Example photo by Pete Alexopoulos on Unsplash, not our project
Havering · London
Hornchurch Alcove Units
Alcove units in Hornchurch: cupboards and shelves built into the alcoves beside a chimney breast. We visit to measure and go through the design, make the furniture in our workshop and fit it.
- Shop-bought shelving that does not fill the recess
- Toys and paperwork with no proper home
- Alcoves that are not square
Alcove units in Hornchurch
About our alcove units in Hornchurch
A capped or blocked chimney should still be ventilated to help stop damp. Units are planned so any vent stays clear, rather than boxing it in. Any damp in the alcoves should be dealt with by the right trade before the units go in so the new furniture starts on a dry wall. We make alcove units from birch ply and moisture-resistant MDF, painted by hand or sprayed, and the usual reasons to get in touch are somewhere to keep books and records and toys and paperwork with no proper home.
A typical 1930s semi has a bay window at the front and a chimney breast with a recess either side. Around Hornchurch, interwar houses, semis and detached homes make up a big part of the housing, so that layout is worth knowing well. We tend to plan alcove units along the chimney breast wall so the bay keeps its light, though every room is measured first.
We write quotes in plain English, without jargon. They say what will be made, what it is made from and how it will be finished.
- Location
- Hornchurch (RM12, RM11, RM14, RM1)
- Area
- Havering
- Cost
- Quoted for your room
- How it starts
- A design visit: we measure and talk it through
- Made
- Workshop-made, then fitted
- Materials and finish
- MDF and plywood, painted to order
- When we fit
- Weekdays (Saturdays if arranged)
- Enquiries
- Send us a message
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Materials and finishes
Spray-painted finish
Because the units are sprayed before they come to you, there’s less painting to do in your home, in the colour agreed with you. Give the paint time to cure fully once fitted.
Moisture-resistant MDF
Moisture-resistant MDF is stable and takes paint well, which makes it our choice for doors and visible panels. It is a sensible choice where an alcove sits against an external wall.
Living-room storage in Hornchurch
Homes built between 1919 and 1939 make up about 65% of the housing in the neighbourhood around Hornchurch, with about 16% built between 1945 and 1972, on the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax figures for 2025. It’s a good starting point, though every room is still measured, as two homes of the same age rarely match. The National Heritage List records 13 entries within half a mile of the centre of Hornchurch. Being near listed buildings doesn’t make a home listed, and you can check any address on Historic England’s list. Controlled parking zones are run by the boroughs, so the rules in Havering are set locally. Where a street in Hornchurch is controlled, a van may need a visitor permit, a paid bay or a bay suspension from the council. Parking near your home is worth mentioning at the design visit.
Hare Hall, about 1.8 miles north, is one of the historic houses in the wider area. For a period home anywhere nearby, picture rails and cornices give alcove units a line to finish at. Near listed buildings like Parish Church of St Andrew, about 0.5 miles east of the centre of Hornchurch, older homes may keep original joinery that alcove units can be designed around. For a listed home, fixing into original features can require listed building consent. If you live in a period home close to Saint George's Church, walls that bow and floors that slope are why alcove units are scribed to fit rather than pushed into place.
Hornchurch is in the London Borough of Havering, about 2 miles north-west of Romford. Hornchurch is part of the area we cover, and the process is the same everywhere we work. Hornchurch is one of 22 places on our list for Havering.
Postcode districts we cover here for alcove units: RM12, RM11, RM14 and RM1. Our area takes in homes on streets like High Street, The Avenue and Stanley Road, whether you want alcove units or another piece made for the room. Main roads around Hornchurch include the A125. Neighbouring places we cover for alcove units include Upminster Bridge (1 mile east), Heath Park (1 mile north-west), Emerson Park (1 mile north-east), Hacton (2 miles south) and Ardleigh Green (2 miles north). Across the rest of Havering, our area takes in Romford (2 miles north-west), Gallows Corner (2 miles north), Collier Row (3 miles north-west), Rainham (3 miles south), South Hornchurch (2 miles south-west) and Rise Park (3 miles north-west). As one of the bigger places in Havering, Hornchurch is covered for alcove units and everything else we make.
Landmarks near Hornchurch
Around Hornchurch, we cover homes near J.J. Moon's pub and Abbs Cross Academy and Arts College and the streets around them. Hornchurch’s nearest station is Emerson Park station, about 0.7 miles north. Well-known places in the area include The Brewery (1.8 miles north-west) and Upminster Tithe Barn Museum of Nostalgia (1.9 miles east). Green spaces nearby include Hornchurch Cutting.
Also near Hornchurch
Also in Hornchurch
Why bespoke in Hornchurch?
Alcoves vary in depth, and the chimney breast decides how far a unit can come out. Standard cabinets can stand proud of the breast or sit too far back. We set the depth to suit the room, flush with the chimney breast or set back from it. Ready-made furniture rarely suits a bay, a box room or a bulkhead over the stairs, and those are common in interwar houses. Fitted furniture is made around them.
Because every job is different, the cost is set out in a written quote after the visit. A larger piece means more material and more time, so size is the starting point. Doors, drawers, internal fittings and the finish make up most of the rest.
Why work with us in Hornchurch
- Made in moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood
- Saturday visits and fitting by prior arrangement
- Workshop-made and fitted by us
- Every quote follows a design visit
Read how bespoke compares with ready-made or what to look for in a quote.
What happens on fitting day
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’s fixed to the wall using fixings that suit the wall, whether that is solid brick, lath and plaster or plasterboard. Fitting day means carrying in the sections, joining them and fitting them to the walls. Hand-painted furniture can be finished on site; spray-painted pieces arrive finished from the workshop. Saturdays can be arranged.
- You contact us with a few details about the chimney breast and alcoves.
- At the design visit we measure each alcove at several heights, because period walls are rarely flat or square, then talk through the design with you.
- You get a written quote for the units, materials and finish.
- In our workshop the units are made from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood, with a little extra left on the edges that meet the wall.
- On fitting day we level the units and scribe the edges so they follow the line of the plaster. Spray-painted units arrive finished; hand-painted ones are painted once fitted.
Preparing the room
- Book any lift and let the concierge or building manager know
- Let us know where the boiler and meters are
- Move anything in the hall or on the stairs out of the way
Arranging a design visit
Rough sizes are fine at the start. We measure everything properly during the design visit. To get started, message us from the contact page. The written quote follows the visit.
Related advice
What we do not do
We make and fit furniture, and we do not do electrics, plumbing, gas, plastering or structural work. Please bear these in mind too:
- Redecorating, which is for your decorator
- Finding and fixing the cause of damp
- Taking out a chimney breast or opening up a fireplace
If in doubt, you can send us a few details through our contact form and describe the room. How it works.
What it’s made from
- Panelled or flat doors
- Adjustable shelves
- Moisture-resistant MDF
- Birch plywood
- Scribed side panels
- Spray-painted finish
- Hand-painted finish
When is bespoke worth it?
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. That is something we plan for in the design.
Cost matters, and it is fair to say so: flat-pack is usually cheaper to buy. Bespoke makes more sense where the room is awkward, the space is valuable or you want the furniture to look built in.
Your questions about alcove units in Hornchurch
Can parking be tricky on fitting day in Hornchurch?
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. It’s useful to let us know about parking during the design visit, so we can plan the day around it.
Do you make alcove units for homes in Hornchurch?
Yes, Hornchurch is within the area we cover, which takes in all of Havering and the rest of London. We start with a design visit to measure the room and talk through what you need, and then we send a quote.
Are alcove units spray painted or hand painted?
We offer spray painting in the workshop and hand painting on site. Spray painting gives a smooth, factory-like finish. We talk through both during the design visit.
Will alcove units fit if my walls aren’t straight?
Yes. Most period alcoves are out of square in some way, so each unit is scribed to the wall on site. Adjustable feet or a plinth take care of a floor that slopes.
What happens when you come to measure?
It’s a chance to measure properly and talk through what you’d like. We also check the walls and floors and note radiators, sockets and other things in the way, and the written quote comes afterwards.
Should alcove units go up to 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, or run to the ceiling for a built-in look. The height is settled during the design visit.