Example photo by Pete Alexopoulos on Unsplash, not our project
Greenwich · London
New Charlton Alcove Units
Thinking about alcove units in New Charlton? It starts with a design visit to measure and talk through ideas, then a written quote, before anything is made.
- Clutter with nowhere to go
- Shelving for books and records
- A desk that tucks into an alcove
Alcove units for your home in New Charlton
Alcove units in New Charlton: local notes
Homes built before 1919 make up about 34% of the housing in the neighbourhood around New Charlton, with about 29% built between 1945 and 1972, according to Valuation Office Agency council tax figures (2025). It is a good starting point, though every room is still measured, as two homes of the same age rarely match. New Charlton is partly covered by a conservation area, going by Historic England’s data. Fitted furniture inside a house doesn’t normally need planning permission in a conservation area, as the controls are mostly concerned with the outside of buildings. If you want to be certain, ask the council’s planning team. Purpose-built flats are home to about 43% of households in the neighbourhood around New Charlton, based on Census 2021. For a flat, alcove units are made in sections sized for the stairs, the lift and the doors. Many blocks have rules on lift booking and working hours, so check with the managing agent before fitting day.
If your home is one of the older houses near St Catherine Labouré, picture rails and cornices give alcove units a line to finish at. Close to Thames Barrier Park? Alcove units can be arranged to keep the window and the light clear.
New Charlton is about 2 miles east of Plumstead, part of the Royal Borough of Greenwich. Whether your home in New Charlton is a terraced house, a flat or a newer build, we measure the room as it is and design around it. In Greenwich, New Charlton is one of the places we cover, and the borough has 18 places on our list.
Design visits and fitting in SE7, SE18 and E16 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Our area takes in homes on streets like Floyd Road, Priolo Road and Hasted Road, along with the roads around them, whether you want alcove units or another piece made for the room. Other places close to New Charlton include Charlton (1 mile south-east), Westcombe Park (1 mile south-west), Woolwich (1 mile east), Vanbrugh Park Estate (1 mile south-west) and Maze Hill (2 miles south-west). Other parts of Greenwich we cover include Plumstead (2 miles east), Eltham (3 miles south), Well Hall (2 miles south), Coldharbour (4 miles south), Kidbrooke (2 miles south) and New Eltham (4 miles south).
Near you in New Charlton
In New Charlton, that includes homes near Wildwood Montessori School and The Victoria pub. New Charlton has its own railway station: Charlton station. A little further out are Charlton Athletic Museum (within half a mile south) and British Hospital for Mothers and Babies (0.6 miles east). Green spaces nearby include Gilbert's Pit.
Alcove units in New Charlton: what you get
A classic layout is a low cupboard with open shelves above. Closed cupboards hide everyday clutter, while the shelves hold books and the things you want on show. The cupboard top gives you a ledge for a lamp, a speaker or a plant. We set the heights to suit the room and what you will store. If your home has old alcove cupboards that have seen better days and bowed walls and sloping floors, that’s what alcove units are for, made from birch plywood and moisture-resistant MDF with a spray-painted or hand-painted finish.
Some living rooms in London have tall ceilings and cornices, while others have low, plain ceilings. In New Charlton, as anywhere, we measure the height as carefully as the width, because it decides how tall alcove units can go. Sections are sized for the stairs and doors on the way in.
A written quote follows the design visit. It describes the design we discussed, the materials and the finish, so it’s clear what’s included.
- Place
- New Charlton (SE7, SE18, E16)
- Area
- Greenwich
- Prices
- Quoted for your room
- To begin
- A design visit: we measure and talk it through
- Making
- Made in our workshop and fitted on site
- Made from
- MDF and birch plywood, painted
- When we fit
- Monday to Friday; Saturdays by arrangement
- Contact
- Our contact form
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Is bespoke worth it?
Shop-bought shelving and cabinets can go in an alcove, and they’re typically cheaper. The trouble is normally the gaps: standard sizes seldom match the alcove, and walls that are not straight show up every gap. A bespoke unit is built to the alcove and scribed to follow the wall. Walls and floors are seldom perfectly flat in any home, and standalone units show it with gaps and wobbles. Built-in pieces are adjusted to the room as they go in.
The inside of the furniture affects the price as well: rails, shelves, drawers and dividers all add work. We’ll talk through what you need inside at the measuring visit, then set it out in the quote.
Why us?
- Every London borough and the City of London covered
- Saturday work by prior arrangement
- More than 300 projects completed
- Edges scribed to follow your walls
See our comparison of bespoke and off-the-shelf or how to compare quotes.
Why people ask for alcove units in New Charlton
Many people ask about alcove units because the alcoves are the most obvious wasted space they have. Off-the-shelf furniture rarely fits them, leaving gaps at the sides and above. A fitted unit fills the recess from wall to wall.
If any of these sound familiar, it’s worth getting in touch:
- Worn or badly fitted alcove units
- Toys and paperwork with no proper home
- A desk that tucks into an alcove
- Alcoves that are not square
Living in a block of flats near Charlton station? Then each piece is planned so it can be carried up and joined together in the room.
Questions to ask before you hire anyone
- Whether the route into your home has been checked
- Do they scribe the furniture to the walls?
- Who does any electrics, plumbing or gas work
- Where they’ll park and unload
Also near New Charlton
What else we make in New Charlton
Fitting day, step by step
Furniture made in a workshop still has to meet the room it’s going into, and fitting day is where that happens. Walls in older homes are rarely flat or square, so we scribe the edges by hand to follow the wall. How long the fitting itself takes depends on the size and number of units, and your quote sets out the fitting days. Before fitting day, we check the route in along with the room itself, so alcove units arrive in sections that fit through. Floors and doorways are protected while the pieces come in.
- To begin, tell us about the room on our contact form; a brief note on the room and the alcoves is enough, and mention if you live in a flat or up a few flights of stairs.
- We visit to measure the alcoves, go through the design and check the route from the street to the room.
- We then send a written quote for the units.
- The units are made in our workshop from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood, in sections sized to come through your door.
- We carry the sections in, assemble them in the alcoves and scribe them to the walls. A spray-painted finish arrives done; a hand-painted one is applied once the units are in.
Getting ready for fitting day
- Let us know if your street is in a controlled parking zone
- Take anything hanging off the wall we’re fitting to
- Move anything in the hall or on the stairs out of the way
Arranging a design visit
The quote is built from the design visit. We take full measurements, see how true the walls and floors are and work through the design together. Afterwards, we send a written quote for you to look over. To arrange the visit, message us from the contact page.
Advice
What affects the cost of alcove units
The price for your room depends on:
- What goes inside: rails, shelves, drawers and dividers
- Stairs, lifts and the route to the room
- How many doors and drawers there are
- Whether you choose a spray or hand-painted finish
Awkward rooms take more time: walls that lean, floors that slope and sloping ceilings all mean more scribing and cutting. That is reflected in the quote, which we write after seeing the room.
Before the design visit
The more you can tell us at the start, the better the design visit goes. When you get in touch, it is useful to send:
- Where you live, with the postcode
- How you want to use the space
- Pictures of the whole wall or room, including the floor and ceiling
- Any ideas or images you’ve saved
Your quote is written for your room once we’ve visited and measured. Each room is different, so we quote after seeing it, once the room is measured and the design talked through. To arrange a visit, drop us a line using the contact form.
Flats, leases and landlords
In conversions and newer blocks, many internal walls are timber or metal stud with plasterboard. We choose fixings to suit the wall, which we check at the measuring visit.
In a managed block, the building manager or concierge may need notice before we arrive. If there is a lift, it may need booking, and its size matters when we plan the sections. Mention it when you contact us.
Your questions about alcove units in New Charlton
I live in a flat in New Charlton. How will the furniture get up the stairs?
At the design visit, we measure the way in along with the room itself. Alcove units are made in our workshop in sections sized to fit that route, then assembled in your flat. It is useful to check any building rules and your lease before fitting day.
Is parking a problem for fitting in New Charlton?
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 design visit.
What affects the price of alcove units?
It depends on the size, the number of doors and drawers, the internal fittings and the finish. The price comes in a written quote after the design visit.
How do I get a quote?
It’s easiest to fill in our short enquiry form with some details about the room. After that, we arrange a design visit and follow it with a quote in writing.
Which finishes are there for alcove units?
Either a spray-painted or a hand-painted finish. A sprayed finish is very smooth and even. We talk through both at the design visit.
Should I send photos?
Yes. Pictures help us understand the room before the design visit, along with rough measurements. Show anything the furniture has to work around, like radiators or sockets.