Mirror, Mirror

The latest bathroom technology will light up your space.

By Shannon Craig
Photography courtesy of Robern

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The fairest of them all, you ask? Thanks to the task mastering, all over flattering, latest and greatest in bathroom mirror backlighting, the answer will always be “you.”

Melding sleek and rustproof anodized aluminum and cool-toned, natural-light-mimicking LED, today’s backlit bathroom mirror isn’t just for hours of self-admiration. “It’s so practical,” says Premier Plumbing showroom manager, Betsy Hayden, of the powder-room innovation produced by industry leaders such as Robern and Kohler. “You have to have lighting anyway, and you have to have a mirror and somewhere for storage. If you’re going to have it all, why not combine all of those needs into one?”

Typically, the phrase “all-in-one” is far from reductive. However, when a mirror storage unit can accommodate such an—honestly, startling—range of amenities and functions, all-in-one sounds a little lame. Ranging from a compact and standard 24” x 40” to the length of your bathroom or closet door, backlit mirrored cabinets from Robern can be outfitted with a defogger, outlets for electric razors or toothbrushes, nightlight bulbs, and a removable magnifying mirror that magnetizes itself to the surface of the glass. 

“It can also come with Bluetooth…and speakers,” explains Jessica Krekeler, store manager of Kohler Signature Store by Crescent Supply. Impromptu shower jam sessions and morning pep talks accompanied by an epic soundtrack, “yeah,” Krekeler says. “It can do it all.”

Those familiar with Snow White’s fate already know that being the fairest of them all can come at a price, and for a quality backlit mirror that can be anything from $500 to $3,500 depending on its size and fun additions. “If you think about it though,” Hayden deduces, “you’re really paying for a quality mirror, lighting and a cabinet, which can even out if they were each purchased separately.”

Aside from moonlighting as a John-side jukebox and making you look your best even on the worst of days, backlit mirrored cabinets also eliminate clutter, bringing space to even the smallest bathrooms. “Even sconces that hang on the wall next to the mirror can be tight for small bathrooms,” says Krekeler. “The LED in the cabinet solves that while providing natural, cooler light…literally. So you’re not sweating in front of hot lights getting ready in the morning.”

Fellow bathroom goers, it’s time we face facts. Be it shadows or glares, pink-orange-yellow light casts or getting so close to the mirror that we’re doubling over to get a better angle: struggling with a traditional medicine cabinet is not a good look. Besides, as Hayden elaborates, investing in the irresistibly flattering aura of a backlit mirrored cabinet not only boosts your confidence and straightens your spine, “It just makes sense,” she says. “There really is nothing easier.” Fair enough. 

Resources
Betsy Hayden, Premier Plumbing, 314-872-9339
Jessica Krekeler, Kohler Signature Store by Crescent Supply, 314-626-0488