aesthetic preferences of the owners and the available space. For example, freestanding designs with open and closed shelves usually take up the entire space around and above the toilet. This becomes possible thanks to the presence of a base of two narrow high cabinets or racks, the distance between which is just enough for the plumbing item. Above them are solid sections. Convenient if you need to place a lot of different things. In addition, due to the supports, the load on the walls is reduced. True, because of the open shelves, you have to be especially careful about order.

A more compact option is a wall cabinet, which is placed above the toilet at a convenient height. This is the most common model, available in different colors and styles. If you want to visually expand the space, you can choose a toilet cabinet with mirrored doors. Another interesting solution is the combination of black furniture and lighting. Thanks to this, the illusion of empty space is created, the structure seems to dissolve.

How to choose the right wall cabinet, useful tips

A niche can act as a closet in the toilet - open or closed with a facade. This option is usually preferred by minimalists. It is not intended for storing a large number of things, but it is well suited if you need to maintain access to communications, but at the same time hide them. You can also cover the pipes using false walls - they are usually built in long, narrow toilet rooms. The toilet is moved slightly forward, the space behind it is closed with a partition.

Freestanding design

Mounted

Decorative niche with open shelves

Niche with closed facade

False wall

Product options

Modern toilet cabinets are very diverse in terms of operational parameters and appearance, so the consumer can easily choose a model in any style, depending on the decor of the bathroom of a specific size and color.

Let us describe the most popular types of toilet cabinets. According to the type of doors, plumbing products are distinguished with:

two types of louvered doors: roller shutters and “pseudo-blinds”. The first option is convenient for a small bathroom due to its compactness. The door does not swing open, which requires additional space, but folds up, rising up. Therefore, blind models can be hung in awkwardly shaped places. The second option is a regular facade, made in the form of blinds, but without movable slats. This door allows the interior contents of the furniture to be perfectly ventilated;
a plumbing hatch that covers a niche with pipes. In practice, the hatch is a regular frame made from a corner, onto which a metal door with a lock is mounted using hinges. Note that such a solution will not be expensive, but the hatch does not always look stylish and expensive;
hinged facades - such structures are best made to order. They are varied in design, size, functional and practical;
compartment doors - this design does not require additional space to open the door, since it simply slides behind the second facade.

Louvered

Swing

Coupe

With a plumbing hatch
Based on the material of manufacture, models are distinguished from:

natural wood is an expensive, beautiful, durable material. But it is worth remembering that when combining a bathroom and a toilet, the service life of a wooden cabinet may be reduced. Increased levels of air humidity will negatively affect the quality of surfaces
MDF - the cost of MDF structures falls into the average category, but under the influence of water the material may lose its shape;
Chipboard is the most undesirable option for a combined toilet with a bathtub, since chipboard quickly absorbs moisture from the air and swells. But for a separate toilet, chipboard is an ideal option in terms of cost and external aesthetics;
plastic is the most practical option, since plastic is not at all afraid of high humidity. But the appearance of plastic models is not always aesthetically pleasing. This is rather a budget option.

Wood

Plastic

Glass

Chipboard

MDF
Based on the shape of the product, cabinets are distinguished:

rectangular - standard products that are selected for the bathroom more often than others;
corner triangular - fit perfectly into the space of the corner, which allows you to plan it rationally;
corner trapezoidal - more spacious than a triangular model;
radius - have an unusual design, but are quite expensive.

Straight

Angular

Placement methods

If the sewer pipe runs in a niche, it is worth choosing a standard rectangular or square cabinet in the toilet behind the toilet. This is the ideal solution to make communications attractive. The main thing is to guess the size of the model so that it fits well into the niche. If you want to save money, you can not buy a ready-made cabinet, but choose a hatch with a lock, with which you can close the niche with the pipes.

If the pipes are concentrated in the corner of the room, then you should opt for a corner cabinet model. Such designs are characterized by high capacity, and their design will give the toilet a pleasant look.

How to make it yourself?

A large selection of hanging structures for storing bathroom components is available for sale. At the same time, you can make plumbing doors yourself, following step-by-step instructions and drawings.

Preparing the space for the cabinet

If you want to install a plumbing cabinet, you should provide a suitable location in advance. In most cases, this is the empty space in the toilet behind the toilet. Proper installation will make the structure multifunctional and allow you to conveniently store various items, counters and other equipment in it.

Dimensions, drawings

When making sanitary toilet doors, you need to draw up detailed drawings and indicate the exact dimensions of the future structure. This will prevent possible problems at different stages of installation work:

If communication pipes are placed along the entire vertical wall, the option of installing a cabinet from floor to ceiling is allowed. Such a niche provides easy access to all parts of the pipes, which increases the convenience of repairing and restoring the system in case of problems. The large cabinet is easily divided into several zones, which are convenient for storing cleaning products, chemicals and other bathroom supplies. If there is no niche, you will need to form a ledge with dimensions of 40x70 cm.
A small hatch is used for installing meters. But if there is a possibility of the pipe system breaking, it is better to use a cabinet of a different size, because... Repairing through a small structure will be problematic.
The average size of 50x70 cm is suitable for installing a counter and several shelves. Similar parameters are used in the manufacture of wooden cabinets with tile doors.
When choosing the depth of the cabinet, you need to make sure that it allows easy access to the necessary valves for operating with keys.

Required Tools

When making toilet doors for a plumbing cabinet, you should prepare the following tools:

Jigsaw. If the device is not available, you can use a wood saw. An electric drill can be replaced with a hammer drill.
Building level.
Screwdriver
Roulette.
Pencil.
Hammer.
Door furniture.

Materials for walls and hatch (door)

Plywood, chipboard, plastic, glass and steel sheet can be used as materials for making doors for bathroom cabinets.

The walls of the suspended structure can be made of plasterboard with moisture-resistant characteristics. Once the frame is assembled, you will need to cut the parts to size and secure them with self-tapping screws. The slab is cut using an electric jigsaw, but you can break it off by cutting it with a knife.

If mirrored doors are created for a closet in a toilet, glass is used to make them.

Accessories

For the upcoming work you will also need the following parts:

Corner profile.
Furniture hinges.
Door handles.
Corners for furniture.
Aluminum profile.
Beam.

The aluminum profile must have dimensions of 25x25 mm. It is designed for convenient arrangement of shelves. The number of hinges is determined by the size of the doors and their number.

Preparation of parts

To neatly hide the closet, you can use plasterboard. The joints and seams from fasteners are treated with gypsum putty, which is applied in 2 layers.

The seams can be sanded with a sanding mesh, after first cleaning the surface from dust and treating it with a penetrating mixture. They also need to be reinforced with rolled fiberglass. The material is characterized by increased strength and blends harmoniously with the interior.

Assembling the cabinet and installing the hatch (door)

When making a door for a bathroom cabinet from ceramic tiles, you need to follow the following instructions:

First you need to arrange a plasterboard box with free access to the main components.
If there is a niche, you can consider installing an invisible door in the toilet. Otherwise, a box is arranged.
To make a false wall in a niche, 50x50 mm slats are used. Working with them is much more convenient than with a metal profile.

If the size of the structure is small and it does not occupy the entire wall, it is worth plastering first.

Decoration

Taking into account the specifics of the bathroom interior, you can install wooden, metal, glass and plastic doors. Products made from natural wood are considered the most popular due to their attractiveness and reliability. The room is also equipped with slatted doors for the closet, niche and hatch.

When choosing a modern style, it is advisable to choose plastic doors or louvered doors decorated with a pattern. And if you want to make the structure invisible, you can install an invisible door in the toilet. This product is made to order.

Additional functions

In small bathrooms, it is extremely important to provide all pieces of furniture with high functionality and practicality, so that using the room is as convenient as possible at any time of the day. At the same time, do not forget that the design of a small space also affects its comfort. Therefore, cabinet models in the toilet must have additional functions. This product is shown in the photo in the selection.

Additional functions	Characteristic
Cabinet lighting in the toilet	Allows you to easily find the desired item inside the closet at night without turning on the lights in the entire room.
Lock	It will allow you to limit the access of children and strangers to the contents of the cabinet. This is extremely important if household chemicals or a water meter are stored inside the product, since such items often attract small children.
Mirror	You can hang it on the back side of the facade, or you can choose a model with a mirror facade. This will make using the bathroom more comfortable, and the mirror surfaces of the facades will visually expand the narrow space.

With a mirror

Backlit

Materials

In addition to moisture resistance, there are other requirements for materials for the manufacture of bathroom furniture:

resistance to mechanical stress;
ease;
aesthetics;
environmental friendliness.

Natural wood is one of the most attractive and durable materials. In addition, they love it for its uniqueness - there is not a single repeating cabinet from the array, each one is at least a little different from the rest. MDF and chipboard are more budget options and, accordingly, less durable than wood. They are easy to process, making cabinets made from these materials very diverse in style, design, and available in a wide range of colors. Sometimes plywood, which is resistant to deformation and moisture, is chosen as the basis for the frame and facades. The thickness of the sheets must be more than 14 mm. The main advantage of plywood is its lightness, which ensures minimal load on the walls.

Characteristic features of cabinets in Provence style, combination with the interior

Like chipboard, OSB is a material made from wood panels, but chips of a special shape and orientation are used to make it. Due to this, it is 1.5–3 times stronger than chipboard. But what’s more important is that OSB can withstand being in even a very humid room.

The cladding options also differ. If you want to keep the cabinet in the toilet as a separate stylistic element, you can choose a model with mirrored facades, paintings, and 3D images. But sometimes it is more important to disguise the product as much as possible, to make it almost invisible in the room. In this case, models decorated with tiles that repeat the pattern of the walls are more suitable. Washable wallpaper is used for the same purpose.

In addition to the usual tiles, there is a vinyl variety. It has several layers - protective, decorative, main, balance and base. It is more wear-resistant and can imitate various surfaces, including wood.

The closet in the toilet is used as furniture for storage, masking counters and communications, as well as leveling the space - for example, in the presence of niches or awkward protrusions. This abundance of tasks corresponds to a variety of models in shape, design, type of doors, and materials used. False walls allow you to install a cabinet behind the toilet in the toilet, wall-mounted structures allow you to use the space above it, and corner structures cover the joints of the walls. When choosing, it is important to focus on the moisture resistance of the material and design - a cabinet can become both a bright and the most inconspicuous detail of the interior.

Natural wood

MDF