Example photo by Pete Alexopoulos on Unsplash, not our project
Havering · London
Gallows Corner Alcove Units
We make alcove units in moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood for homes in Gallows Corner. Each piece is finished by spray or by hand, in the colour you choose.
- A desk that tucks into an alcove
- Alcoves that are wasted space
- Cupboards in keeping with an older house
Alcove units in Gallows Corner
The problems alcove units solve
Many people ask about alcove units because the alcoves are the most obvious wasted space they have. Standard furniture seldom fits an alcove, leaving gaps at the sides and above. A fitted unit fills the recess up to the ceiling if you want.
If you recognise any of these, it is worth talking to us:
- Clutter with nowhere to go
- Alcoves that are wasted space
- Cupboards in keeping with an older house
- Shelving for books and records
The wider area includes historic houses such as Hare Hall, about 0.5 miles south. For a period home anywhere nearby, picture rails and cornices give alcove units a line to finish at.
Questions to ask before you hire anyone
- Who does any electrics, plumbing or gas work
- Real projects you can actually look at
- How the furniture will be finished, and where
- Whether the quote follows a visit to your home
How we make alcove units for Gallows Corner
Period alcoves are rarely square. The walls lean, the chimney breast may bow and the floor often slopes, often all at once. We make each unit in our workshop to the measurements we take, then scribe it on site, so the edges follow the plaster instead of leaving a gap. Adjustable feet or a plinth set it level. We make alcove units from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood, finished by spray or by hand, and people most often get in touch about worn or badly fitted alcove units and somewhere to keep books and records.
A house from between the wars usually has lower ceilings than a Victorian one, so alcove units are proportioned to the room rather than copied from a taller one. Where your home is one of the interwar houses or semis that are a big part of the housing around Gallows Corner, there may be little or no cornice, which lets the furniture run straight up to the ceiling. The skirting is scribed around neatly.
Everything we agree at the design visit goes into the written quote: the layout and internal fittings, the materials and the finish. If something is not quite right, tell us before anything is made.
- Location
- Gallows Corner (RM3, RM2, RM11)
- Area
- Havering
- Price
- Quoted for your room
- To begin
- We visit, measure, then quote
- Where it’s made
- Workshop-made, then fitted
- Made from
- Painted MDF and birch ply
- Working days
- Weekdays; Saturdays on request
- Get in touch
- Our contact form
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Questions we’re often asked
Can you fit furniture in a home close to Gidea Park station?
Yes, homes across Havering and the rest of London are within the area we cover. You can use our contact form to arrange a design visit.
Is Gallows Corner in the area you cover for alcove units?
Yes, Gallows Corner is within the area we cover, which takes in all of Havering and the rest of London. The first step is a design visit, where we measure and talk through the design, and then we send a quote.
Can you come on a Saturday?
Yes, we can arrange Saturdays. Let us know when you first get in touch.
How long does it take to fit alcove units?
The time on site depends on the size of the alcoves and what goes in them, and the fitting days are set out in your quote. Most of the making happens in our workshop.
What paint finish can I have on alcove units?
Either a spray-painted or a hand-painted finish. A sprayed finish is very smooth and even, while hand painting suits a softer, traditional look and is simple to touch up. We’ll help you choose during the design visit.
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, or matching desks in both. We’ll plan the desk around how you work.
Places near Gallows Corner
Other services in Gallows Corner
What affects the cost of alcove units
Not every room costs the same, and it comes down to:
- The overall size of the piece
- Spray painting or hand painting
- Where a van can park, like a permit bay or a bay suspension
- Walls and floors that are out of level or out of square
Every piece is quoted for your room after the design visit. The price depends mainly on the size of the piece, how many doors and drawers it has and what goes inside.
Before the design visit
The more you can tell us at the start, the better the design visit goes. It is useful to include:
- Photos of the whole wall or room, including the floor and ceiling
- How you want to use the space
- Any ideas or images you’ve saved
- Rough measurements, even if they’re only to the nearest few centimetres
We quote each job for the room it’s going into, after the design visit. Each room is different, so we quote after seeing it, when we have measured up and talked through the design. To arrange a visit, send us a few details through our contact form.
Flats, conversions and leaseholders
We also make and fit furniture for landlords furnishing a let, often to make the most of a small or awkward room. It’s made from the same moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood as any of our work, with a spray or hand-painted finish.
If you live in a flat, getting the furniture in is planned from the start. We measure the stairs, landings, lift and doorways along with the room itself, so the furniture can be made in sections that fit through without a struggle.
How fitting day works
Getting everything level comes first. Where the floor slopes, we bring the furniture up to level on adjustable feet or a plinth, and that keeps the doors and shelves true. After that, it is fixed to the wall using fixings that suit the wall, whether that’s solid brick, lath and plaster or plasterboard. Interwar houses normally have a straight run of stairs and a reasonable hallway, but the route in is still measured, not just the room. The furniture comes in sections and is put together where it’s going, with floors protected throughout.
- To begin, message us from the contact page; a brief note on the room and the alcoves is enough, and mention if you live in a flat or up a few flights of stairs.
- We visit to measure the alcoves, go through the design and check the route from the street to the room.
- Your written quote sets out the design, materials and finish.
- The units are made at our workshop from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood, in sections sized to come through your door.
- On fitting day the sections come in, are joined in place and scribed to the walls. A spray-painted finish arrives done; a hand-painted one is applied once the units are in.
How to prepare
- Let us know if your street is in a controlled parking zone
- Have your electrician move any sockets or switches beforehand
- Move anything in the hall or on the stairs out of the way
Getting a quote
To get a quote for alcove units in Gallows Corner, fill in our short enquiry form. Let us know the room and the rough idea. Next comes a design visit, followed by a written quote.
Advice
Gallows Corner homes and alcove units
In the streets around Gallows Corner, the largest groups of homes date from between 1919 and 1939 (about 37%) and between 1945 and 1972 (about 37%), on the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax figures for 2025. Knowing roughly when a home was built helps, because walls and fixings change from one era to the next. Near the centre of Gallows Corner, Historic England’s list includes The Royal Liberty School (Grade II*), about 0.5 miles south. For a listed home, changes inside that alter its character may need listed building consent from the council, for instance removing or fixing into original panelling. It’s worth speaking to the council’s conservation officer before the design is final. About 52% of households in the neighbourhood around Gallows Corner live in detached or semi-detached houses, going by Census 2021 figures from the ONS. In a semi or detached house, a driveway, where there is one, can make unloading easier.
Living in a block of flats near Gidea Park station? Then it is useful to book the lift and tell the concierge before fitting day. Close to Raphael Park? Alcove units can be planned to frame a window with a view rather than block it.
Gallows Corner is about 2 miles south-west of Romford, in the London Borough of Havering. From period terraces to newer flats in Gallows Corner, the furniture is designed around the room as we find it. We cover places right across Havering, large and small.
Every address in RM3, RM2 and RM11 is within our area for alcove units. Whether you live on a street such as Ewan Road, Briar Road and Bell Avenue or on one nearby, we can visit to measure up for alcove units. If you’re just outside Gallows Corner, we also cover Gidea Park (1 mile west), Ardleigh Green (1 mile south), Heath Park (1 mile south), Emerson Park (1 mile south-east) and Hornchurch (2 miles south). Other parts of Havering we cover include Romford (2 miles south-west), Elm Park (3 miles south), Collier Row (2 miles west), Rainham (5 miles south), Upminster (3 miles south-east) and South Hornchurch (5 miles south). Gallows Corner is one of the larger places we cover in Havering.
Around Gallows Corner
In Gallows Corner, that includes homes near Havering College of Further and Higher Education, The Ship Public House and Ardleigh Green Junior School and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Gidea Park station, roughly 0.8 miles south-west. Other landmarks nearby include Harold Wood Hospital (0.6 miles east) and The Mercury Mall (1.5 miles south-west). Open spaces near Gallows Corner include Bedfords Park.
Bespoke alcove units or ready-made?
To be fair, a standalone bookcase or cabinet can go with you to your next home. Built-in units become part of the room and remain when you move on. It depends on how long you expect to stay. If a house has been extended or knocked through, the new walls and the old ones may not line up, which shows up against standard furniture. Fitted pieces are scribed to both.
Getting to the room affects the job as well. Narrow halls, tight stairs or a small lift may mean the furniture is made in more sections, and that’s part of the price. The price comes in a written quote, worked out from the measurements and the design you choose.
Why choose Bespoke Carpentry in Gallows Corner
- Built from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood
- Finished by spray or by hand
- Fitted tight to walls that are not straight
- Work across the whole of London
Take a look at our comparison of bespoke and off-the-shelf or what to look for in a quote.