Example photo by Pete Alexopoulos on Unsplash, not our project
Merton · London
Lower Morden Alcove Units
Planning alcove units for a home in Lower Morden? It starts with a design visit to measure and talk through ideas, then a written quote, before anything is made.
- Worn or badly fitted alcove units
- Alcoves that are not square
- Standard units leaving gaps at the sides
Alcove units designed for your room
Alcove units in Lower Morden: what you get
Few alcoves in older houses are truly square. The walls lean, the chimney breast may bow and the floor often slopes, sometimes all in one recess. Each unit is made at our workshop to our measurements and scribed to the walls when we fit it, so the sides meet the wall closely rather than showing a dark line. 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 units that sit well with original features and bowed walls and sloping floors.
Around Lower Morden, interwar houses or semi-detached and detached homes make up a good part of the housing. In a typical 1930s house, the front room has a bay at one end and a chimney breast with an alcove to either side, which decides where alcove units sit. Walls in houses of that age are usually straighter than in Victorian ones, though they’re still checked and scribed where needed.
A written quote follows the design visit. It sets out the design we have talked through, the materials and the finish, so you know exactly what you are getting.
- Place
- Lower Morden (SM4, SM3, KT4)
- Borough
- Merton
- Prices
- 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
- Painted MDF and birch ply
- Working days
- Weekdays; Saturdays on request
- Get in touch
- The contact form
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Living-room carpentry in Lower Morden: local notes
In the area around Lower Morden, the largest groups of homes date from between 1919 and 1939 (about 85%) and between 1945 and 1972 (about 6%), on the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax figures for 2025. That matters for alcove units, as the build era decides whether a wall is solid brick, lath and plaster, block or plasterboard. The centre of Lower Morden is within about a quarter of a mile of the Upper Morden Conservation Area. Planning controls in conservation areas are mainly concerned with the outside of buildings, so fitting furniture inside a house does not normally need permission. If in doubt, the council’s planning team can confirm. Each London borough runs its own parking controls, and Merton is no exception. Depending on your street in Lower Morden, a visitor permit, a paid bay or a council bay suspension may be needed. Parking near your home is worth mentioning at the design visit.
Close to Cannon Hill Common? A room that looks out on trees deserves a design that leaves the window alone. For an older house near St Martin's, walls that bow and floors that slope are why alcove units are scribed to fit rather than pushed into place. If your children go to Aragon Primary School or a school nearby, low doors that small hands can open, with books and ornaments higher up, suit a busy family room.
Lower Morden is about 2 miles north of Wimbledon, within the London Borough of Merton. Whether your home in Lower Morden is a terraced house, a flat or a newer build, the furniture is designed around the room as we find it. In Merton, Lower Morden is one of the places we cover.
Postcode districts we cover here for alcove units: SM4, SM3 and KT4. Whether you live on a street like Ash Road, Bow Lane and Garth Road or on one nearby, we can arrange a design visit for alcove units. Nearby, we also make alcove units in Morden (1 mile north-east), Sutton Common (1 mile east) and North Cheam (1 mile south). Elsewhere in Merton, we also cover Wimbledon (2 miles north), Colliers Wood (3 miles north-east), Eastfields (3 miles north-east), South Wimbledon (2 miles north-east), Merton Abbey (2 miles north-east) and Wimbledon Chase (2 miles north).
What’s near Lower Morden
The streets we cover here include those near Merton College, Lord Nelson pub and Glenthorne High School and the streets around them. The closest station to Lower Morden is St Helier station, about 0.9 miles east of the centre. Nearby you’ll also find St. Anthony's Hospital (0.6 miles south). Open spaces near Lower Morden include Derwent Floodwash.
Nearby places to Lower Morden
More for homes in Lower Morden
How it’s made
Moisture-resistant MDF
In an alcove unit, MDF gives smooth doors and tidy edges. Its moisture-resistant grade is a sensible choice beside a chimney breast.
Birch plywood
We often use birch plywood for drawer boxes too because it stands up to daily use. The edge can be painted or shown as a detail.
What happens on fitting day
If anything comes up on the day, just ask. Most of the decisions were made during the design visit and set out in your quote, so the day itself is about careful fitting and leaving everything tidy. The time the fitting takes depends on how many alcoves there are and how tall the units go, and your quote sets out the fitting days. In a 1920s or 1930s house, the hall and stairs are normally straightforward, though we still measure the route in as well as the room. The furniture comes in sections and is put together where it’s going.
- You get in touch to say you’d like alcove units.
- A design visit follows, where we measure up and agree the layout with you.
- A quote in writing follows, with the finish set out, ready for you to check.
- 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
- Take down pictures, mirrors and shelves from the wall
- Keep pets in another room while we work
- Let us know if your street is in a controlled parking zone
How to get a quote
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. To arrange a visit, fill in our short enquiry form.
Read more
Tips worth knowing
A little care keeps the finish looking good. These practical tips help:
- Book your electrician first if sockets need moving
- Clear the alcoves before the design visit if you can
- Think about what you will store before we meet
- Have any damp looked at before the units are made
Load the shelves evenly rather than piling weight in the middle. A full shelf of books is heavier than it looks, and an even load keeps the shelves straight.
Spread heavy loads and keep the heaviest things on lower shelves. Overloaded shelves are the main cause of sagging, so mention heavy collections when we plan the unit.
What affects the price in Lower Morden
A few things affect what fitted furniture costs:
- Tricky walls, sloping ceilings and uneven floors
- The internal fittings
- Access to the room, like stairs, lifts and narrow halls
- Whether you choose a spray or hand-painted finish
Parking is part of the price picture in London. The boroughs run controlled parking zones across much of the city, so we may need a visitor permit, a paid bay or a suspended bay near your home. It is useful to talk about parking at the design visit.
Helping us understand the room
Ahead of the design visit, we will typically ask about:
- Anything in the way, like radiators, sockets, switches, a boiler or meters
- Whether it is a house or a flat, and if there are stairs or a lift
- The postcode, so we can plan the visit
- Pictures of styles you like, if you have any
We quote once we have seen the room. At the visit, we measure, look at the walls and floors and talk through the design with you, 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, use our contact form.
Bespoke alcove units or ready-made?
Shelves in some flat-pack furniture are thin and can bow under books. Shelves in a bespoke unit are sized for the span and the load. That said, if you’re renting or moving soon, a good off-the-shelf unit may make more sense. Walls in interwar houses are straighter than in older ones, but rarely perfect, and standalone units can lean or gap. Fitted furniture is scribed and levelled on site.
The finish affects the cost: spray painting is done in the workshop, while hand painting can be done on site. The written quote reflects your choice, along with the size and fittings.
Why work with us in Lower Morden
- More than 300 projects completed
- Scribed to uneven walls
- We work across all London boroughs
- Made in moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood
Take a look at our comparison of bespoke and off-the-shelf or what a quote should include.
Common questions about alcove units
Does a conservation area in or near Lower Morden affect fitted furniture?
Not normally. Conservation area controls are largely about how buildings look from outside, so fitted furniture inside a house does not normally need planning permission. If your home is listed, changes inside that alter its character may need listed building consent, so check with the council first. The council’s planning or conservation team can tell you if in doubt.
Can you fit furniture in a home close to St Helier station?
Yes, homes across Merton and the rest of London are within the area we cover. To get started, you can send us a few details through our contact form with a few details about the room, and let us know about parking and access at the same time.
What if the wall is cold or damp?
An outside wall can be colder and damper than an inside one, so we allow for ventilation behind and inside the furniture, which helps avoid condensation and mould. Any damp needs sorting by the right specialist before fitting.
Do alcove units affect the chimney’s ventilation?
We design around any vent so it stays open. Ventilation helps keep a capped chimney dry, which protects the units as well as the wall. If there’s damp on the breast already, it’s best sorted before fitting.
Can the two alcove units be different?
It’s up to you. Matching units give a balanced, formal look around the chimney breast, but you might want a desk on one side and cupboards on the other. We can keep the details the same so they still look like a pair.
Can you build alcove units for alcoves that are not square?
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.