Example photo by Pete Alexopoulos on Unsplash, not our project
Westminster · London
Lisson Grove Alcove Units
Planning alcove units for a home in Lisson Grove? We start with a design visit and a quote in writing, before anything is made.
- A place for a small desk
- Space for a growing book collection
- Everyday clutter left on show
Need alcove units in Lisson Grove?
How fitting works for alcove units
Furniture made in a workshop still has to meet the room it is going into, and that happens on fitting day. Walls in older homes are rarely flat or square, so each edge that meets a wall is scribed to follow it, until the line is tight. How long the fitting itself takes depends on the size and number of units, and the fitting days are set out in your quote. Where there’s no lift, each section is sized to be carried up the stairs safely. The stair turns and landings set the limit. Once inside, the sections are joined and fixed.
- You get in touch about alcove units and the room they’re for.
- We visit to measure the alcoves and go through the design, including the paint finish.
- The written quote then sets out the design, the materials and the finish you have picked.
- The units are built in our workshop from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood.
- 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
- Clear the area where the furniture is going
- Have your electrician move any sockets or switches beforehand
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
Ask for a quote
For a quote for alcove units in Lisson Grove, message us from the contact page. Let us know the room and the rough idea, plus any rough sizes. We will arrange a design visit, then send a quote in writing.
Advice
How we make alcove units for Lisson Grove
Most Victorian and Edwardian terraced houses have a chimney breast in the main rooms, with an alcove on each side. Built-in alcove units put that space to work as cupboards and shelving that look as though they belong there. If your home in Lisson Grove has alcoves like these, we design a unit for each one after we have measured them at a design visit. We make alcove units from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood, spray-painted or hand-painted, and people most often get in touch about a place for a small desk and cupboards in keeping with an older house.
In a flat, one room often does the work of a living room, dining room and study. Most households around Lisson Grove live in purpose-built flats, so alcove units that make use of the wall height are worth considering. Shallow units on one wall can hold more than a standalone bookcase while using less space.
After the design visit, we send you a quote in writing. It sets out the design we have talked through, the materials and the finish, so it’s clear what’s included.
- Location
- Lisson Grove (NW8, W1H, W2)
- Borough
- Westminster
- Prices
- Quoted for your room
- To begin
- We visit, measure, then quote
- Where it is made
- In our workshop, then fitted in your home
- Boards and paint
- MDF and plywood, painted to order
- Working days
- Weekdays; Saturdays on request
- Contact
- The contact form
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Before and after fitting day
Painted fitted furniture is easy to look after with a little care. A few things help it stay looking good:
- Look for a chimney vent that needs to stay clear
- Note the sizes of large things you want to store
- Mention parking and access when we visit
- Move things out of the alcoves so we can measure properly
A soft, slightly damp cloth is all painted units normally need. Skip scouring pads and harsh cleaners, as they can mark the finish. Wipe it dry when you’ve finished.
Watch for damp marks on the chimney breast or the walls near the units. The cause is a job for the right trade, not something paint will hide.
Common questions about alcove units
Can you fit furniture in a home close to London Marylebone station?
Yes. We cover all of Westminster and the rest of London. To get started, you can tell us about the room on our contact form with a few details about the room, and let us know about parking and access at the same time.
Does a conservation area in or near Lisson Grove affect fitted furniture?
Usually not: conservation area rules mainly cover the outside of buildings, and fitted furniture inside a house doesn’t normally need planning permission. If your home is listed, internal works that affect its character can require listed building consent, so check with the council first. The council’s planning or conservation team can tell you if in doubt.
Do photos help?
Yes, they help. A few pictures of the room, from floor to ceiling, tell us a lot, especially with rough sizes. You can send them when you use our contact form.
Can the fitting be on a Saturday?
Yes, we can arrange Saturdays. Let us know when you first get in touch.
Should alcove units go up to the ceiling?
That depends on the room and what you’d like to store. Units can stop just under the picture rail or run up to the cornice, or run to the ceiling for a built-in look. We agree the height at the design visit.
Are alcove units spray painted or hand painted?
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.
What it is made from
Plinths and scribe strips
Scribing means trimming the edges on site so they follow the wall. This closes the gap between a straight unit and a bowed alcove.
Spray-painted finish
Spraying in the workshop means the units arrive already finished, in the colour agreed with you. Give the paint time to cure fully once fitted.
Where other trades come in
Damp treatment and building work are for other specialists, and there are a few other limits too:
- New sockets or wiring (your electrician handles those)
- Plastering or repairing loose plaster in the alcoves
- Redecorating, which is for your decorator
If in doubt, you can get in touch through our contact form and describe the room before you arrange a visit. How a job runs, step by step.
What goes into it
- Spray-painted finish
- Birch plywood
- Panelled or flat doors
- Scribed side panels
- Moisture-resistant MDF
- Hand-painted finish
- Adjustable shelves
Why people ask for alcove units in Lisson Grove
A bedroom’s alcoves are often the best place for a wardrobe. Built into the alcove, a cupboard holds clothes without taking over the room, which matters in a smaller room.
Common reasons to get in touch include:
- Somewhere to keep books and records
- Everyday clutter left on show
- Empty alcoves either side of the chimney breast
- Standard units leaving gaps at the sides
If your home is as old as some of the listed buildings nearby, like Hanover Terrace, original features like shutters, panelling and fireplaces are worth designing around. For a listed home, fixing into original features can require listed building consent.
Choosing a carpenter
- Which materials they’ll use, named in the quote
- Whether the quote follows a visit to your home
- Whether the route into your home has been checked
- Can you see real work of theirs?
Also near Lisson Grove
Also in Lisson Grove
Alcove units in Lisson Grove: local notes
In the area around Lisson Grove, the largest groups of homes date from before 1919 (about 37%) and between 1945 and 1972 (about 18%), according to Valuation Office Agency council tax figures (2025). That matters for alcove units, as the build era decides whether a wall is solid brick, lath and plaster, block or plasterboard. There are 215 entries on the National Heritage List within half a mile of the centre of Lisson Grove. Original fireplaces, shutters and panelling are worth keeping where they survive, and alcove units can be designed to work around them. The ULEZ, run by TfL, takes in all of London, so Westminster is inside it. It applies to every van that comes to fit furniture in Lisson Grove. We go through parking and access at the measuring visit.
If you live near Regent's Park, shelving that stops short of the window keeps the view of the green. For families living near Gateway Academy, low doors that small hands can open, with books and ornaments higher up, suit a busy family room.
Lisson Grove is in the City of Westminster, about 1 mile south-east of City of Westminster. Lisson Grove is part of the area we cover, and the process is the same everywhere we work. Our Westminster coverage includes Lisson Grove, along with the rest of the borough.
Every home in NW8, W1H and W2 is covered for alcove units. Streets in the area include Hall Road, Park Road and Lodge Road, and homes on each of them are within our area for alcove units. The A5 and A40 run close to Lisson Grove, so if your home is on a main road, mention it when you get in touch. If you are just outside Lisson Grove, we also cover Paddington Green (1 mile south-west), Paddington (1 mile south), Little Venice (1 mile south-west), Connaught Village (1 mile south) and St John's Wood (1 mile north). Across the rest of Westminster, our area takes in Soho (2 miles south-east), Chinatown (2 miles south-east), St James's (2 miles south-east), Covent Garden (2 miles south-east), Aldwych (2 miles east) and Charing Cross (2 miles south-east).
Around Lisson Grove
Our area takes in the homes around St John's Wood Art School, Exeter Arms Public House and RIBA Library, among other places. There’s a railway station in Lisson Grove itself: London Marylebone station. Well-known places in the area include Kingly Court (1.6 miles south-east) and Maida Vale Hospital for Nervous Diseases (0.5 miles west). Open spaces near Lisson Grove include Greville Place nature reserve and The Long Water.