Example photo by Pete Alexopoulos on Unsplash, not our project
Enfield · London
Hadley Wood Alcove Units
Alcove units in Hadley Wood: cupboards and shelves built into the alcoves beside a chimney breast. We make each piece in our workshop and fit it in your home.
- Tired cupboards in the alcoves
- Toys and paperwork with no proper home
- Storage that suits a period room
Ask about alcove units in Hadley Wood
About our alcove units in Hadley Wood
Alcove units are made from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood, each used where it works best. MDF gives smooth doors and panels that take paint well, while birch plywood is strong and holds screws well. The finish is spray painted in the workshop or hand painted on site, in a colour agreed with you. We make alcove units from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood, spray-painted or hand-painted, and people most often get in touch about somewhere to keep books and records and units that sit well with original features.
Around Hadley Wood, where many homes date from the post-war decades, a living room often has plain walls and simple skirtings, so there are fewer mouldings to cut around. Alcove units can run cleanly to the ceiling. Wall types can vary within one home, so we check each wall and choose fixings to suit it.
A written quote is the clearest record of what we’ve agreed. It describes the alcove unit we’ve designed for the room, what it is made from and how it’s finished.
- Where
- Hadley Wood (EN4, EN5)
- Borough
- Enfield
- Cost
- Quoted for your room
- How it starts
- Design visit, then a quote in writing
- Made
- Made in our workshop and fitted on site
- Materials and finish
- MDF and plywood, painted to order
- Working days
- Monday to Friday; Saturdays by arrangement
- Get in touch
- Send us a message
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
How fitting works for alcove units
The last stage of the day is the finish. With a spray finish from the workshop, there is normally only filling and touching up to do in the room; hand painting, if that’s what you chose, can be done in place once everything is fitted. Either way, the finish is the one set out in your quote. Post-war homes often have concrete or block walls, so the right fixings are part of the plan for fitting day. Floors and doorways are protected while the sections come in, and the pieces are assembled in the room.
- 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.
- At the design visit, we measure both alcoves, check the walls and look at the skirting and picture rail. We also talk through heights, doors and shelves.
- We send a quote in writing setting out the layout, materials and finish. If anything needs changing, just tell us.
- Once you are happy, the units are built in our workshop.
- Fitting day: the units go in, are scribed to the alcoves and levelled on a plinth or feet.
How to prepare
- Arrange any electrical changes with your electrician in advance
- Empty the space we will be working in
- Leave a clear route from the front door to the room
Ask for a quote
For a quote for alcove units in Hadley Wood, drop us a line using the contact form. Let us know the room and the rough idea. We will arrange a design visit, then send a quote in writing.
Related advice
How it is made
Plinths and scribe strips
Scribing means trimming the edges on site so they follow the wall. It is how a straight unit meets a wall that is not straight.
Hand-painted finish
With a hand-painted finish, you see the colour in your own light. It also means any filling around scribed edges is painted in one go.
DIY, flat-pack or bespoke
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.
Cost matters, and it’s fair to say so: off-the-shelf furniture normally costs less up front. Bespoke earns its place where the room is tricky, space is tight or you want the furniture to look part of the house.
Common questions about alcove units
Can you make alcove units for a home in Hadley Wood?
Yes. Hadley Wood is one of the places we work, along with the rest of Enfield and London. To get started, you can drop us a line using the contact form with some details.
Will a conservation area stop me having alcove units fitted in Hadley Wood?
Not normally. Conservation area controls are mostly concerned with the outside of buildings, so fitted furniture inside a house doesn’t normally need planning permission. If your home is listed, works inside that affect its character can require listed building consent, so check with the council first. If you’re unsure, the council can confirm.
Can the fitting be on a Saturday?
Yes, by prior arrangement. If a Saturday works better for you, say so when you get in touch.
Will alcove units fit if my walls are not straight?
Yes. Few alcoves in older houses are truly square, so each unit is scribed to the wall on site. Adjustable feet or a plinth take care of a floor that slopes.
How do I get a quote?
Just tell us about the room on our contact form. Rough sizes and a few pictures help, and then we arrange a visit to measure and go through the design, followed by a quote in writing.
How tall should alcove units be?
It is up to you. Some people take the units right to the ceiling for the most storage, while others stop them at the picture rail or leave open shelves above a low cupboard. We will go through what suits your room when we visit.
Places near Hadley Wood
Also in Hadley Wood
Bespoke or off-the-shelf?
Bought units stop at standard heights, which usually leaves a gap above. We can take a bespoke unit to the ceiling or stop it at the picture rail, depending on the room. Skirting boards stop standalone furniture sitting flat against the wall, which wastes depth and gathers dust. Built-in pieces sit tight to the wall, scribed over the skirting.
In London, parking can affect the price. Much of London is covered by controlled parking zones, so we may need a visitor permit, a paid bay or a suspended bay near your home. It helps to talk about parking at the design visit, so we can plan for it.
Why choose us
- Designed for the room you have
- A spray or hand-painted finish
- Every quote follows a design visit
- More than 300 projects completed
Take a look at bespoke vs off-the-shelf and what to look for in a quote.
Looking after your furniture
Because fitted furniture stays put, a little upkeep goes a long way. A few pointers help:
- Make the alcoves easy to reach for measuring
- Have any damp looked at before the units are made
- Note the sizes of large things you want to store
- Think about what you’ll store before we meet
Doors can settle a little once the units are in use. Hinges can usually be adjusted to bring a door back in line, which deals with a door that starts to catch.
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 mention heavy collections when we plan the unit.
Hadley Wood homes and alcove units
Homes built between 1945 and 1972 make up about 31% of the housing in the neighbourhood around Hadley Wood, with about 25% built between 1973 and 1999, based on the Valuation Office Agency’s 2025 council tax data. Each era brings its own kind of wall, ceiling height and floor, so it shapes the design from the first measurement. Hadley Wood is partly covered by a conservation area, going by Historic England’s data. The controls in a conservation area are mostly about the outside of buildings, so furniture fitted inside a house doesn’t normally need planning permission. The council can confirm if you are not sure. All of London, Enfield included, is inside the ULEZ. Vans bringing furniture to Hadley Wood fall under it, just as they do across the rest of London. Parking and access are planned at the design visit.
Close to Tudor Sports Ground? Alcove units can be planned to frame a window with a view rather than block it. Living in a block of flats near Hadley Wood station? Then each piece is planned so it can be carried up and joined together in the room. If your home is as old as some of the listed buildings nearby, such as Camlet House, original features like shutters, panelling and fireplaces are worth designing around. If your own home is listed, check with the council before fixing into original features.
Hadley Wood is in the London Borough of Enfield, about 6 miles south-east of Edmonton. Homes in Hadley Wood are part of the area we cover for alcove units, as part of our work in every London borough. Hadley Wood is one of 26 places on our list for Enfield.
Design visits and fitting in EN4 and EN5 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Streets in the area include Hertford Road, Bartrams Lane and Parkgate Avenue, and homes on each of them are within our area for alcove units. Close by, we also work in Cockfosters (1 mile south-east), Monken Hadley (1 mile west), New Barnet (1 mile south), Barnet (1 mile south-west) and Underhill (1 mile south-west). We also make alcove units in nearby places such as Edmonton (6 miles south-east), Enfield (4 miles east), Palmers Green (4 miles south-east), New Southgate (4 miles south), Enfield Chase (3 miles east) and Bush Hill Park (4 miles east).
Local landmarks in Hadley Wood
Around Hadley Wood, we cover homes near JCoSS, The Hadley Hotel and Trent School Cockfosters. Hadley Wood’s nearest station is Hadley Wood station, about 0.5 miles north. A little further out are Spires Shopping Centre (1.4 miles west) and Barnet General Hospital (2 miles south-west). Open spaces near Hadley Wood include Covert Way.