Example photo by Pete Alexopoulos on Unsplash, not our project
Bexley · London
Alcove Units in Foots Cray
Walls in older London homes are rarely straight, so we scribe the furniture to follow them. We make alcove units for homes in Foots Cray, each designed at a visit to your home.
- Room to work in an alcove
- Furniture that does not fit the alcove
- Units that sit well with original features
Ask about alcove units in Foots Cray
How fitting works for alcove units
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. After that, it’s fixed to the wall using fixings that suit the wall, whether that is solid brick, lath and plaster or plasterboard. Parking near post-war estates can depend on residents’ bays and estate rules, so let us know what applies at the measuring visit. Fitting day is the sections coming in, being joined and fixed in place. Saturdays can be arranged.
- You get in touch with a short description of the alcoves and your ideas, even if the design is only a rough idea so far.
- We visit to measure, look at how the walls run and note the skirting, picture rail and any vent. We also talk through heights, doors and shelves.
- You receive a quote with the design, the materials and the paint finish.
- Once you are happy, the units are made at our workshop.
- Fitting day: the units go in, are scribed to the alcoves and levelled on a plinth or feet. The finish is sprayed in our workshop or hand-painted on site, as agreed.
How to prepare
- Take anything hanging off the wall we’re fitting to
- Get any new sockets or wiring done by your electrician before fitting day
- Move furniture and belongings away from the wall
Getting a quote
The design visit is where every quote starts. We measure the room properly, check how the walls and floors run and discuss the design with you. Afterwards, we send a written quote, so you can take your time with it. To arrange the visit, message us from the contact page.
Advice
How we make alcove units for Foots Cray
A capped or blocked chimney should still be ventilated to help stop damp. Units are planned so any vent stays clear, with nothing covering it. Any damp in the alcoves should be dealt with by the right trade before the units go in. We make alcove units from moisture-resistant MDF and strong birch plywood, with a painted finish, and the usual reasons to get in touch are everyday clutter left on show and room to work in an alcove.
Post-war houses often have a through lounge or a living room with a wide window at one end. Many homes around Foots Cray date from those decades, and alcove units can give a room like that a focus. A run of low cupboards with shelving above can sit under or beside the window.
The written quote puts the design visit in writing: the layout, what goes inside, the materials used and the finish. If you’d like to change anything, it is easier before the furniture is made.
- Location
- Foots Cray (DA14, BR5)
- Borough
- Bexley
- Prices
- Quoted for your room
- First step
- We visit, measure, then quote
- Where it is made
- Workshop-made, then fitted
- Boards and paint
- Painted MDF and birch ply
- When we fit
- Monday to Friday; Saturdays by prior arrangement
- Contact
- Send us a message
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Practical tips
A little care keeps the finish looking good, whether it was spray painted or hand painted. Here are our suggestions:
- Let us know about stairs, parking and access early
- Book your electrician first if sockets need moving
- Consider whether the units should reach the ceiling
- Move things out of the alcoves so we can measure properly
Keep any chimney vent clear once the units are in, even when the cupboards fill up. Air moving through the chimney helps keep damp away.
Put the heaviest books and objects low down and spread the weight. Most sagging comes from shelves carrying more than they were planned for, so tell us during the design visit if a shelf will hold something heavy.
What alcove units cannot fix
Electrics, plumbing, gas, plastering and structural work are not part of what we do. Please bear these in mind too:
- Making good damaged walls before fitting
- Finding and fixing the cause of damp
- Redecorating, which is for your decorator
Not sure whether your space suits alcove units? You can drop us a line using the contact form and we will tell you before you arrange a visit. How a job runs, step by step.
What it is made from
- Panelled or flat doors
- Spray-painted finish
- Adjustable shelves
- Birch plywood
- Scribed side panels
- Moisture-resistant MDF
- Hand-painted finish
DIY, flat-pack or bespoke
Standard units come in set widths and heights, so there is normally a gap left over at the top or at one end. Furniture we make is built to the room’s own sizes, so it can use the full height and width.
Shop-bought shelves can sag over a long span. Span, depth and the weight on it decide whether a shelf sags, so a long run needs a thicker shelf, a stiffening lip or a support. We design shelves with that in mind.
Neighbourhoods near Foots Cray
Other services in Foots Cray
FAQs: alcove units in Foots Cray
Is parking a problem for fitting in Foots Cray?
It can be, depending on whether your street is in a controlled parking zone. A van may need a visitor’s permit, a paid parking bay or a bay suspension, which the council arranges, often with notice. Let us know what parking is near you at the measuring visit, so the day can be planned around it.
Can you fit furniture in a home close to Sidcup station?
Yes, homes across Bexley and the rest of London are within the area we cover. To get started, you can send us a few details through our contact form with a few details about the room.
Should both alcoves have the same units?
It is entirely your choice. Alcoves are often different widths anyway, so each unit is made to its own measurements. They can share a style while doing different things.
What paint finish can I have on alcove units?
There are two options: a spray-painted finish done in our workshop, or a hand-painted finish done on site. Both are in a colour agreed with you. Spraying gives a smooth, even surface, and hand painting is easy to touch up.
Do pictures help?
Yes. They give us a feel for the space before we visit, along with rough measurements. Show anything the furniture has to work around, like radiators or sockets.
Will alcove units fit if my walls aren’t straight?
Yes. We measure each alcove carefully at the measuring visit, then the units are built in our workshop and scribed to the walls when we fit them.
What it costs
Each piece is designed for one room, so each price is too. What affects it comes down to:
- How easy it is to get the furniture into the room
- What goes inside: rails, shelves, drawers and dividers
- The width and height of the space
- How square the room is
How it is painted is part of the price: spray painting happens in the workshop, and hand painting can be done in your home. Your choice, along with the size and the fittings, is reflected in the written quote.
Before the design visit
These details help when you get in touch:
- The postcode, so we can plan the visit
- What the furniture needs to hold
- Pictures of styles you like, if you have any
- A few photos of the space, taken from the doorway and from each corner
A quote begins with some details from you: the room, rough measurements and some photos if you have them. To send them, drop us a line using the contact form. After that, we arrange a visit to measure and talk through the design, then send a quote in writing.
Alcove units for homes in Foots Cray
In the area around Foots Cray, the largest groups of homes date from between 1945 and 1972 (about 51%) and between 1919 and 1939 (about 20%), according to Valuation Office Agency council tax figures (2025). Knowing roughly when a home was built helps, because walls and fixings change from one era to the next. Entries on the National Heritage List near the centre of Foots Cray include Frognal House (Grade II*), under half a mile west, and Parish Church of All Saints (Grade II*), about 0.5 miles north-east. Where a home is listed, listed building consent can be needed for inside works that affect its character, like fixing into original panelling. The council’s conservation officer is the person to ask before work starts. Controlled parking zones are run by the boroughs, so the rules in Bexley are set locally. Depending on your street in Foots Cray, a visitor permit, a paid bay or a council bay suspension may be needed. Parking near your home is worth mentioning at the design visit.
If you live in a period home close to Parish Church of All Saints, picture rails and cornices give alcove units a line to finish at. Living in a block of flats near Sidcup station? Then the route in is measured as well as the room, and the sections are sized to fit it. The wider area includes historic houses such as Danson House, about 2.8 miles north. 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.
Foots Cray is part of the London Borough of Bexley, about 1 mile north-west of Sidcup. Anywhere in Foots Cray, it works the same way: a design visit, a quote in writing, furniture made at our workshop and fitting in your home. Foots Cray is one of the places in Bexley where we make alcove units, and the borough has 27 places on our list.
We make alcove units across the DA14 and BR5 postcode area. We cover homes on streets like Cray Road, Evry Road and The Avenue, along with the roads around them, whether you want alcove units or another piece made for the room. Main roads around Foots Cray include the A223, and we plan where the van can stop before fitting day. Neighbouring places we cover for alcove units include Ruxley (1 mile east), Albany Park (1 mile north-west), Upper Ruxley (1 mile east), Sidcup (1 mile north-west) and North Cray (2 miles north-east). We also make alcove units in nearby places like Welling (3 miles north), Erith (5 miles north-east), Bexley (2 miles north-east), Belvedere (5 miles north), Northumberland Heath (5 miles north-east) and Lessness Heath (5 miles north).
Landmarks near Foots Cray
The streets we cover here include those near Red Lion pub, Kemnal Technology College and Walsingham School, among other places. The closest station to Foots Cray is Sidcup station, about 1.4 miles north of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Metropolitan Police Museum (1.3 miles north-west) and Queen Mary's Hospital (0.6 miles west).