Example photo by Pete Alexopoulos on Unsplash, not our project
Camden · London
Alcove Units in Hampstead
Thinking about alcove units in Hampstead? It starts with a design visit to measure and talk through ideas, then a written quote.
- A desk that tucks into an alcove
- Standard units leaving gaps at the sides
- Everyday clutter left on show
Ask about alcove units in Hampstead
Built-in living-room furniture in Hampstead
The biggest shares of homes in the neighbourhood around Hampstead were built before 1919 (about 68%) and between 1919 and 1939 (about 9%), on the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax figures for 2025. Each era brings its own kind of wall, ceiling height and floor, so it shapes the design from the first measurement. 11 conservation areas have at least part of their area less than a mile from the middle of Hampstead. Historic England says England has around 10,000, and the controls mainly cover the outside of buildings, so fitted furniture inside a house doesn’t normally need planning permission. Flats in converted or shared houses account for about 42% of households in the area around Hampstead, according to Census 2021. In a converted house, rooms can be odd shapes, with new partitions meeting old walls, and the way in often goes up shared stairs. If your flat is leasehold, check your lease before anything is fixed to the walls.
The wider area includes historic houses like Fenton House, about 0.4 miles north. If your own home is a period one, the alcoves beside a chimney breast are the natural place for alcove units. Near listed buildings like Institute of St Marcellina, less than half a mile north of the centre of Hampstead, older homes may keep original joinery that alcove units can be designed around. For a listed home, fixing into original features can need listed building consent. Close to Kilburn Grange Park? A room that looks out on trees deserves a design that leaves the window alone.
Hampstead is about 3 miles south-east of St Pancras, in the London Borough of Camden. We work across all London boroughs and the City of London, and Hampstead is part of that. In Camden, Hampstead is one of the places we cover, and the borough has 28 places on our list.
Every address in NW3, NW6, NW11 and N2 is covered for alcove units. Streets in the area include Hampstead High Street, New End Square and The Mount Square, and we cover homes on all of them for alcove units. Hampstead is near the A1 and A502; on busy main roads, unloading alcove units takes a little planning. Neighbouring places we cover for alcove units include Greenhill (1 mile north-east), West Hampstead (1 mile west), Fortune Green (1 mile west), Vale of Health (1 mile north) and South Hampstead (1 mile south). We also make alcove units in nearby places like St Pancras (3 miles south-east), West End (4 miles south-east), St Giles (4 miles south-east), Seven Dials (4 miles south-east), Holborn (4 miles south-east) and Bloomsbury (3 miles south-east). Hampstead is one of the larger places we cover in Camden.
Around Hampstead
The streets we cover here include those near South Hampstead High School, King William IV Public House and Cecil Sharp House and the streets around them. Hampstead has its own railway station: Finchley Road & Frognal station. Nearby you’ll also find O2 Centre (less than half a mile south) and Isokon Gallery (0.8 miles east). Green spaces nearby include Belsize Wood and Parliament Hill.
Alcove units for homes in Hampstead
We work across London, including Hampstead. The first step is a design visit to measure the alcoves and agree the layout. Then you receive a quote, and once you’re happy the units are made in our workshop and fitted in your home. People typically come to us about walls too uneven for standard furniture and shop-bought shelving that doesn’t fill the recess; the furniture is made from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood, finished by spray or by hand.
In streets where so much of the housing went up before 1919, as it did around Hampstead, the living room is often two rooms knocked through, with a chimney breast in each half. One pair of alcoves might take shelves and the other cupboards, a TV or a desk. Some internal walls in houses of that age are lath and plaster, so fixings are chosen to suit what’s behind the paint, and long shelves are sized so they do not sag under books.
After the design visit, we send you a quote in writing. It describes the design we discussed, the materials and the finish, so it is clear what’s included.
- Place
- Hampstead (NW3, NW6, NW11, N2)
- Borough
- Camden
- Cost
- Quoted for your room
- To begin
- We visit, measure, then quote
- Made
- In our workshop, then fitted in your home
- Made from
- MDF and birch plywood, painted
- Fitting days
- Monday to Friday; Saturdays by arrangement
- Get in touch
- Send us a message
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Nearby places to Hampstead
Also in Hampstead
Why bespoke in Hampstead?
In fairness, standalone furniture comes with you when you move. Built-in units become part of the room and are left behind when you go. Which suits you depends on your plans. Off-the-shelf furniture is made for flat walls and level floors, which older houses rarely have, so it leaves gaps at the wall, tilts on sloping floors or sits awkwardly against skirting and picture rails. Fitted furniture is scribed to the wall instead.
Your quote is written for your room once we’ve visited and measured. Size, the number of doors and drawers and the internal fittings make the biggest difference to the price.
Why choose us
- More than 300 projects completed
- Finished by spray or by hand
- Work across the whole of London
- Built around your room
Read our comparison of bespoke and off-the-shelf or what a quote should include.
What it is made from
Spray-painted finish
Because the units are sprayed before they come to you, there’s less painting to do in your home. Treat the units gently while the paint cures fully.
Hand-painted finish
A hand-painted finish can be done on site, after the units are fitted. Small marks are easy to touch up.
Pricing alcove units in Hampstead
A few things affect what fitted furniture costs:
- Awkward walls, sloping ceilings and uneven floors
- The width and height of the space
- Access to the room, such as stairs, lifts and narrow halls
- Spray painting or hand painting
The finish affects the cost: spray painting is done in the workshop, while hand painting can be done on site. Your choice, along with the size and the fittings, is reflected in the written quote.
What to send when you contact us
Ahead of the design visit, we will typically ask about:
- How you want to use the space
- Examples of the look you’re after
- Anything fixed to the wall that the furniture needs to work around
- The type of home and how the room is reached
A quote begins with a few details from you: the room, rough measurements and some pictures if you have them. To send them, fill in our short enquiry form. After that, we arrange a visit to measure and go through the design, then send a written quote.
Questions we are often asked
Is parking a problem for fitting in Hampstead?
It can be, as controlled parking zones cover much of inner London. Depending on the street, a visitor permit, a paid bay or a bay suspension through the council may be needed, and suspensions often need notice. Let us know what parking is near you at the measuring visit.
Do you cover homes near Finchley Road & Frognal station?
Yes. We cover all of Camden and the rest of London. You can tell us about the room on our contact form to arrange a design visit, and tell us about parking and access at the same time.
Will alcove units block the chimney vent?
Any vent in the chimney breast is kept clear when we design the units. A capped or blocked chimney should still be ventilated to help stop damp and we design around it.
Should I send pictures?
Yes. They give us a feel for the space before we visit, along with rough measurements. It helps to show radiators, sockets and anything else on the wall.
Can an alcove unit include a desk?
Yes. One alcove can take a desk with shelves above and a drawer or cupboard beneath. We plan the height and depth with you.
Do alcove units need to reach the ceiling?
It depends on the room and the look you want. Units can stop just under the picture rail or run up to the cornice. We agree the height at the measuring visit.
From workshop to your room
With the carcasses fixed and level, we hang any doors and fit any drawers or lids. Each one is adjusted until the gaps are even and it closes cleanly, and then we check it all again. How long fitting takes depends on how many alcoves there are and how tall the units go, and the fitting days are set out in your quote. On fitting day, edges are trimmed on site to follow the walls, so a clear area to work in near the room helps. We keep dust down and tidy as we go. Where the finish is hand-painted, it can be done after the pieces are in.
- You get in touch to say you’d like alcove units, with a note of the room they’re in.
- We come to measure and talk through cupboards, shelves, heights and doors.
- 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.
- The units are fitted in your home, ready to fill.
Before we arrive
- If you live in a block, book the lift and tell the building manager
- Get any new sockets or wiring done by your electrician before fitting day
- Make sure pets are kept safely away
Starting with a design visit
The price comes in a written quote, worked out from the measurements and the design you choose. Each room is different, so we quote after seeing it, once the room is measured and the design talked through. To arrange a visit, get in touch through our contact form.
Advice
Flat-pack or bespoke?
A confident DIYer can manage simple shelves or a standard wardrobe in a square room. Sloping ceilings, uneven floors and lath-and-plaster walls make it harder.
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.