Lambeth · London
Alcove Units in Lambeth
Wherever you are in Lambeth, we can design, make and fit alcove units. Every job starts with a design visit, then a written quote.
Alcove Units in Lambeth
Alcove units in every part of Lambeth
We design, make and fit alcove units for homes of every age. Pick your neighbourhood below to see the details for your area.
Larger neighbourhoods
Alcove units in Lambeth: how it works
We make alcove units from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood, each used where it works best. MDF gives smooth doors and panels that take paint well, while birch plywood is strong and holds screws well. The finish is spray painted in the workshop or hand painted on site, in the colour you choose. Most enquiries start with units that sit well with original features and bowed walls and sloping floors; the furniture is made from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood, finished by spray or by hand.
When we arrive on fitting day, the first job is covering the floors and protecting the way in from the front door. Next, we carry in the sections made in our workshop. The time 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 some details about the chimney breast and alcoves.
- We visit to measure the alcoves top, middle and bottom, and check the floor for level. Then we go through the design together.
- We send the design, materials and finish in a written quote.
- In our workshop the units are made from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood, with a little extra left on the edges that meet the wall.
- On fitting day we level the units and scribe the edges so they follow the line of the plaster.
Quotes in Lambeth
There’s no price list, because each job is designed for a single room. We measure up, discuss the design and send a written quote. To arrange a design visit, message us from the contact page.
Why choose Bespoke Carpentry
- Scribed to uneven walls
- Work across the whole of London
- Built in our workshop and fitted in your home
- Made for your room, not a standard size
Arranging a design visit
If you know what you want, say so; if not, we can work it out together at the visit. At the design visit, we measure up and talk the design through with you, and the written quote that follows sets it out. To start, message us from the contact page.
Near you in Stockwell
Our area takes in the homes around St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, Durand Academy and The Marquess Of Lorne Public House and the streets around them. Also close by are Lansdowne School (a few minutes’ walk south-east), St. Andrew's (less than half a mile south-west) and Max Roach Park (close by, under half a mile east). Stockwell’s nearest station is Brixton station, roughly 0.5 miles south-east. Other landmarks nearby include St Giles' Hospital (1.7 miles east). Not far away are Battersea Park Lake.
Alcove units across Lambeth: local notes
Homes across Lambeth, Stockwell, Kennington and Streatham included, have living rooms of every shape. The design for alcove units includes cable routes and ventilation where there’s a TV, with any new sockets left to your electrician. Moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood keep the pieces stable.
Homes built before 1919 make up about 40% of the housing in Lambeth, with about 17% built between 1945 and 1972, based on the Valuation Office Agency’s 2025 council tax data. Knowing roughly when a home was built helps, because walls and fixings change from one era to the next. More than a third of the homes in Lambeth (about 40%) were built before 1919, going by the Valuation Office Agency’s 2025 council tax figures. Houses of that age usually have a chimney breast with an alcove each side, and alcove units are built to those exact widths. About 22% of households in Lambeth live in flats in converted or shared houses, based on Census 2021. Conversions often leave rooms in unusual shapes, with partition walls, boxed-in pipes and chimney breasts in odd places, and the route in may go through a shared hall and stairs. A lease can require consent for alterations, so it is worth checking yours first.
Much of London is covered by controlled parking zones run by the boroughs, and depending on the street, a visitor permit, a paid bay or a bay suspension through the council may be needed. It helps to tell us about parking at the design visit.
Stockwell: Close to Max Roach Park? Shelving that stops short of the window keeps the view of the green. If your home is one of the older houses near St. Andrew's, the alcoves beside a chimney breast are the natural place for alcove units.
What it is made from
Moisture-resistant MDF
Moisture-resistant MDF is stable and takes paint well, which makes it our choice for doors and visible panels. It’s a good match for alcoves on an external wall.
Spray-painted finish
Spray painting is done in the workshop, for a smooth and even finish. It works on simple doors and on more traditional ones.
Pricing alcove units in Lambeth
To work out the quote, we look at:
- How many doors and drawers there are
- Whether you choose a spray or hand-painted finish
- The internal fittings
- Access to the room, like stairs, lifts and narrow halls
There’s no price list: each design is priced in writing after we’ve seen the space. The price depends mainly on the size of the piece, how many doors and drawers it has and what goes inside.
What we need to know
Some details help us understand the job before we visit. It’s useful to include:
- What kind of home it is, and which floor the room is on
- Pictures showing the full wall, from floor to ceiling
- Your postcode and the borough
- What the furniture needs to hold
The design visit is where every quote starts. We measure the room properly, check how the walls and floors run and talk through the design with you. Afterwards, we send a written quote, so you can take your time with it. To arrange the visit, send us a few details through our contact form.
Bespoke alcove units or ready-made?
A bespoke unit takes longer to arrive than something from a shop: there’s a design visit, a quote and making time in the workshop. What you get is a unit planned for your alcove, not the nearest catalogue size.
Before you hire any carpenter
- How they handle walls that are not straight
- Have they measured the stairs, lift and doorways?
- Will other trades be needed, and who arranges them?
- How parking will work on your street
The problems alcove units solve
Often the alcoves are simply the biggest unused space in the room. Standard furniture seldom fits an alcove, leaving gaps at the sides and above. Built-in units use the whole recess up to the ceiling if you want.
People normally get in touch with us about needs like these:
- Bowed walls and sloping floors
- Empty alcoves either side of the chimney breast
- A place for a small desk
- Everyday clutter left on show
Caring for painted furniture
New paint needs time to cure fully, so treat it gently at first. After that, a few simple habits help:
- Mention parking and access when we visit
- Check whether there is a vent in the chimney breast
- Have any damp looked at before the units are made
- Think about what you will store before we meet
Fill the shelves gradually and spread heavy things evenly. Books weigh more than most people expect.
If a damp patch appears near a unit, look into it early. Damp needs its cause fixing by the right trade, and it’s easier to deal with before it spreads.
FAQs: alcove units in Lambeth
What affects the price of alcove units?
Size, doors and drawers, what goes inside and the finish all affect it, along with access and parking. The price comes in a written quote after the design visit.
Will alcove units fit if my walls aren’t straight?
Yes. Few alcoves in older houses are truly square, so we scribe each unit to follow the wall. A plinth or adjustable feet set it level on a sloping floor.
Do you work on Saturdays?
Yes, Saturdays are possible by arrangement. Let us know when you first get in touch.
Do photos help?
Yes. They give us a feel for the space before we visit. It is useful to show radiators, sockets and anything else on the wall.
Which boards do you build with?
Moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood. MDF is stable and takes paint well, while birch plywood is strong and holds screws well, and the quote says which is used where.
Do you work outside London?
No. We only take on work in London, across all the boroughs and the City of London.
Do I need to be in when you fit?
Someone needs to let us in at the start of the day. It’s good to have someone there at the end to look over the work with us.