Haringey · London
Alcove Units in Haringey
Alcove units for homes across Haringey, from the largest neighbourhoods to the smallest streets, made in our workshop and fitted in your home, and fitting on weekdays or Saturdays by arrangement.
Alcove Units in Haringey
Where we work in Haringey
We make cupboards and shelves built into the alcoves beside a chimney breast. Every neighbourhood has its own page, listed below. To get started, use the contact form.
Biggest places in Haringey
About alcove units in Haringey
Period alcoves are rarely square. The walls lean, the chimney breast may bow and the floor often slopes. We make each unit in our workshop to the measurements we take, then scribe it on site, so the sides meet the wall closely rather than showing a dark line. A plinth or adjustable feet take up any slope in the floor. Most enquiries start with a place for a small desk and empty alcoves either side of the chimney breast, and the answer is made at our workshop from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood, finished by spray or by hand.
Getting everything level comes first. Where the floor slopes, we bring the furniture up to level on adjustable feet or a plinth, which keeps the lines straight. Only then is it fixed to the wall, with fixings chosen to suit brick, lath and plaster or plasterboard.
- It starts with a short message from you about the alcoves.
- We visit to measure the alcoves and go through the design, including the paint finish.
- A written quote follows, with the finish written in alongside the design and materials.
- We make the units in our workshop from moisture-resistant MDF, which takes paint well, and birch plywood. If you chose spray painting, that’s done in the workshop too, for a smooth, even surface.
- The units are fitted and scribed to the alcoves; a hand-painted finish is done on site after fitting and is easy to touch up later.
- New paintwork takes a while to cure fully, so treat the surfaces gently at first.
What affects the price in Haringey
In London, parking can affect the price. The boroughs run controlled parking zones across much of the city, so a van may need a visitor permit, a paid bay or a bay suspension. Let us know about parking during the design visit.
Why work with us
- Fitted tight to walls that aren’t straight
- Made for your room, not a standard size
- Built from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood
- 300+ projects completed
Starting with a design visit
To get a quote for alcove units in Haringey, tell us about the room on our contact form. Let us know the room and the rough idea, with sizes if you have them. We’ll arrange a design visit, then send a quote in writing.
Near you in Tottenham
The streets we cover here include those near Northumberland Park Community School, No.8 Tottenham pub and Bruce Castle Park, among other places. You’ll also find The John Loughborough School (within half a mile south), Church of St Mary the Virgin (a few minutes’ walk north-east) and The Mulberry Primary School (close by, under half a mile south-east). Tottenham has its own railway station: Bruce Grove station. Well-known places in the area include Markfield Beam Engine and Museum (1.1 miles south) and North Middlesex University Hospital (1.1 miles north).
Alcove units across Haringey: local notes
Homes across Haringey, Tottenham, Noel Park and Wood Green included, have living rooms of every shape. The design for alcove units includes cable routes and ventilation where there is a TV, with any new sockets left to your electrician. Moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood keep the pieces stable.
In Haringey, the largest groups of homes date from before 1919 (about 54%) and the years since 2000 (about 13%), 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. About 54% of homes in Haringey were built before 1919, on the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax figures for 2025. Most London houses of that age have chimney breasts with an alcove either side in the main rooms, the classic place for alcove units. About 24% of households in Haringey live in flats in converted or shared houses, according to Census 2021. In a converted house, rooms can be odd shapes, with new partitions meeting old walls, and the route in may go through a shared hall and stairs. If your flat is leasehold, check your lease before anything is fixed to the walls.
Since August 2023, the Ultra Low Emission Zone has covered all of London, and red routes, run by TfL, have strict rules on stopping, so we plan access to your home in Haringey ahead of fitting day.
Tottenham: Bruce Castle, about 0.3 miles west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area. For a period home anywhere nearby, picture rails and cornices give alcove units a line to finish at. For an older house near Church of St Mary the Virgin, picture rails and cornices give alcove units a line to finish at.
Tips worth knowing
A few practical points help before and after fitting day. Here are some things worth bearing in mind:
- Sort out damp patches before fitting
- Talk to your electrician early if you want new sockets
- Look for a chimney vent that needs to stay clear
- Think about what you will store before we meet
Load the shelves evenly rather than piling weight in the middle. Books weigh more than most people expect, and an even load keeps the shelves straight.
Keep heaters and very hot lamps from standing right against the paintwork, because constant heat is not kind to a painted finish.
Bespoke or off-the-shelf?
Alcoves vary in depth, and the chimney breast decides how far a unit can come out. A shop-bought cabinet may stick out past the chimney breast or leave a deep gap behind it. We set the depth to suit the room.
Questions to ask before you hire anyone
- Can you see real work of theirs?
- Whether the route into your home has been checked
- How they handle walls that aren’t straight
- Are the boards named, like MDF or plywood?
Boards, parts and paint
Moisture-resistant MDF
MDF doesn’t have a grain to show through the paint, so a painted finish looks even and calm. Moisture-resistant MDF is what we use for fitted work.
Plinths and scribe strips
Scribe strips are the edges we trim on site to follow the wall. It’s how a straight unit meets a wall that is not straight.
What it costs
The price for your room depends on:
- How square the room is
- The finish: spray painted or hand painted
- Hanging rails, shelves, drawers and other fittings inside
- Doors and drawers, and how many
We don’t publish set prices, because every piece is designed for one room. We measure up, discuss the design and send a written quote, naming the materials and finish. To start, get in touch through our contact form.
Getting in touch
To give us a picture of the room, it helps to include:
- Photos of the whole wall or room, including the floor and ceiling
- Where you live, with the postcode
- Approximate measurements of the space
- Any ideas or images you’ve saved
Every quote follows a design visit. We measure the space, check the walls and floors and discuss what you’d like, and the written quote comes after. The price comes in a written quote, worked out from the measurements and the design you choose. To arrange a visit, fill in our short enquiry form.
Honest limits
As carpenters, we leave some work to other trades. It helps to know these before you plan the job:
- Decorating the rest of the room
- Any structural work on the chimney breast
- Curing damp, which needs the right specialist
Questions from Haringey
What materials do you use?
We use moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood. MDF gives a smooth, stable surface for paint; birch plywood is strong and good for shelves and drawer boxes.
Do I need to be at home on fitting day?
We need access, so someone has to let us in. You do not need to watch us work, though we like to go over the furniture with you at the end.
How do I get a quote?
It’s easiest to tell us about the room on our contact form with some details about the room. After that, we arrange a design visit and follow it with a written quote.
Can an alcove unit include a desk?
Yes. A desk in one alcove, with shelves above and storage below, works well in many rooms. Height and depth are agreed with you.
Is an outside wall a problem for fitted furniture?
It can be done with some care: ventilation behind and inside the furniture helps avoid condensation and mould. Damp treatment is not something we do, so any damp needs sorting first.
How is the price worked out?
Each room is quoted on its own: size, internal fittings, the finish and how tricky the walls are all play a part. You’ll get a quote in writing once we’ve measured up.
Can you add sockets inside the units?
Your electrician handles sockets and wiring. Ideally it’s done before fitting. We then plan cut-outs and cable gaps around them.