Example photo by Pete Alexopoulos on Unsplash, not our project
Bexley · London
Alcove units in North End, Bexley
For homes in North End, we make alcove units from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood. The finish is spray painted or hand painted, in a colour agreed with you.
- Clutter with nowhere to go
- Worn or badly fitted alcove units
- Walls too uneven for standard furniture
Need alcove units in North End?
Alcove units in North End
Some alcoves suit a full-height unit, with doors from floor to ceiling. In bedrooms, this often becomes a compact wardrobe or a place for bedding. At the design visit we ask what you plan to keep there, so shelves and rails go where they’re needed. If your home has old alcove cupboards that have seen better days and alcoves that are wasted space, alcove units made from MDF made to resist moisture and birch plywood, then spray-painted or hand-painted can solve it.
Many homes around North End date from the post-war decades. Post-war rooms tend to be squarer, with fewer alcoves and often no chimney breast. That makes a full wall of alcove units a strong option, or a recess built out with cupboards either side. Some walls of that age are concrete or blockwork, and the fixings are matched to them.
Where other trades are needed, for example an electrician to move a socket, we point that out, so it can be arranged before fitting day. The quote itself covers our work, from the design to the materials and finish.
- Place
- North End (DA8, DA1, DA7)
- Borough
- Bexley
- Cost
- Quoted for your room
- First step
- A design visit: we measure and talk it through
- Where it is made
- In our workshop, then fitted in your home
- Boards and paint
- Painted MDF and birch ply
- Fitting days
- Monday to Friday; Saturdays by prior arrangement
- Enquiries
- Our contact form
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Tips worth knowing
These points come up often when people plan alcove units. They’re worth knowing before and after fitting:
- Think about what you will store before we meet
- Make the alcoves easy to reach for measuring
- Note any vent or air brick on the chimney breast
- Think about how the units meet the picture rail and cornice
Keep a record of the colour so any touch-ups match. Hand-painted finishes are the easiest to touch up in place, and it helps to keep a little of the paint.
Put coasters or mats under anything that holds water, since standing water can mark painted shelves. Dry any spills quickly.
Places near North End
What else we make in North End
North End homes and alcove units
The biggest shares of homes in the streets around North End were built between 1945 and 1972 (about 33%) and between 1973 and 1999 (about 29%), based on the Valuation Office Agency’s 2025 council tax data. It’s a good starting point, though every room is still measured, as two homes of the same age rarely match. The Oak Road Conservation Area is close by, within about a quarter of a mile of the centre of North End. Conservation area controls are mainly about the outside of buildings, and fitted furniture inside a house doesn’t normally need planning permission. If in doubt, the council’s planning team can confirm. Many London boroughs run controlled parking zones, and Bexley sets its own rules. If parking near you is controlled, a visitor permit or a bay suspension may be needed, and the council arranges suspensions, often with notice. Parking near your home is worth mentioning at the measuring visit.
For a family home near St. Paul's (Slade Green) Church of England Primary School, alcove units can be planned with low cupboards for toys and higher shelves for everything else. For a flat near Slade Green station, it helps to book the lift and tell the concierge before fitting day. For an older house near St. Augustine's Church, the alcoves beside a chimney breast are the natural place for alcove units.
North End is part of the London Borough of Bexley, about 5 miles south-west of Sidcup. Homes in North End are part of the area we cover for alcove units. Across Bexley, we cover North End.
Every home in DA8, DA1 and DA7 is within our area for alcove units, from the main roads to the quieter streets. Our area takes in homes on streets such as Oak Road, Elm Road and Moat Lane, along with the roads around them, whether you want alcove units or another piece made for the room. We also cover the places around North End: Slade Green (1 mile east), Bexley Riverside (1 mile west), Barnehurst (1 mile west) and Northumberland Heath (1 mile west). Across the rest of Bexley, our area takes in Sidcup (5 miles south-west), Welling (4 miles west), Bexley (3 miles south-west), Belvedere (2 miles north-west), Lessness Heath (2 miles north-west) and Bexleyheath (2 miles west).
Around North End
The streets we cover here include those near Railway Tavern and Haberdashers' Aske's Crayford Academy and the streets around them. There is a railway station in North End itself: Slade Green station. Other landmarks nearby include Erith Museum (1.2 miles north-west) and Erith and District Hospital (1.4 miles north-west).
Could you do it yourself?
If you are handy, a simple shelf or a standard wardrobe in a square room is a reasonable DIY job. Sloping ceilings, uneven floors and lath-and-plaster walls make it harder.
It’s worth being honest about cost: off-the-shelf furniture usually costs less up front. 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 North End
Is parking a problem for fitting in North End?
It depends on the street, as many London boroughs run controlled parking zones. 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 during the design visit, so we can plan the day around it.
Is North End in the area you cover for alcove units?
Yes. We cover all of Bexley and the rest of London, and North End is part of that. The first step is a design visit, where we measure and discuss the design, and then we send a quote.
Do I need to be at home on fitting day?
We need someone to let us in at the start of the day. It is good to have someone there at the end to look over the work with us.
What if the wall is cold or damp?
It needs a little planning: ventilation behind and inside the furniture helps avoid condensation and mould. Damp treatment is not something we do, so any damp needs sorting first.
How is the price worked out?
Every job is priced for its room: the size, what goes inside, the finish and how square the room is all count. You’ll get a written quote once we’ve measured up.
How do I get a quote?
Just get in touch through our contact form. Rough measurements and a few pictures help, and then we arrange a visit to measure and talk through the design, followed by a quote in writing.
What affects the price in North End
Several things affect the price:
- How easy it is to get the furniture into the room
- The internal fittings
- Doors and drawers, and how many
- Walls and floors that are out of level or out of square
We don’t publish set prices, because each job is designed for a single room. We measure up, discuss the design and send a quote in writing, with the materials and finish set out. To arrange a design visit, use our contact form.
What to send when you get in touch
A little information at the start saves time later. Where you can, include:
- Anything in the way, such as radiators, sockets, switches, a boiler or meters
- Rough measurements: width, height and depth
- What the furniture needs to hold
- Pictures showing the full wall, from floor to ceiling
Rough measurements are fine at the start. We measure everything properly at the design visit. To arrange it, send us a few details through our contact form and let us know about the room. The written quote follows the visit.
What alcove units cannot fix
Some parts of a job need another trade, such as an electrician, a plumber or a Gas Safe engineer. Here’s what to know:
- Any structural work on the chimney breast
- Plastering or repairing loose plaster in the alcoves
- Treating damp in the chimney breast or walls
If you are not sure what’s possible in your room, you can send us a few details through our contact form and we will give you a straight answer. Our process from visit to fitting.
Materials and parts
- Hand-painted finish
- Adjustable shelves
- Birch plywood
- Moisture-resistant MDF
- Panelled or flat doors
- Spray-painted finish
- Scribed side panels
How fitting day works
At the end, we tidy up. Before we go, we look over the finished furniture with you and answer any questions. The time the fitting takes depends on the size of the alcoves and what goes in them, and we confirm the fitting days in your quote. Stairwells in post-war blocks can have tight turns, so the size of each section is set by the stairs as well as the lift. Where the building has a caretaker or managing agent, it is useful to tell them before fitting day. We cover the floors in shared areas on the way 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.
- At the design visit we measure the alcoves and also the way in: the front door, the hall and any stair turns. Parking is worth mentioning too, since a van often needs a permit or a paid bay in London.
- Your written quote sets out the design, materials and finish.
- 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.
How to prepare
- Check the building’s rules for trades and lift bookings
- Let us know if your street is in a controlled parking zone
- Move furniture and belongings away from the wall
Ask for a quote
Getting a quote starts with some details: the room, rough measurements and some photos if you have them. To send them, fill in our short enquiry form. After that, we arrange a visit to measure and discuss the design, then send a written quote.