Example photo by Pete Alexopoulos on Unsplash, not our project
Merton · London
Alcove Units in Raynes Park
For homes in Raynes Park, 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.
- Bowed walls and sloping floors
- Alcoves that are wasted space
- Tired cupboards in the alcoves
Alcove units in Raynes Park
Living-room carpentry in Raynes Park: local notes
The biggest shares of homes in the streets around Raynes Park were built between 1919 and 1939 (about 48%) and before 1919 (about 25%), going by the Valuation Office Agency’s 2025 council tax figures. Knowing roughly when a home was built helps, because walls and fixings change from one era to the next. Near the centre of Raynes Park, Historic England’s list includes Methodist Church (Grade II), about 0.5 miles north. Where a home is listed, listed building consent can be needed for inside works that affect its character, such as fixing into original panelling. An early word with the council’s conservation officer is the best first step. TfL’s Ultra Low Emission Zone covers every part of London, Merton included. It applies to every van that comes to fit furniture in Raynes Park. How the van gets to your door is planned at the measuring visit.
If you live in a period home close to St Saviour's Church, walls that bow and floors that slope are why alcove units are scribed to fit rather than pushed into place. If you live in a flat close to Raynes Park station, alcove units are made in sections sized for the stairs, landings and lift, so measuring the route matters as much as measuring the room. The wider area includes historic houses like Southside House, about 0.9 miles north. For a period home anywhere nearby, picture rails and cornices give alcove units a line to finish at.
Raynes Park is in the London Borough of Merton, about 2 miles north-east of Wimbledon. Whether your home in Raynes Park is a terraced house, a flat or a newer build, we measure the room as it is and design around it. Across Merton, we cover Raynes Park, along with the rest of the borough.
Every home in SW20, KT3 and SM4 is within our area for alcove units, from the main roads to the quieter streets. We cover homes on streets like Gore Road, Edna Road and Wyke Road, whether you want alcove units or another piece made for the room. Raynes Park is near the A238 and A298; on busy main roads, unloading alcove units takes a little planning. We also cover the places around Raynes Park: West Barnes (1 mile south-west), Bushey Mead (1 mile north-east), Cannon Hill (1 mile east), Motspur Park (1 mile north-west) and Wimbledon Chase (1 mile north-east). We also make alcove units in nearby places like Wimbledon (2 miles north-east), Colliers Wood (3 miles east), Eastfields (3 miles east), South Wimbledon (2 miles north-east), Merton Abbey (2 miles east) and Mitcham (3 miles east).
What’s near Raynes Park
Our area takes in the homes around Raynes Park High School, The Raynes Park Tavern and Ursuline Preparatory School, among other places. Raynes Park has its own railway station: Raynes Park station. A little further out are Atkinson Morley Hospital (1 mile north) and Wimbledon Museum (1.5 miles north-east). Not far away are Derwent Floodwash.
How we make alcove units for Raynes Park
Skirting boards, picture rails and coving are common in older rooms. Units can be cut around them, stop just below them or run neatly up to them, whichever suits the room. The plinth height can match the skirting. We agree these details at the design visit. Typical reasons to get in touch are alcoves that are wasted space and cupboards in keeping with an older house; the furniture is made from moisture-resistant MDF and strong birch plywood, with a painted finish.
Many houses from between the wars, and many semis, have been extended or opened up inside, and around Raynes Park, interwar houses, semis and detached homes make up a large share of the housing. In a long knocked-through room, alcove units can run the full length of one wall. An extension’s plasterboard walls need different fixings from the original brick or block.
Our quotes are written in plain words. They say what will be made, what it is made from and how it will be finished, all taken from the design visit.
- Where
- Raynes Park (SW20, KT3, SM4)
- Area
- Merton
- Price
- Quoted for your room
- How it starts
- We visit, measure, then quote
- Making
- In our workshop, then fitted in your home
- Materials and finish
- Painted MDF and birch ply
- Working days
- Weekdays; Saturdays on request
- Enquiries
- Our contact form
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Fitting day, step by step
When we arrive on fitting day, we start by protecting your floors and the route from the front door to the room. The sections made at our workshop come in next. How long fitting takes depends on the size of the alcoves and what goes in them, and the fitting days are set out in your quote. Loft stairs in an interwar house can be tight, with a low ceiling at the top, so pieces for a loft room are sized for the narrowest point. Elsewhere in the house, the route is normally more generous. Each section is assembled and fixed in the room.
- You get in touch and let us know about the room and the alcoves, and a rough sketch helps if you have one.
- At the design visit, we measure each alcove and go through the layout with you, noting the skirting, picture rail and any chimney vent.
- We send a written quote for the units, so you can look it over in your own time.
- Each unit is built in our workshop to the measurements we took, ready for a spray-painted finish or for hand painting on site.
- We install the units, set them level and scribe them to the alcoves.
How to prepare
- Clear the area where the furniture is going
- Point out meters, boilers and fuse boards near the furniture
- Get any new sockets or wiring done by your electrician before fitting day
How to get a quote
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, then send a written quote. There’s no price list: each design is priced in writing after we’ve seen the space. To book a design visit, get in touch through our contact form.
Related advice
Made for the room, or bought in a box?
In fairness, standalone furniture comes with you when you move. Fitted alcove units stay with the house and are left behind when you go. Which suits you depends on your plans. Bays, box rooms and stair bulkheads are where off-the-shelf furniture struggles most, and interwar homes often have all three. Built-in pieces are designed to fit them.
Every room is priced on its own, because size, layout and finish change from job to job. Spray painting and hand painting are different processes, which affects the cost. You will see the figure in your written quote, after the design visit.
Why choose us
- Designed for the room you have
- A spray or hand-painted finish
- Scribed to uneven walls
- Over 300 projects completed
Take a look at our comparison of bespoke and off-the-shelf and how to compare quotes.
Also near Raynes Park
Also in Raynes Park
Where other trades come in
It’s worth being clear about where our work stops:
- Removing or altering a chimney breast, which is structural work
- Replastering, which is a plasterer’s job
- Painting the walls, ceiling and woodwork around the units
If you’re not sure what’s possible in your room, you can drop us a line using the contact form and we will give you a straight answer. How a job runs, step by step.
Materials and parts
- Scribed side panels
- Hand-painted finish
- Moisture-resistant MDF
- Panelled or flat doors
- Adjustable shelves
- Birch plywood
- Spray-painted finish
Boards, parts and paint
Birch plywood
For alcove shelves that carry books, birch plywood helps keep them straight over a wider alcove. Thickness is chosen to suit the span and the weight.
Shelves
Shelf thickness depends on the span and the load. Wider alcoves and heavy books need a thicker shelf, a stiffening lip or a support.
Before and after fitting day
None of this takes much effort. What we’d suggest:
- Measure anything large that must fit inside, such as a record player
- Consider whether the units should reach the ceiling
- Make a rough list of what the cupboards need to hold
- Move things out of the alcoves so we can measure properly
A soft, slightly damp cloth is all painted units usually need. Avoid abrasive pads and strong cleaning sprays, as they can mark the finish. Dry the surface afterwards.
Use a mat under plants, vases and drinks, since standing water can mark painted shelves. Dry any spills quickly.
Your questions about alcove units in Raynes Park
Can you fit furniture in a home close to Raynes Park station?
Yes, homes across Merton and the rest of London are within the area we cover. You can use our contact form to arrange a design visit.
Is parking a problem for fitting in Raynes Park?
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 at the measuring visit.
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. We agree the height at the design visit.
What do you do at the measuring visit?
We measure the room, check how level the walls and floors are and go through the design with you. Access and parking are worth talking about too, and a written quote follows.
How long are you in the house for the fitting?
The time on site depends on how many alcoves there are and how tall the units go, and we confirm the fitting days in your quote. Most of the making happens in our workshop, so the work in your home is about fitting and finishing.
Does someone need to be home during the fitting?
Someone needs to let us in at the start of the day. It also helps to have someone around at the end, so we can go over the finished furniture together.