Croydon · London
Alcove Units in Croydon
We make alcove units for homes in all 32 neighbourhoods we list across Croydon, designed after a visit and made in our workshop., with a design visit before any quote.
Planning alcove units in Croydon?
Alcove units in every part of Croydon
We make cupboards and shelves built into the alcoves beside a chimney breast. Every neighbourhood has its own page, listed below, or get in touch to arrange a design visit.
Main places
About alcove units in Croydon
Period alcoves are rarely square. The walls lean, the chimney breast may bow and the floor often slopes, often all at once. We make each unit in our workshop to the measurements we take, then scribe it on site, so the edges follow the plaster instead of leaving a gap. Adjustable feet or a plinth set it level. We make alcove units from moisture-resistant MDF and strong birch plywood, with a painted finish, and the usual reasons to get in touch are storage that suits a period room and furniture that doesn’t fit the alcove.
Furniture made in a workshop still has to meet the room it’s going into, and that happens on fitting day. Walls in older homes are rarely flat or square, so each edge that meets a wall is scribed to follow it, until the line is tight. How long the fitting itself takes depends on the size of the alcoves and what goes in them, and your quote sets out the fitting days.
- To begin, use our contact form; a brief note on the room and the alcoves is enough.
- At the design visit we measure the alcoves and also the way in: the front door, the hall and any stair turns.
- Your written quote sets out the design, materials and finish.
- In our workshop we build the units from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood, sized so each piece gets up the stairs and round the corners.
- We carry the sections in, assemble them in the alcoves and scribe them to the walls.
How our quotes work
How it is painted is part of the price: spray painting happens in the workshop, and hand painting can be done in your home. Your choice, along with the size and the fittings, is reflected in the written quote.
Why homeowners in Croydon choose us
- A design visit, then a written quote
- Edges scribed to follow your walls
- Made in our workshop, then fitted in your home
- Built from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood
Ask for a quote
A quote begins with a few details from you: which room it is, rough sizes and a couple of photos if you can take them. To send them, fill in our short enquiry form. We’ll then arrange a design visit and follow it with a quote in writing.
What’s near Thornton Heath
The streets we cover here include those near Prince George pub, Norbury Manor Business and Enterprise College for Girls and The Archbishop Lanfranc School, among other places. You will also find Winterbourne Junior Girls' School (close by, under half a mile west), Grangewood Park (0.8 miles east) and Church of St Stephen (close by, under half a mile west). Thornton Heath has its own railway station: Thornton Heath station. Well-known places in the area include Crystal Palace Museum (1.9 miles north-east) and Centrale Croydon (1.7 miles south). Green spaces nearby include Biggin Wood.
Alcove units across Croydon: local notes
If you’re in one of the older streets of Croydon, expect walls that lean and floors that dip, which is why every piece is trimmed to the wall on site. Newer homes nearby tend to have stud walls instead, so the fixings change.
About 29% of the homes in Croydon went up before 1919, and about 24% between 1919 and 1939, going by the Valuation Office Agency’s 2025 council tax figures. Each era brings its own kind of wall, ceiling height and floor, so it shapes the design from the first measurement. 6 of the 32 places in Croydon with their own pages here have their centre inside a conservation area, according to Historic England’s data. Conservation area controls are mostly concerned with the outside of buildings, so fitted furniture inside a house does not normally need planning permission.
Our area covers the whole of London, all 32 boroughs and the City, Croydon included. Wherever you are, the job starts with a design visit.
Thornton Heath: For families living near Winterbourne Junior Girls' School, shelving with deep cupboards below keeps books, games and school things in one place. If you live in a period home close to Church of St Stephen, walls that bow and floors that slope are why alcove units are scribed to fit rather than pushed into place.
DIY, flat-pack or bespoke
It is worth being honest about cost: flat-pack is usually cheaper to buy. Bespoke makes more sense where the room is awkward, the space is valuable or you want the furniture to look built in.
Shop-bought shelves can sag over a long span. How much a shelf bends depends on its span, depth and load, and long runs need a thicker shelf, a lip along the front or a support. That’s something we plan for in the design.
What we don’t do
It is useful to know what’s outside our work before you plan:
- Decorating the rest of the room
- Treating damp in the chimney breast or walls
- Taking out a chimney breast or opening up a fireplace
What it’s made from
Shelves
We set shelf spacing around what you own. A shallower top shelf can keep things within reach.
Spray-painted finish
Because the units are sprayed before they come to you, there is less painting to do in your home. Give the paint time to cure fully once fitted.
Practical tips
The finish lasts best with a little care. These practical tips help:
- Note the sizes of large things you want to store
- Book your electrician first if sockets need moving
- Think about how the units meet the picture rail and cornice
- Deal with any damp on the chimney breast first
Make a note of the paint colour used. Small marks on a hand-painted finish are easy to touch up, and it’s useful to keep a little of the paint.
If a damp patch appears near a unit, look into it early. Damp needs its cause fixing by the right trade.
What affects the price in Croydon
What it costs comes down to the materials and the time involved. That depends on:
- The internal fittings
- Walls and floors that are out of level or out of square
- The overall size of the piece
- Doors and drawers, and how many
Rooms that are not square take more work: uneven walls, sloping floors and angled ceilings all add scribing and cutting on site. That’s reflected in the quote.
Helping us understand the room
You do not need exact measurements or a plan. It is enough to send:
- Whether it’s a house or a flat, and if there are stairs or a lift
- Anything fixed to the wall that the furniture needs to work around
- Pictures of styles you like, if you have any
- Rough sizes: width, height and depth
The quote is built from the design visit. We take full measurements, see how true the walls and floors are and work through the design together. Afterwards, we send a quote in writing. To book one, message us from the contact page.
Your questions about alcove units in Croydon
Does fitted furniture need planning permission?
Not typically. Conservation areas mostly control changes to the outside, and furniture inside a house doesn’t normally need it. Listed buildings are different: check with the council’s conservation officer first.
What happens at the design visit?
We take full measurements, look at the walls and floors and work through the design together. Access and parking are worth talking about too, and a written quote follows.
Do you work outside London?
No. We cover London only: all 32 boroughs and the City of London.
Can I send photos ahead of the visit?
Yes, they help. Pictures of the whole wall or room, including the floor and ceiling, give us a good idea of the space, particularly with rough measurements. To send them, send us a few details through our contact form.
How much will my alcove unit cost?
It depends on the size, the number of doors and drawers, the internal fittings and the finish, along with access and parking. We send a written quote after the design visit.
How long are you in the house for the fitting?
It depends on the size and number of units, and your quote sets out the fitting days. We will talk you through what fitting day involves before we start.
What materials do you use?
We build with moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood, each used where it suits the job best. Your quote sets out the materials.