Example photo by Pete Alexopoulos on Unsplash, not our project
Barnet · London
Alcove Units in Edgware
Cupboards and shelves built into the alcoves beside a chimney breast, for homes in Edgware. After a design visit and a written quote, it is made in our workshop and fitted in your home.
- Shelving for books and records
- Old alcove cupboards that have seen better days
- Shop-bought shelving that doesn’t fill the recess
Ask about alcove units in Edgware
Living-room storage in Edgware
About 58% of the homes in the area around Edgware went up between 1919 and 1939, and about 17% since 2000, according to Valuation Office Agency council tax figures (2025). Each era brings its own kind of wall, ceiling height and floor, so it shapes the design from the first measurement. Near the centre of Edgware, Historic England’s list includes John Keble Church (Grade II), about 0.5 miles south-east. For a listed home, internal works that affect its character may need listed building consent from the council, for instance removing or fixing into original panelling. It is worth speaking to the council’s conservation officer before the design is final. Controlled parking zones are run by the boroughs, so the rules in Barnet are set locally. If your street in Edgware is in a controlled parking zone, a visitor permit, a paid bay or a parking bay suspension through the council may be needed. Parking near your home is worth mentioning at the measuring visit.
For a family home near Beit Shvidler Primary School, low doors that small hands can open, with books and ornaments higher up, suit a busy family room. For a flat near Mill Hill Broadway station, alcove units are made in sections sized for the stairs, landings and lift, so measuring the route matters as much as measuring the room.
Edgware is in the London Borough of Barnet, about 4 miles east of Finchley. We cover Edgware as part of our work across Barnet. Edgware is one of 41 places on our list for Barnet.
In HA8, NW7 and HA7, the process is the same as anywhere else in London. Our area takes in homes on streets such as Station Road, Edgware Road High Street and Hillcrest Avenue, along with the roads around them, whether you want alcove units or another piece made for the room. The A5100 runs close to Edgware, so if your home is on a main road, mention it when you contact us. Other places close to Edgware include The Hale (1 mile east), Broadfields Estate (1 mile north), Burnt Oak (1 mile south-east), Canons Park (1 mile south-west) and Little Stanmore (1 mile south-west). Across the rest of Barnet, our area takes in Finchley (4 miles east), Barnet (4 miles north-east), East Finchley (5 miles south-east), Hendon (3 miles south-east), Whetstone (4 miles east) and Friern Barnet (5 miles east).
Landmarks near Edgware
In Edgware, that includes homes near The Northgate School, London Academy and Railway Hotel. Edgware’s nearest station is Mill Hill Broadway station, roughly 1.1 miles south-east. A little further out are Edgware Community Hospital (0.9 miles south) and Broadwalk Centre (0.5 miles south-west). Open spaces near Edgware include Mill Hill Old Railway Nature Reserve.
Alcove units in Edgware: what you get
Alcove units are made from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood. MDF suits doors and panels because it paints so evenly, while birch plywood is strong and holds screws well. You can have a spray-painted finish from the workshop or a hand-painted one done on site, in the colour you choose. We make alcove units from moisture-resistant MDF and strong birch plywood, with a painted finish, and people most often get in touch about units that sit well with original features and walls too uneven for standard furniture.
A house from between the wars normally has lower ceilings than a Victorian one, and the proportions of alcove units are set to match. If yours is one of the interwar houses, semis or detached homes that make up much of the housing around Edgware, there may be little or no cornice, which lets the furniture run straight up to the ceiling. Any skirting is cut around neatly.
The quote comes in writing, so there is time to read it properly. It covers the design, materials and finish agreed at the visit.
- Place
- Edgware (HA8, NW7, HA7)
- Area
- Barnet
- Prices
- Quoted for your room
- First step
- A design visit: we measure and talk it through
- Made
- Made in our workshop and fitted on site
- Made from
- Painted MDF and birch ply
- When we fit
- Weekdays; Saturdays on request
- Contact
- The contact form
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Do you need alcove units in Edgware?
A busy family living room is another reason. Toys, games, post and chargers all need a home, and cupboards with doors keep them out of sight. Open shelves above are left for the things you like to see.
Requests we hear often include:
- Old alcove cupboards that have seen better days
- Bare alcoves beside the fireplace
- Toys and paperwork with no proper home
- Standard units leaving gaps at the sides
Close to Stoneyfields Park? A room that looks out on trees deserves a design that leaves the window alone.
Questions to ask before you hire anyone
- How the furniture will be finished, and where
- Whether they measure the room themselves
- Will the doors close with even gaps?
- Can you see real work of theirs?
Neighbourhoods near Edgware
Other services in Edgware
Your questions about alcove units in Edgware
I live near Mill Hill Broadway station. Is that in your area?
Yes, homes across Barnet and the rest of London are within the area we cover. You can drop us a line using the contact form to arrange a design visit.
Is Edgware in the area you cover for alcove units?
Yes. Edgware is one of the places we work, along with the rest of Barnet and London. To get started, you can tell us about the room on our contact form with a few details.
What do you do at the measuring visit?
We measure the room, check how level the walls and floors are and discuss the design with you. We’ll also ask about access and parking, and a quote in writing follows.
Can I send pictures ahead of the visit?
Yes. They give us a feel for the space before we visit. It’s useful to show radiators, sockets and anything else on the wall.
How do I get a quote for alcove units in Edgware?
Simply tell us about the room on our contact form. It helps to send rough sizes and a few photos, and we’ll arrange a design visit.
Do you work on Saturdays?
Yes, by prior arrangement. If a Saturday works better for you, say so when you contact us.
Materials and finishes
Spray-painted finish
Spray painting is done in the workshop, giving a smooth, even, factory-like surface. It works on simple doors and on more traditional ones.
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.
Could you do it yourself?
Off-the-shelf furniture can be a sensible choice. If the walls are straight and the space suits standard sizes, it often does the job, and it’s easy to buy.
A confident DIYer can manage simple shelves or a standard wardrobe in a square room. It gets harder with sloping ceilings, out-of-level floors and lath-and-plaster walls.
How fitting day works
However carefully a piece is made in the workshop, it still has to meet the room, and that happens on fitting day. Walls in older homes are rarely flat or square, so we scribe the edges by hand to follow the wall. How long the fitting itself takes depends on how many alcoves there are and how tall the units go, and your quote sets out the fitting days. In a 1920s or 1930s house, the hall and stairs are usually simple, though we still measure the route in along with the room itself. The furniture comes in sections and is put together where it is going, with floors protected throughout.
- You get in touch to say you’d like alcove units, and we find a time for the design visit.
- We come to measure and talk through cupboards, shelves, heights and doors. If one alcove needs a desk or a TV space, this is when we plan it.
- We put the design, materials and finish into a written quote.
- We build the units in our workshop, using moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood. A spray-painted finish is applied there too, if that is what you chose.
- The units are fitted in your home, ready to fill. Any scribing to the walls is done on the day.
How to prepare
- Check the building’s rules for trades and lift bookings
- Tell us about any meters, fuse boards or boilers in the area
- Let us know about parking near your home
Starting with a design visit
Rough measurements are fine at the start. Everything is measured properly when we visit. To arrange it, message us from the contact page. The written quote follows the visit.
Related advice
Flats, blocks and rented homes
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. Let us know about it when you contact us.
If your flat is leasehold, check your lease before fixing furniture to the walls. Some leases need the building owner’s consent for alterations, and that is best sorted before fitting day. We can’t advise on your lease.