Designer Profile: Ronnie Fryman

Maximizing storage with Medallion vanity cabinets

What inspired you in this design?

A newly blended family! I had remodeled the house’s kitchen for the homeowner when he was a single dad. A physician and an avid hunter, he had a taxidermy deer head in the breakfast nook and insisted that it stay. I created a traditional, manly space in warm Alder woods – and yes, the deer head is still there today!

As the family grew, the home required a little tweaking to welcome its newest members. We remodeled more of the house with Medallion—the powder bath is in Eagle Rock Cherry, the hall bath is in Carriage Black and the main bath is Earl Grey Classic.

When I met the wife and interviewed her about her style, it was clear that she wanted something more contemporary, and she loved gray tones. So, for the main bath, our goal was to create a spa-like environment.

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What elements in this bathroom help create that spa-like atmosphere?

We chose the Winslow door style for its classic lines: the perfect male/female compromise. His and hers vanity cabinets provide a generous amount of storage and counter space and the sit-down dressing table was an elegant luxury. However, the dark gray cabinets and marble-look countertop merely play background to the star of the show, the free-standing bathtub. Accented with a backdrop of patterned tiles, I made sure that access to grooming products was within reach from inside the bathtub. I also added cabinets to the bedroom area to create a window seat with storage and organized the walk-in closet.

What are some of the functional storage solutions you chose?

A drawer with a charging station is my most common modification used for nearly every bathroom. I also love to use the mirror frame option for a perfectly coordinated look.

"I love that Medallion vanity cabinets allow you to maximize storage!"

Why did you choose Medallion Cabinetry for this design?

I love the Bath Silhouettes collection for vanities. I’m not a strong advocate of free-standing vanities because I always fear dropping pills, earrings, toiletries off the side of countertops. I also worry about trying to repaint a bath with a minimal reveal between cabinet and wall. With the Silhouette collection, you can add fillers for wall-to-wall installations and create a perfectly built-in look with the charm of a free-standing, furniture-style cabinet.

I love that the combination vanity cabinets allow you to maximize storage. I used two 48” wide vanity cabinets for the double sink area and I was able to decrease the width of the sink base portion to fit the overall wall length and add extended stiles. Other companies would modify the drawer boxes instead.

What’s one design detail you love in this space?

The fluffy ottoman! It was off-the-shelf from Target and the perfect touch of femininity required for her dressing table. I selected the tile with the homeowners and the quantity of tile demanded some softness somewhere.

Any advice for kitchen designers who are just getting started?

Study homebuilding and remodeling. The more you know about construction, the better your designs will be. I started by decorating my little apartments and worked up to more advanced remodeling projects when I owned real estate. If that’s not possible, try to be on site as your projects are being remodeled and ask a bunch of questions.