Example photo by Pete Alexopoulos on Unsplash, not our project
Newham · London
Alcove units in Maryland, Newham
We make alcove units in moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood for homes in Maryland. The finish is spray painted or hand painted, in a colour agreed with you.
- Everyday clutter left on show
- Shelving for books and records
- Alcoves that aren’t square
Ask about alcove units in Maryland
FAQs: alcove units in Maryland
Can you fit furniture in a home close to Stratford (London) station?
Yes, homes across Newham and the rest of London are within the area we cover. To get started, you can get in touch through our contact form with a few details about the room.
How do you fit alcove units in a flat in Maryland?
At the design visit, we measure the way in as well as the room. Alcove units are built in our workshop in sections sized to fit that route, then assembled in your flat. If your building has rules on lift booking or working hours, or your lease needs consent for alterations, it is worth checking those early.
Should I send photos?
Yes. They give us a feel for the space before we visit. Show anything the furniture has to work around, like radiators or sockets.
Is it possible to have a desk built into one alcove?
Yes. You can have a desk in one alcove and cupboards in the other, or matching desks in both. We will plan the desk around how you work.
Can you come on a Saturday?
Yes, we can arrange Saturdays. Let us know when you first get in touch, and we will see what we can do.
Who moves the sockets behind the alcove units?
We do not do electrical work. If you want sockets moved or added, your electrician should do that before we fit, and some electrical work in homes is covered by Part P of the Building Regulations. We can plan cut-outs and cable routes in the units around them.
About our alcove units in Maryland
Period alcoves are rarely square. The walls lean, the chimney breast may bow and the floor often slopes, often all at once. Each unit is built in 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. Adjustable feet or a plinth set it level. Typical reasons to get in touch are space for a growing book collection and walls too uneven for standard furniture, and the answer is made at our workshop from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood, spray-painted or hand-painted.
Homes built since 2000 are often open-plan, with the kitchen, dining and living space in one room, and many homes around Maryland were built in that time. Alcove units can give the sitting end of an open-plan room its own identity, without putting up a wall. Floors are protected throughout, as newer finishes mark easily.
You get the quote in writing, so there’s time to read it properly. It records the design, the materials and the finish we discussed.
- Where
- Maryland (E15, E20, E7)
- Borough
- Newham
- Prices
- Quoted for your room
- To begin
- Design visit, then a written quote
- Where it is made
- Workshop-made, then fitted
- Boards and paint
- Painted MDF and birch ply
- Fitting days
- Weekdays; Saturdays on request
- Get in touch
- Our contact form
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Could you do it yourself?
Flat-pack and off-the-shelf furniture has its place. In a room with square walls and standard sizes, it can work well, and it’s easy to buy.
It is worth being honest about cost: off-the-shelf furniture normally costs less up front. Bespoke makes more sense where the room is tricky, the space is valuable or you want the furniture to look built in.
Nearby places to Maryland
Also in Maryland
Living-room storage in Maryland
The biggest shares of homes in the area around Maryland were built since 2000 (about 55%) and before 1919 (about 19%), based on the Valuation Office Agency’s 2025 council tax data. The age of a home tells us a lot about its walls, floors and ceilings, and so about how alcove units are fixed and fitted. 4 conservation areas have at least part of their area less than a mile from the middle of Maryland. Historic England says England has around 10,000, and the controls mainly cover the outside of buildings, so fitted furniture inside a house does not normally need planning permission. About 55% of homes around Maryland were built since 2000, well above the figure for Newham as a whole, about 29%, on the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax figures for 2025. Newer homes often have stud walls and compact rooms, so fixings and sizes are planned with that in mind.
The wider area includes historic houses such as Sutton House, about 2.1 miles west. If your own home is a period one, walls that bow and floors that slope are why alcove units are scribed to fit rather than pushed into place. If you live near West Ham Park, shelving that stops short of the window keeps the view of the green.
Maryland is in the London Borough of Newham, about 2 miles south-east of Plaistow. We design and make alcove units for homes in Maryland, as part of our work in every London borough. Across Newham, we cover Maryland and the places around it.
Design visits and fitting in E15, E20 and E7 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. You’ll find streets here such as Cam Road, Ward Road and Wise Road, and homes on each of them are within our area for alcove units. We also cover the places around Maryland: Stratford (1 mile west), East Village (1 mile north-west), Temple Mills (1 mile north-west), West Ham (1 mile south-east) and Holloway Down (1 mile north). Across the rest of Newham, our area takes in Plaistow (2 miles south-east), Canning Town (2 miles south-east), East Ham (3 miles east), Upton Park (2 miles east), Greengate (2 miles south-east) and Plashet (2 miles east).
Near you in Maryland
In Maryland, that includes homes near The Two Puddings pub, Carpenters Primary School and Sarah Bonnell School. Maryland has its own railway station: Stratford (London) station. A little further out are Passmore Edwards Museum (0.5 miles east) and Queen Mary's Hospital for the East End (within half a mile east). Green spaces nearby include Old Ford Island.
How fitting works for alcove units
You are welcome to ask questions while we work. Most of the decisions were made at the measuring visit and set out in your quote, so the day itself is about careful fitting. How long the fitting takes depends on the size of the alcoves and what goes in them, and your quote sets out the fitting days. Before fixing into a stud wall, we check for pipes and cables, and heavy pieces are fixed into the studs or stand on the floor. Other trades handle any new sockets or plumbing, ideally before fitting day.
- You get in touch and describe the alcoves you want to fill.
- At the design visit we measure each alcove at several heights, because period walls are rarely flat or square.
- We send the design, materials and finish in a written quote.
- 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.
Before we arrive
- Take down pictures, mirrors and shelves from the wall
- Clear the hallway and stairs so the sections can come through
- Check the building’s rules for trades and lift bookings
Starting with a design visit
The price comes in a written quote, worked out from the measurements and the design you choose. Because every room is different, the quote comes after the design visit, once the room is measured and the design talked through. To arrange a visit, fill in our short enquiry form.
Read more
Before and after fitting day
A little care keeps the finish looking good. Here are our suggestions:
- Check whether there is a vent in the chimney breast
- Decide what goes behind doors and what goes on show
- Make the alcoves easy to reach for measuring
- Talk to your electrician early if you want new sockets
Paint is dry to the touch well before it has fully cured. At first, go gently with the new paintwork: lift things onto the shelves rather than sliding them, and don’t scrub the surfaces.
Use a mat under plants, vases and drinks. Dry any spills quickly.
How we price alcove units
A few things affect what fitted furniture costs:
- Access to the room, such as stairs, lifts and narrow halls
- How many doors and drawers there are
- The width and height of the space
- Hanging rails, shelves, drawers and other fittings inside
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. Tell us about parking during the design visit, so it can be planned.
Getting in touch
A little information at the start saves time later. Where you can, include:
- Radiators, sockets, pipes or meters on or near the wall
- The type of home and how the room is reached
- Your postcode and the borough
- Rough sizes, even if they’re only to the nearest few centimetres
We quote once we’ve seen the room. At the visit, we measure, look at the walls and floors and talk through the design with you, then send a quote in writing. Your quote is written for your room once we’ve visited and measured. To book a design visit, message us from the contact page.
Is it time for alcove units?
Some homes already have alcove cupboards, but they’ve seen better days. New units are a chance to rethink how the space works, from the shelf heights to the doors.
People typically get in touch with us about needs like these:
- Toys and paperwork with no proper home
- Bowed walls and sloping floors
- Tired cupboards in the alcoves
- Cupboards in keeping with an older house
Near listed buildings like The Theatre Royal, less than half a mile east of the centre of Maryland, older homes may keep original joinery that alcove units can be designed around. If your own home is listed, check with the council before fixing into original features.
Choosing a carpenter
- How they’ll get the furniture into the room
- Will the doors close with even gaps?
- Whether the quote says what the furniture is made from
- Will the quote be in writing?