Example photo by Pete Alexopoulos on Unsplash, not our project
Camden · London
Alcove units in Greenhill, Camden
Cupboards and shelves built into the alcoves beside a chimney breast, for homes in Greenhill. After a design visit and a written quote, it is made in our workshop and fitted in your home.
- Alcoves that aren’t square
- Standard units leaving gaps at the sides
- Storage that suits a period room
Ask about alcove units in Greenhill
Alcove units in Greenhill: what you get
Few alcoves in older houses are truly 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. A plinth or adjustable feet take up any slope in the floor. We make alcove units from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood, finished by spray or by hand, and the usual reasons to get in touch are empty alcoves either side of the chimney breast and room to work in an alcove.
Rooms in houses from before 1919 tend to have generous ceiling heights, and around Greenhill, a large share of homes are that age. That gives full-height alcove units room to reach the picture rail or the cornice, so the furniture looks as if it belongs to the house. Where a fireplace has been blocked up, the chimney still needs ventilating, and any damp is sorted before units go in.
The quote comes in writing, so you can read it at your own pace. It covers the design, materials and finish agreed at the visit.
- Place
- Greenhill (NW3, NW6)
- Borough
- Camden
- Price
- Quoted for your room
- First step
- We visit, measure, then quote
- Made
- Workshop-made, then fitted
- Made from
- Painted MDF and birch ply
- Working days
- Weekdays; Saturdays on request
- Enquiries
- Send us a message
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
From workshop to your room
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, until the line is tight. How long the fitting itself takes depends on the size of the alcoves and what goes in them, and the fitting days are set out in your quote. Older London houses often have narrow hallways and tight turns on the stairs, so alcove units are made in sections sized to get through. Floors and stair carpets are protected on the way in and out.
- It starts with a short message from you about the alcoves.
- We visit to measure the alcoves and go through the design, including the paint finish.
- A quote in writing follows, with the finish written in alongside the design and materials.
- 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.
- Paint needs time to cure, so go gently with the new units at first.
Preparing the room
- Have your electrician move any sockets or switches beforehand
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
- Move furniture and belongings away from the wall
Ask for a quote
We quote once we’ve seen the room. We measure the space, check the walls and floors and discuss what you’d like, and the written quote comes after. Because every job is different, the cost is set out in a written quote after the visit. To book a design visit, send us a few details through our contact form.
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Also near Greenhill
Also in Greenhill
What prompts alcove units in Greenhill
For some, it’s about books, records or a TV. An alcove unit can be shaped around what you own, with each shelf set to suit it.
People usually get in touch with us about things like these:
- Empty alcoves either side of the chimney breast
- Alcoves that are not square
- Everyday clutter left on show
- Shop-bought shelving that does not fill the recess
2 Willow Road, about 0.3 miles north-east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area. 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.
What to check before you book
- Have they thought about parking near you?
- Have they measured the stairs, lift and doorways?
- Do they scribe the furniture to the walls?
- How the doors are hung and adjusted
What we do not do
It is worth being clear about where our work stops:
- Decorating the rest of the room
- Removing or altering a chimney breast, which is structural work
- New sockets or wiring (your electrician handles those)
If you are not sure what’s possible in your room, you can use our contact form and we’ll give you a straight answer before you arrange a visit. How a job runs, step by step.
Boards, parts and finishes
- Moisture-resistant MDF
- Scribed side panels
- Panelled or flat doors
- Spray-painted finish
- Adjustable shelves
- Birch plywood
- Hand-painted finish
Bespoke or off-the-shelf?
Where bespoke earns its keep is in rooms that are not square. Older London rooms tend to have leaning walls, sloping floors and alcoves of different widths, which leaves standard units with gaps at the sides and top.
Standard units come in set widths and heights, so there’s 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 run to the ceiling and fill the width.
Questions from Greenhill
I live in a flat in Greenhill. How will the furniture get up the stairs?
We measure the route in along with the room itself: the stairs, landings, lift and doors. Alcove units are made in our workshop in sections sized to fit that route, then assembled in your flat. If your building has rules on lift booking or working hours, or your lease needs consent for alterations, it’s worth checking those early.
My home in Greenhill is a period house with walls that are not straight. Is that a problem?
Yes, that’s normal in older houses: each piece is scribed to the wall and levelled at the base. Skirting, picture rails and cornices are met neatly or cut around. Fixings are chosen for the wall, whether solid brick or lath and plaster.
Do you work on Saturdays?
Yes, we can arrange Saturdays. Let us know when you first get in touch.
Can I send pictures before the visit?
Yes, they help. Photos of the whole wall or room, including the floor and ceiling, give us a good idea of the space. You can send them when you message us from the contact page.
Does someone need to be home during the fitting?
We need someone to let us in at the start of the day. It is good to have someone there at the end to look over the work with us.
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. Spray painting is smooth and even, while hand painting is easy to touch up.
Greenhill homes and alcove units
In the neighbourhood around Greenhill, the largest groups of homes date from before 1919 (about 65%) and between 1919 and 1939 (about 10%), 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. Greenhill is partly covered by the Fitzjohns Netherhall Conservation Area, according to Historic England’s records. Fitted furniture inside a house does not normally need planning permission in a conservation area, as the controls are mostly concerned with the outside of buildings. If in doubt, the council’s planning team can confirm. Red routes are run by TfL, with tight limits on where and when vehicles can stop. If you live on or close to a main road in Greenhill, let us know at the design visit. It lets us plan the stop before fitting day.
Near listed buildings like Institute of St Marcellina, less than half a mile west of the centre of Greenhill, older homes may keep original joinery that alcove units can be designed around. If your own home is listed, check with the council before fixing into original features. If your children go to The Royal School or a school nearby, a cupboard for board games and a shelf for reading books can go into the same design.
Greenhill is about 3 miles south-east of St Pancras, within the London Borough of Camden. Our work covers every London borough and the City of London, Greenhill included. Across Camden, we cover Greenhill and the places around it.
Every home in NW3 and NW6 is within our area for alcove units. Streets in the area include Back Lane, Well Road and Ornan Road, and homes on each of them are within our area for alcove units. Neighbouring places we cover for alcove units include Hampstead (1 mile south-west), Vale of Health (1 mile north), West Hampstead (1 mile west), Fortune Green (1 mile west) and Haverstock (1 mile south-east). We also make alcove units in nearby places like St Pancras (3 miles south-east), West End (4 miles south-east), St Giles (3 miles south-east), Seven Dials (4 miles south-east), Holborn (4 miles south-east) and Bloomsbury (3 miles south-east).
Around Greenhill
We fit furniture in homes around Fitzjohn's Primary School, South Hampstead High School and Cecil Sharp House. Greenhill has its own railway station: Hampstead Heath station. Other landmarks nearby include O2 Centre (0.6 miles south-west) and New End Hospital (within half a mile north-west). Green spaces nearby include Belsize Wood and Parliament Hill.
How it is made
Birch plywood
We often use birch plywood for drawer boxes too because it stands up to daily use. It is painted to match the rest of the unit, or the edge is left as a detail.
Spray-painted finish
A spray-painted finish is applied in our workshop, for a smooth and even finish. It suits a crisp, modern look as well as a classic one.