Example photo by Pete Alexopoulos on Unsplash, not our project
Lewisham · London
Alcove Units in Blackheath
Thinking about alcove units in Blackheath? We start with a design visit and a written quote, before anything is made.
- A desk that tucks into an alcove
- Walls too uneven for standard furniture
- Somewhere to keep books and records
Ask about alcove units in Blackheath
How we make alcove units for Blackheath
An alcove can also take a small desk, with shelves above and a drawer or cupboard below. It’s a neat way to work from home without giving up a whole room. We plan the desk height and depth with you, and leave a route for cables to reach the sockets. We make alcove units from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood, spray-painted or hand-painted, and people most often get in touch about shop-bought shelving that doesn’t fill the recess and room to work in an alcove.
Many homes around Blackheath date from the post-war decades. Rooms from that era are often squarer than in older houses, and many have no chimney breast at all. That makes a full wall of alcove units a strong option, or a recess built out with cupboards either side. Walls may be concrete, block or brick, so fixings are chosen for the wall.
If the job needs another trade, such as an electrician or a plumber, we will tell you, so it can be arranged before fitting day. The quote itself covers our work, from the design to the materials and finish.
- Location
- Blackheath (SE3, SE13, SE10)
- Borough
- Lewisham
- Price
- Quoted for your room
- First step
- Design visit, then a written quote
- Made
- In our workshop, then fitted in your home
- Boards and paint
- MDF and birch plywood, painted
- When we fit
- Weekdays; Saturdays on request
- Contact
- The contact form
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
When is bespoke worth it?
Bespoke work comes into its own in rooms that aren’t square. In period homes, walls lean, floors slope and the alcoves on each side are often different widths, which leaves standard units with gaps at the sides and top.
What you pay for with bespoke is mainly the fit: edges scribed to the wall, a level base on a sloping floor and a neat line where the furniture meets the ceiling. In an older room, standard units rarely manage that.
Questions we’re often asked
Is Blackheath in the area you cover for alcove units?
Yes. Blackheath is one of the places we work, along with the rest of Lewisham and London. To get started, you can send us a few details through our contact form with some details.
Is parking a problem for fitting in Blackheath?
It can be: much of inner London is covered by controlled parking zones. A van may need a visitor permit, a pay-and-display bay or a suspended bay, which the council arranges, often with notice. Let us know what parking is near you during the design visit, so we can plan the day around it.
What if the wall is cold or damp?
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.
Is it possible to have a desk built into one alcove?
Yes. You can have a desk in one alcove and cupboards in the other. The desk is planned around the way you work.
Do I need permission in a conservation area?
Not normally. Fitted furniture inside a house doesn’t normally need planning permission, even in a conservation area. If the building is listed, works affecting its character can need listed building consent, so check with the council first.
Does someone need to be home during the fitting?
We need access, so someone has to let us in. You do not need to watch us work.
Alcove units for homes in Blackheath
The biggest shares of homes in the area around Blackheath were built before 1919 (about 42%) and between 1945 and 1972 (about 36%), according to Valuation Office Agency council tax figures (2025). 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. Part of Blackheath is in the Blackheath Conservation Area, one of the conservation areas recorded by Historic England. Conservation area controls are mostly concerned with the outside of buildings, and fitted furniture inside a house doesn’t normally need planning permission. Your council can advise if you’re unsure. Controlled parking zones cover much of inner London, and each borough runs its own. So a van fitting furniture in Blackheath usually needs a visitor permit, a paid bay or a parking bay suspension arranged through the council. It is useful to let us know about parking during the design visit.
For a family home near All Saints' Church of England Primary School Blackheath, a cupboard for board games and a shelf for reading books can go into the same design. For an older house near Church of All Saints, the alcoves beside a chimney breast are the natural place for alcove units. The wider area includes historic houses such as Queen's House, about 0.9 miles north-west. If your own home is a period one, the alcoves beside a chimney breast are the natural place for alcove units.
Blackheath is within the London Borough of Lewisham, about 2 miles west of New Cross. Whether your home in Blackheath is a terraced house, a flat or a newer build, we measure the room as it is and design around it. Blackheath is one of the places in Lewisham where we make alcove units, and the borough has 22 places on our list.
Every address in SE3, SE13 and SE10 is covered for alcove units, from the main roads to the quieter streets. Our area takes in homes on streets such as Pond Road, Heath Lane and Wemyss Road, along with the roads around them, whether you want alcove units or another piece made for the room. Neighbouring places we cover for alcove units include Vanbrugh Park Estate (1 mile north), Greenwich (1 mile north-west), Maze Hill (1 mile north), Lewisham (1 mile south-west) and Westcombe Park (1 mile north-east). Elsewhere in Lewisham, we also cover New Cross (2 miles west), Deptford (2 miles west), Catford (2 miles south-west), Surrey Canal (3 miles north-west), Sydenham (4 miles south-west) and Telegraph Hill (2 miles west).
Local landmarks in Blackheath
Around Blackheath, we cover homes near Blackheath Proprietary School, St Matthew Academy and The Princess Of Wales Pub. Blackheath has its own railway station: Blackheath station. Well-known places in the area include Lewisham Shopping Centre (1.1 miles south-west) and Royal Observatory (0.7 miles north-west). For a walk, there is Birdbrook Road Nature Reserve.
Is bespoke worth it?
Alcoves vary in depth, and the chimney breast decides how far a unit can come out. Standard cabinets can stand proud of the breast or sit too far back. We set the depth to suit the room, whether that is flush with the breast or a little shallower. Skirting boards stop standalone furniture sitting flat against the wall, which wastes depth and gathers dust. Fitted furniture is scribed over the skirting or set on its own plinth.
There’s no price list, because every piece is designed for one room. Instead, we measure, talk through the design and then quote in writing, with the materials and finish set out. To arrange a design visit, fill in our short enquiry form.
Why choose us
- Built around your room
- Over 300 projects completed
- Every London borough and the City of London covered
- Saturday work by prior arrangement
See bespoke vs off-the-shelf or what a quote should include.
Where other trades come in
We’d rather be clear about where our work stops:
- Treating damp in the chimney breast or walls
- New sockets or wiring (your electrician handles those)
- Redecorating, which is for your decorator
If in doubt, you can message us from the contact page and describe the room before you arrange a visit. Our process from visit to fitting.
What goes into it
- Adjustable shelves
- Scribed side panels
- Birch plywood
- Spray-painted finish
- Panelled or flat doors
- Hand-painted finish
- Moisture-resistant MDF
Materials and finishes
Moisture-resistant MDF
MDF does not have a grain to show through the paint, so a painted finish looks even and calm. We choose the moisture-resistant grade for fitted furniture.
Plinths and scribe strips
Most alcoves need scribing on both sides and sometimes at the top. It’s what makes a fitted unit look fitted.
From workshop to your room
On the morning of the fitting, the first job is covering the floors and protecting the way in from the front door. Next, we carry in the sections built in our workshop, one at a time. How long the fitting takes depends on the size of the alcoves and what goes in them, and your quote sets out the fitting days. Drilling into concrete is noisier than into brick or plaster, so a word with the neighbours before fitting day can help. Fitting day is planned around any building rules on noisy work. We tidy as we go.
- 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 quote in writing.
- 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.
- At fitting, we set each unit level on a plinth or feet and trim that edge to follow the wall. Spray-painted units arrive finished; hand-painted ones are painted once fitted.
Before fitting day
- Clear the hallway and stairs so the sections can come through
- Keep pets out of the room and the hallway
- Have your electrician move any sockets or switches beforehand
Starting with a design visit
Getting a quote starts with a few details: the room, rough measurements and some pictures if you have them. To send them, tell us about the room on our contact form. We will then arrange a design visit and follow it with a quote in writing.