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Lewisham · London
Sydenham Alcove Units
Thinking about alcove units in Sydenham? It starts with a design visit to measure and talk through ideas, then a quote in writing, before anything is made.
- Furniture that does not fit the alcove
- Everyday clutter left on show
- A desk that tucks into an alcove
Need alcove units in Sydenham?
Alcove units in Sydenham: what you get
One alcove can be given over to a desk, with shelves above and a drawer or cupboard below. It gives you a place to work without turning a room into an office. We plan the desk height and depth with you, with a gap or hole planned so cables can reach the sockets. If you are living with bare alcoves beside the fireplace and somewhere to keep books and records, alcove units made from MDF made to resist moisture and birch plywood, then spray-painted or hand-painted can solve it.
You might live in a Victorian terrace, a 1930s semi, a mansion block or a recent flat, and your home in Sydenham could be any one of them. Because walls and floors change with the age of a house, the design of alcove units starts at the design visit. A period house may need scribing to bowed walls, while a newer flat may need fixings for plasterboard.
Where other trades are needed, for instance 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
- Sydenham (SE26, SE20, SE23)
- Area
- Lewisham
- Price
- Quoted for your room
- First step
- We visit, measure, then quote
- Made
- In our workshop, then fitted in your home
- Made from
- Painted MDF and birch ply
- When we fit
- Weekdays, and Saturdays by prior arrangement
- Contact
- Our contact form
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What affects the price in Sydenham
Not every room costs the same, and it comes down to:
- Spray painting or hand painting
- How easy it is to get the furniture into the room
- Tricky walls, sloping ceilings and uneven floors
- Hanging rails, shelves, drawers and other fittings inside
In London, parking can affect the price. Much of London is covered by controlled parking zones, so we may need a visitor permit, a paid bay or a suspended bay. Tell us about parking at the design visit, so it can be planned.
What we need to know
A little information at the start saves time later. Where you can, include:
- What you’d like to store or use the space for
- Pictures showing the full wall, from floor to ceiling
- Rough sizes, even if they’re only to the nearest few centimetres
- Whether it is a house or a flat, and if there are stairs or a lift
Pictures help us understand the room before we visit. A few pictures showing the walls, the corners and where the ceiling meets them give us a good feel for the space. To share them, tell us about the room on our contact form, and we’ll arrange a design visit.
Flats, leases and landlords
Mansion blocks and purpose-built blocks often have house rules about lifts, entry systems and when trades can come in. Let us know about them during the design visit, so fitting day is planned around them.
If the property is let, we will need access agreed with the tenants. A letting agent can arrange this on a landlord’s behalf.
When is bespoke worth it?
Standard units come in set widths and heights, so there’s normally a gap left over at the top or at one end. Fitted furniture is made to the room’s measurements, so it can use the full height and width.
Long shelves are where off-the-shelf often struggles. Span, depth and the weight on it decide whether a shelf sags, so a long run needs a thicker shelf, a stiffening lip or a support. We design shelves with that in mind.
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From workshop to your room
On the morning of the fitting, the first job is covering the floors and protecting the way in from the front door. Next, we carry in the sections made at our workshop. How long the fitting takes depends on the size and number of units, and we confirm the fitting days in your quote. Whatever the age of your home, the furniture is fitted to the walls you have, scribed where walls bow and levelled where floors slope. Hand painting can happen on site, while spray-painted pieces come ready from the workshop.
- You get in touch with a short description of the alcoves and your ideas, even if the design is only a rough idea so far.
- We visit to measure, look at how the walls run and note the skirting, picture rail and any vent.
- We send a quote in writing setting out the layout, materials and finish. If anything needs changing, just tell us.
- Once you’re happy, the units are made at our workshop, using moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood.
- Fitting day: the units go in, are scribed to the alcoves and levelled on a plinth or feet. The finish is sprayed in our workshop or hand-painted on site, as agreed.
How to prepare
- Take down pictures, mirrors and shelves from the wall
- Move furniture and belongings away from the wall
- Keep pets out of the room and the hallway
Getting a quote
Because every job is different, the cost is set out in a written quote after the visit. Each room is different, so we quote after seeing it. To arrange a visit, tell us about the room on our contact form.
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Caring for painted furniture
These points come up often when people plan alcove units. They’re worth knowing whatever the room:
- Measure anything large that must fit inside, like a record player
- Look for a chimney vent that needs to stay clear
- Clear the alcoves before the design visit if you can
- Think about what you will store before we meet
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.
Put coasters or mats under anything that holds water. Dry any spills quickly.
Questions we’re often asked
Can parking be tricky on fitting day in Sydenham?
It can be: much of inner London is covered by controlled parking zones. A van may need a visitor permit, a paid bay or a parking bay suspension, which the council arranges, often with notice. Let us know what parking is near you at the measuring visit.
Do you make alcove units for homes in Sydenham?
Yes. We cover all of Lewisham and the rest of London, and Sydenham is part of that. We start with a design visit to measure the room and talk through what you need, and then we send a quote.
Can you build alcove units for alcoves that aren’t square?
Yes. Few alcoves in older houses are truly square, so each unit is scribed to the wall on site. A plinth or adjustable feet set it level on a sloping floor.
Can an alcove unit include a desk?
Yes. A desk in one alcove, with shelves above and storage below, works well in many rooms. Height and depth are agreed with you, with a route left for cables.
How is the price worked out?
It depends on the size, the number of doors and drawers, the internal fittings and the finish, along with access and parking. The price comes in a written quote after the design visit.
Is an outside wall a problem for fitted furniture?
An outside wall can be colder and damper than an inside one, so we allow for ventilation behind and inside the furniture to avoid condensation. Any damp needs sorting by the right specialist before fitting.
Alcove units in Sydenham: local notes
In the streets around Sydenham, the largest groups of homes date from before 1919 (about 40%) and between 1945 and 1972 (about 28%), 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 Sydenham Thorpes Conservation Area is close by, within about a quarter of a mile of the centre of Sydenham. Being in a conservation area mainly affects changes to the outside of a building, and fitted furniture inside a house doesn’t normally need planning permission. Your council can advise if you’re unsure. The boroughs run controlled parking zones across much of inner London. A van working in Sydenham will usually need a visitor permit, a paid bay or a bay suspension arranged through the council, which often needs notice. We ask about parking at the measuring visit, so the van can be planned for.
If your children go to Kirkdale School or a school nearby, low doors that small hands can open, with books and ornaments higher up, suit a busy family room. For a flat near Sydenham station, it’s useful to book the lift and tell the concierge before fitting day. Kingswood House, about 1.2 miles west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area. If your own home is a period one, picture rails and cornices give alcove units a line to finish at.
Sydenham is about 3 miles north of New Cross, within the London Borough of Lewisham. We design and make alcove units for homes in Sydenham and across Lewisham, as part of our work in every London borough. Our Lewisham coverage includes Sydenham.
Here we cover the SE26, SE20 and SE23 postcode area for alcove units. Streets in the area include Byne Road, Lucas Road and Cator Road, and homes on each of them are within our area for alcove units. Other places close to Sydenham include Penge (1 mile south), Crystal Palace (1 mile south-west), Sydenham Hill (1 mile north-west), Perry Vale (1 mile north-east) and Anerley (1 mile south-west). Elsewhere in Lewisham, we also cover New Cross (3 miles north), St Johns (3 miles north-east), Deptford (4 miles north), Catford (2 miles north-east), Lewisham (3 miles north-east) and Surrey Canal (4 miles north).
Local landmarks in Sydenham
The streets we cover here include those near Fox & Hounds pub, Sydenham High School and St Bartholomews's Church of England Primary School and the streets around them. There is a railway station in Sydenham itself: Sydenham station. Well-known places in the area include Crystal Palace Museum (1 mile west) and St Christopher's Hospice (within half a mile south-west). Open spaces near Sydenham include Dacres Wood.