Tower Hamlets · London
Alcove Units in Tower Hamlets
We make alcove units for homes in all 31 neighbourhoods we list across Tower Hamlets, designed after a visit and made in our workshop., made in our workshop and fitted in your home, and fitting on weekdays or Saturdays by arrangement.
Alcove Units in Tower Hamlets
Where we work in Tower Hamlets
The furniture is made in our workshop, then fitted. Find your neighbourhood in the lists below for local details. To get started, use the contact form.
Biggest places in Tower Hamlets
Alcove units across Tower Hamlets: what to expect
In a tall room, a full-height alcove cupboard holds a great deal. In a bedroom, it can become a small wardrobe or a linen cupboard. At the design visit we ask what you plan to keep there, so shelves and rails go where they’re needed. We make alcove units from birch ply and moisture-resistant MDF, painted by hand or sprayed, and people most often get in touch about units that sit well with original features and shelving for books and records.
Once the main sections are fixed in place, any doors go on and any drawers or lids are fitted. We adjust each one so the gaps line up and it closes cleanly, then checked again. How long fitting takes depends on the size of the alcoves and what goes in them, and we confirm the fitting days in your quote.
- It starts with a short message from you about the alcoves.
- At the design visit we measure up, agree the layout and talk about colour and finish.
- The written quote then sets out the design, the materials and the finish you’ve picked.
- The units are built in our workshop from moisture-resistant MDF 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.
- Paint needs time to cure, so go gently with the new units at first.
Quotes in Tower Hamlets
Every room is priced on its own, because the size, the layout and the finish all vary. Spray painting and hand painting are different processes, which affects the cost. You’ll see the figure in your written quote, after the design visit.
Why householders in Tower Hamlets choose us
- More than 300 projects completed
- Built in our workshop and fitted in your home
- We visit, measure and discuss the design before we quote
- A spray or hand-painted finish
Ask for a quote
Rough sizes are fine at the start. We measure everything properly during the design visit. To arrange it, fill in our short enquiry form and tell us about the room. The written quote follows the visit.
Near you in Whitechapel
The streets we cover here include those near Finsbury Circus, Bishopsgate Institute Special Collections and Archives and The White Hart pub, among other places. Nearby too are St Mary-at-Hill (0.8 miles south-west), Canon Barnett Primary School (close by, under half a mile west), Makers Academy (a few minutes’ walk west) and St Mary Matfelon (less than half a mile east). Whitechapel’s nearest station is Whitechapel station, roughly 0.5 miles north-east. Nearby you will also find Gilbert and George Centre (within half a mile north) and Surrey Quays Shopping Centre (1.7 miles south-east). For a walk, there’s Tower Hill and Lavender Pond.
- Nearby schools include London Enterprise Academy (under half a mile south-east)
Living-room carpentry across Tower Hamlets
Homes across Tower Hamlets, Whitechapel, Spitalfields and Tower Hill included, have living rooms of every shape. Alcove units are designed for the one you have, with cable routes and ventilation for any screen or set-top boxes planned in. The carcasses are moisture-resistant MDF or birch plywood.
The biggest shares of homes in Tower Hamlets were built since 2000 (about 45%) and between 1973 and 1999 (about 20%), in the VOA’s 2025 council tax stock figures. The age of a home tells us a lot about its walls, floors and ceilings, and so about how alcove units are fixed and fitted. About 45% of homes in Tower Hamlets were built since 2000, in the VOA’s 2025 council tax stock figures. Newer homes usually have plasterboard stud walls and open-plan rooms, often with no chimney breast, so the fixings go into the studs, or heavier pieces stand on the floor. Purpose-built flats are home to about 81% of households in Tower Hamlets, based on Census 2021. For a flat, alcove units are made in sections sized for the stairs, the lift and the doors. Building management rules on lifts, deliveries and working hours are worth checking early.
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 access to homes in Tower Hamlets is planned ahead of time.
Whitechapel: For families living near Canon Barnett Primary School, a cupboard for board games and a shelf for reading books can go into the same design. The wider area includes historic houses such as Mansion House, about 0.9 miles west. For a period home anywhere nearby, walls that bow and floors that slope are why alcove units are scribed to fit rather than pushed into place.
Practical tips
People planning alcove units often ask about these. They’re worth knowing before and after fitting:
- Let us know about stairs, parking and access early
- Talk to your electrician early if you want new sockets
- Think about what you will store before we meet
- Move things out of the alcoves so we can measure properly
Do not let stored things block the chimney breast vent. Air moving through the chimney helps keep damp away.
Every so often, check that hinges and handles haven’t worked loose, and adjust any door that starts to catch.
What prompts alcove units
Some homes already have alcove cupboards, but they’ve seen better days. New units are a chance to rethink how the space works, from the shelf heights to the doors.
Requests we hear often include:
- Furniture that does not fit the alcove
- Clutter with nowhere to go
- Cupboards in keeping with an older house
- Space for a growing book collection
Flats, conversions and lettings
In a flat, the route in matters as much as the room. We measure the stairs, landings, lift and doorways along with the room itself, so each section is sized to get through.
In a managed block, the building manager or concierge may need notice before we arrive. Lifts sometimes need to be booked, and the lift size helps decide how big each section can be. Mention it when you get in touch.
Bespoke or off-the-shelf?
If you’re handy, a simple shelf or a standard wardrobe in a square room is a reasonable DIY job. Sloping ceilings, uneven floors and lath-and-plaster walls make it harder.
Off-the-shelf cupboards come in fixed sizes, so there is often a strip of wasted space at the side or above. Fitted furniture is made to the room’s measurements, so it can run to the ceiling and fill the width.
Bespoke alcove units or ready-made?
The depth of an alcove is set by the chimney breast. Standard cabinets can stand proud of the breast or sit too far back. We set the depth to suit the room.
Before you hire any carpenter
- Which parts of the job need an electrician or a plumber
- Will they visit to measure before quoting?
- Whether the route into your home has been checked
- How parking will work on your street
Questions from Tower Hamlets
Should both alcoves have the same units?
It’s entirely your choice. Alcoves are often different widths anyway. They can match in style while doing different jobs.
Do you cover areas outside London?
No. We cover London only: every London borough and the City of London.
Do you move sockets for alcove units?
Your electrician handles sockets and wiring. It’s best done before the units go in so the sockets line up with the design. The units are made with cut-outs and cable gaps to suit.
Can I send pictures before the visit?
Yes. They give us a feel for the space before we visit, along with rough sizes. Show anything the furniture has to work around, like radiators or sockets.
Does someone need to be home during the fitting?
Someone needs to be there to let us in. You don’t need to watch us work, though we like to go over the furniture with you at the end.
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. The price comes in a quote in writing after the design visit.
Do you work in Tower Hamlets?
Yes. We work across all 32 London boroughs and the City of London, Tower Hamlets included.