Bromley · London
Alcove Units in Bromley
Alcove units for homes across Bromley, from the largest neighbourhoods to the smallest streets, with a design visit before any quote, and fitting on weekdays or Saturdays by arrangement.
Talk to us about alcove units in Bromley
Where we work in Bromley
What it covers: cupboards and shelves built into the alcoves beside a chimney breast. Pick your neighbourhood below to see the details for your area, or get in touch to arrange a design visit.
Larger neighbourhoods
How we make alcove units for Bromley
We fit alcove units across Bromley and the rest of London. The first step is a design visit to measure the alcoves and agree the layout. Then you receive a quote, and once you are happy the units are built in our workshop and fitted in your home. We make alcove units from birch plywood and moisture-resistant MDF with a spray-painted or hand-painted finish, and the usual reasons to get in touch are units that sit well with original features and a place for a small desk.
There isn’t much for you to do on fitting day. Someone needs to let us in, and the room should already be cleared, as we will have talked about during the design visit. From there, we protect the floors, bring the furniture in and get on with the fitting. How long the fitting takes depends on how many alcoves there are and how tall the units go, and the fitting days are set out in your quote.
- You contact us with a short note about the room and the units you have in mind, and we arrange a design visit at a time that suits you.
- At the design visit, we measure each alcove and go through the layout with you.
- We send a quote in writing for the units, so you can look it over in your own time.
- We make the cupboards and shelves in our workshop, ready for a spray-painted finish or for hand painting on site.
- We fit them in your home, scribing them to the walls. Then we go through the doors and shelves with you.
How our quotes work
In London, parking can affect the price. The boroughs run controlled parking zones across much of the city, so we may need a visitor permit, a paid bay or a suspended bay. It’s useful to talk about parking at the measuring visit, so it can be planned.
What you get with us
- Scribed to uneven walls
- Over 300 projects completed
- Built around your room
- Work across the whole of London
How to get a quote
Because every job is different, the cost is set out in a written quote after the visit. Each room is different, so we quote after seeing it, once the room is measured and the design talked through. For a quote, use our contact form.
Near you in Orpington
Our area takes in the homes around St Andrew's, Jubilee Country Park and The Priory School, among other places. Nearby too are Perry Hall Primary School (less than half a mile west), The Royal Albert pub (a few minutes’ walk east) and Harris Academy Orpington (0.8 miles south-east). The closest station to Orpington is St Mary Cray station, about 0.7 miles north of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include London Borough of Bromley Museum (close by, under half a mile south) and Orpington Hospital (1.5 miles south). Open spaces near Orpington include The Warren.
Alcove units for homes across Bromley
Across Bromley, from Orpington, Beckenham and St Mary Cray outwards, we design and fit alcove units. Walls could be solid brick, lath and plaster, block or plasterboard, so fixings are chosen for each. Long shelves are sized so they don’t sag.
In Bromley, the largest groups of homes date from between 1919 and 1939 (about 30%) and between 1945 and 1972 (about 27%), based on the Valuation Office Agency’s 2025 council tax data. It’s a good starting point, though every room is still measured, as two homes of the same age rarely match. Around a third of the homes in Bromley (about 30%) date from between 1919 and 1939, on the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax figures for 2025. Houses from the 1920s and 1930s often have a bay window and a chimney breast in the front room, which shape where alcove units go. About 27% of homes in Bromley were built between 1945 and 1972, going by the Valuation Office Agency’s 2025 council tax figures. Post-war rooms tend to be simple shapes, often without a chimney breast, so alcove units often run along a full wall, with fixings chosen for the wall.
Homes across Bromley range from period terraces to modern blocks, and we work in all of them. The process is the same wherever you are: a design visit, a quote in writing, then making and fitting.
Orpington: For a flat near St Mary Cray station, the lift, the stair turns and the front door all set the largest piece that can come in. For a family home near Perry Hall Primary School, a cupboard for board games and a shelf for reading books can go into the same design.
Why people ask for alcove units in Bromley
Many people ask about alcove units because the alcoves are the most obvious wasted space they have. Standard furniture seldom fits an alcove, leaving gaps at the sides and above. Built-in units use the whole recess.
Here are some of the needs we are asked about most:
- Space for a growing book collection
- Tired cupboards in the alcoves
- Empty alcoves either side of the chimney breast
- Walls too uneven for standard furniture
Bespoke alcove units or ready-made?
Bought units stop at standard heights, which usually leaves a gap above. We can take a bespoke unit to the ceiling or stop it at the picture rail, depending on the room.
What to check before you book
- Which materials they’ll use, named in the quote
- How the furniture will be finished, and where
- How the doors are hung and adjusted
- Real projects you can actually look at
Flats, conversions and lettings
We also make and fit furniture for landlords furnishing a let, often to make the most of a small or tricky room. The materials are the same as for any home: moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood, finished by spray or by hand.
Many London terraces have been converted into flats, and that often means a shared hallway and a tight turn on the stairs. We plan the size of each section around it, after measuring the route during the design visit.
Practical tips
A little care keeps the finish looking good. Here are our suggestions:
- Check whether there’s a vent in the chimney breast
- Deal with any damp on the chimney breast first
- Decide what goes behind doors and what goes on show
- Let us know about stairs, parking and access early
Keep any chimney vent clear once the units are in. Air moving through the chimney helps keep damp away, which protects the units too.
Put coasters or mats under anything that holds water. Dry any spills quickly.
Materials and finishes
Moisture-resistant MDF
With no grain to show through, MDF keeps the painted surface smooth and even. Moisture-resistant MDF is what we use for fitted work.
Hand-painted finish
A hand-painted finish suits alcove units in a period room. The colour is agreed with you, and touch-ups are simple if the units get marked later.
Questions we are often asked
Do I need to be in when you fit?
Someone needs to let us in at the start of the day. It is good to have someone there at the end to look over the work with us.
Is the furniture made to order?
We make it in our workshop, to the sizes taken during the design visit. Then we bring it to your home and fit it.
What happens to the chimney vent when alcove units go in?
Any vent is kept clear in the design. Ventilation helps keep a capped chimney dry. Any existing damp should be dealt with before the units go in.
How long will the fitting take?
How long fitting takes depends on how many alcoves there are and how tall the units go, and your quote sets out the fitting days. The units are made in our workshop first, so the work in your home is about fitting and finishing.
Are alcove units spray painted or hand painted?
Either a spray-painted or a hand-painted finish. A sprayed finish is very smooth and even, while hand painting suits a softer, traditional look and is simple to touch up. We will help you choose during the design visit.
Will alcove units fit if my walls aren’t straight?
Yes. Most period alcoves are out of square in some way, so each unit is scribed to the wall on site. Adjustable feet or a plinth take care of a floor that slopes.
How do I get a quote?
It’s easiest to get in touch through our contact form with a few details about the room. We then arrange a design visit, measure up and send a written quote.