Example photo by Pete Alexopoulos on Unsplash, not our project
Brent · London
Tokyngton Alcove Units
In Tokyngton, we design alcove units around the room you actually have. We design your alcove unit at a visit to your home, make it in our workshop and fit it.
- Shop-bought shelving that doesn’t fill the recess
- Units that sit well with original features
- Clutter with nowhere to go
Alcove units in Tokyngton
How fitting works for alcove units
Getting everything level comes first. Floors are often out of level, so adjustable feet or a plinth take up the difference, which keeps the lines straight. Only then is it fixed to the wall, with fixings chosen to suit brick, lath and plaster or plasterboard. Newer developments sometimes have their own parking and loading rules, so it is useful to let us know at the design visit. On fitting day, the sections are carried in, assembled and fixed. Saturdays can be arranged.
- You contact us about the alcoves you want to fill.
- A design visit follows, where we measure up and agree the layout with you.
- A written quote follows, with the finish set out, ready for you to check.
- We build the units in our workshop, using moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood.
- The units are fitted in your home, ready to fill.
Getting ready for fitting day
- Let us know if your street is in a controlled parking zone
- Point out meters, boilers and fuse boards near the furniture
- If you live in a block, book the lift and tell the building manager
Ask for a quote
For a quote for alcove units in Tokyngton, fill in our short enquiry form. Tell us which room it is and roughly what you have in mind, plus any rough sizes. We will arrange a design visit, then send a quote in writing.
Advice
About our alcove units in Tokyngton
Most Victorian and Edwardian terraced houses have a chimney breast in the main rooms, with an alcove on each side. Alcove units turn that space into cupboards and shelves that sit as part of the room. Where a room in Tokyngton has a pair of alcoves, each alcove gets a unit designed for it after we’ve measured them at a design visit. If you’re living with alcoves that aren’t square and everyday clutter left on show, that’s what alcove units are for, made from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood, spray-painted or hand-painted.
A large number of homes around Tokyngton date from 2000 onwards, and in London many homes of that age are flats in newer blocks. In a compact new-build room, a shallower run of alcove units can add storage without crowding the space. Boxing for pipes and risers is common in newer homes, and the furniture can be designed around it.
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. Our quote covers the carpentry: the design, the materials and the finish.
- Place
- Tokyngton (HA9, NW10, HA0)
- Borough
- Brent
- Cost
- Quoted for your room
- To begin
- We visit, measure, then quote
- Where it is made
- Workshop-made, then fitted
- Made from
- Painted MDF and birch ply
- When we fit
- Weekdays, and Saturdays by arrangement
- Enquiries
- The contact form
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Neighbourhoods near Tokyngton
Other services in Tokyngton
What prompts alcove units in Tokyngton
Some homes already have alcove cupboards, but they’ve seen better days. Starting again lets you rethink the layout, from the doors to what goes inside.
Some of the things we are asked to solve are these:
- Somewhere to keep books and records
- Alcoves that aren’t square
- Toys and paperwork with no proper home
- Units that sit well with original features
If your home is one of the older houses near St Michael the Archangel, picture rails and cornices give alcove units a line to finish at.
Before you choose who makes it
- Will other trades be needed, and who arranges them?
- Real projects you can actually look at
- Will the quote be in writing?
- Is it spray painted or hand painted?
Looking after your furniture
Getting the most from alcove units starts with the planning and carries on after fitting day. These are worth keeping in mind:
- Move things out of the alcoves so we can measure properly
- Talk to your electrician early if you want new sockets
- Think about how the units meet the picture rail and cornice
- Make a rough list of what the cupboards need to hold
A soft, slightly damp cloth is all painted units usually need. Skip scouring pads and harsh cleaners, which can dull or mark the paint. Wipe it dry when you’ve finished.
Use a mat under plants, vases and drinks, since standing water can mark painted shelves. Dry any spills quickly.
Common questions about alcove units
Can you make alcove units for a home in Tokyngton?
Yes. Tokyngton is one of the places we work, along with the rest of Brent and London. You can send us a few details through our contact form to arrange a design visit.
Do I need permission for fitted furniture in a conservation area?
Not normally. Conservation area controls are mostly concerned with the outside of buildings, so fitted furniture inside a house does not normally need planning permission. Listed buildings are different, as works inside that affect their character can require listed building consent from the council. If you’re unsure, the council can confirm.
Do alcove units need to reach the ceiling?
That depends on the room and what you’d like to store. In a tall period room, units can stop under the picture rail or the cornice, or run to the ceiling for a built-in look. The height is settled during the design visit.
Is an outside wall a problem for fitted furniture?
It needs a little planning: leaving ventilation behind and inside helps stop condensation. We don’t treat damp, so any damp should be sorted before fitting day.
How do I get a quote?
It’s easiest to drop us a line using the contact form with some details about the room. After that, we arrange a design visit and follow it with a quote in writing.
Should both alcoves have the same units?
It is entirely your choice. Alcoves are often different widths anyway, so each unit is made to its own measurements. They can match in style while doing different jobs.
Living-room carpentry in Tokyngton: local notes
Homes built between 1919 and 1939 make up about 40% of the housing in the neighbourhood around Tokyngton, with about 35% built since 2000, according to Valuation Office Agency council tax figures (2025). That matters for alcove units, as the build era decides whether a wall is solid brick, lath and plaster, block or plasterboard. Near the centre of Tokyngton, Historic England’s list includes Roman Catholic Church of St Joseph (Grade II), about 0.6 miles north-west. Works inside a listed home that affect its character, for instance removing original joinery or fixing into it, can require listed building consent from the council. Ask the council’s conservation officer before anything is fixed. All of London, Brent included, is inside the ULEZ. Vans bringing furniture to Tokyngton fall under it, just as they do across the rest of London. Parking and access are planned at the design visit.
For families living near Elsley Primary School, shelving with deep cupboards below keeps books, games and school things in one place. For a flat near Stonebridge 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.
Tokyngton is about 3 miles east of Kilburn, in the London Borough of Brent. Tokyngton is part of the area we cover. Tokyngton is one of 29 places on our list for Brent.
We make alcove units across the HA9, NW10 and HA0 postcode area. If your home is on a street such as Harrow Road, Wycombe Road and Tring Avenue, or close by, we can arrange a design visit for alcove units. Nearby, we also make alcove units in Stonebridge Park (1 mile south-east), Mapesbury (1 mile north-west), Stonebridge (1 mile south-east), Brent Park (1 mile north-east) and West Twyford (1 mile south). We also make alcove units in nearby places such as Kilburn (3 miles east), Queen's Park (3 miles east), Kenton (3 miles north-west), Willesden (2 miles east), Kensal Rise (3 miles east) and Cricklewood (3 miles east).
Near you in Tokyngton
We fit furniture in homes around The Swaminarayan School, Ark Elvin Academy and Ace Cafe London pub and the streets around them. Tokyngton has its own railway station: Stonebridge Park station. Other landmarks nearby include London Designer Outlet (0.7 miles north-west) and Neasden Hospital (0.7 miles east).
Honest limits
Our work is the furniture itself: designing it, making it in our workshop and fitting it. In practice, that means:
- Removing or altering a chimney breast, which is structural work
- Finding and fixing the cause of damp
- Redecorating, which is for your decorator
If you’re not sure what’s possible in your room, you can use our contact form and we’ll give you a straight answer before you arrange a visit. How a job runs, step by step.
What goes into it
- Scribed side panels
- Spray-painted finish
- Hand-painted finish
- Panelled or flat doors
- Adjustable shelves
- Moisture-resistant MDF
- Birch plywood
How we price alcove units
Several things affect the price:
- How big the furniture is
- Spray painting or hand painting
- Doors and drawers, and how many
- How square the room is
The finish affects the cost: spray painting happens in the workshop, and hand painting can be done in your home. The written quote reflects your choice, along with the size and fittings.
Helping us understand the room
Getting a few details early makes the visit more useful. Where you can, include:
- Rough sizes, even if they’re only to the nearest few centimetres
- Examples of the look you’re after
- Radiators, sockets, pipes or meters on or near the wall
- What the furniture needs to hold
Your quote is written for your room once we’ve visited and measured. Each room is different, so we quote after seeing it, when we’ve measured up and talked through the design. To arrange a visit, tell us about the room on our contact form.