Example photo by Pete Alexopoulos on Unsplash, not our project
Greenwich · London
Westcombe Park Alcove Units
Few London rooms are perfectly square, and we scribe the furniture to follow the walls. We make alcove units for homes in Westcombe Park, each designed at a visit to your home.
- Old alcove cupboards that have seen better days
- Space for a growing book collection
- Everyday clutter left on show
Alcove units in Westcombe Park
How we make alcove units for Westcombe Park
Period alcoves are rarely square. The walls lean, the chimney breast may bow and the floor often slopes, sometimes all in one recess. Each unit is made in our workshop to our measurements and scribed to the walls when we fit it, so the edges follow the plaster instead of leaving a gap. Adjustable feet or a plinth set it level. We make alcove units from MDF made to resist moisture and birch plywood, then spray-painted or hand-painted, and the usual reasons to get in touch are empty alcoves either side of the chimney breast and tired cupboards in the alcoves.
Many homes around Westcombe Park have been built since 2000, and newer homes tend to have open-plan living rooms with no chimney breast. That means alcove units often create the structure of the room, framing a screen or running a full wall. Many internal walls in newer homes are plasterboard on timber or metal studs, so fixings go into the studs or use fixings made for the board.
A quote in writing is the clearest record of what we’ve agreed. It describes the alcove unit we have designed for the room, what it is made from and how it’s finished, and the workshop works from it.
- Where
- Westcombe Park (SE10, SE7, SE3)
- Area
- Greenwich
- Cost
- Quoted for your room
- To begin
- Design visit, then a quote in writing
- Where it is made
- Workshop-made, then fitted
- Materials and finish
- MDF and plywood, painted to order
- Fitting days
- Monday to Friday; Saturdays by prior arrangement
- Contact
- The contact form
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Bespoke or off-the-shelf?
What you pay for with bespoke is mainly the fit: edges scribed to the wall, a level base on a sloping floor and a neat line where the furniture meets the ceiling. In an older room, standard units rarely manage that.
A confident DIYer can manage simple shelves or a standard wardrobe in a square room. Sloping ceilings, uneven floors and lath-and-plaster walls make it harder, because scribing and the right fixings start to matter.
Westcombe Park homes and alcove units
About 37% of the homes in the streets around Westcombe Park went up before 1919, and about 37% since 2000, based on the Valuation Office Agency’s 2025 council tax data. Each era brings its own kind of wall, ceiling height and floor, so it shapes the design from the first measurement. There are 12 entries on the National Heritage List within half a mile of the centre of Westcombe Park. Being near listed buildings doesn’t make a home listed, and you can check any address on Historic England’s list. In inner London, a large part of the street parking sits inside borough-run controlled parking zones. So a van fitting furniture in Westcombe Park typically needs a visitor permit, a pay-and-display bay or a suspended bay arranged through the council. We ask about parking during the design visit, so the van can be planned for.
Living in a block of flats near Westcombe Park station? Then the lift, the stair turns and the front door all set the largest piece that can come in. If you live near East Greenwich Pleasaunce, alcove units can be arranged to keep the window and the light clear.
Westcombe Park is about 3 miles east of Plumstead, in the Royal Borough of Greenwich. Whether your home in Westcombe Park is a terraced house, a flat or a newer build, the furniture is designed around the room as we find it. Our work takes in places right across Greenwich.
We make alcove units across the SE10, SE7 and SE3 postcode area. You’ll find streets here such as Webb Road, Horn Lane and Hardy Road, and homes on each of them are within our area for alcove units. Other places close to Westcombe Park include Vanbrugh Park Estate (1 mile south-west), Maze Hill (1 mile west), Greenwich (1 mile west), New Charlton (1 mile north-east) and Charlton (1 mile east). We also make alcove units in nearby places such as Plumstead (3 miles east), Eltham (3 miles south-east), Woolwich (2 miles east), Well Hall (2 miles south-east), Coldharbour (4 miles south) and Kidbrooke (2 miles south-east). Being one of the larger places in Greenwich, Westcombe Park is covered for alcove units and everything else we make.
What’s near Westcombe Park
We fit furniture in homes around Blackheath High School, The Rose of Denmark pub and Wildwood Montessori School, among other places. There’s a railway station in Westcombe Park itself: Westcombe Park station. A little further out are Lewisham Shopping Centre (2 miles south-west) and Greenwich Castle (1 mile south-west). Not far away are Gilbert's Pit.
Boards, parts and paint
Birch plywood
Birch plywood helps shelves stay straight under books over a wider alcove. Thickness is chosen to suit the span and the weight.
Hand-painted finish
Hand painting lets the colour be judged in the room itself. Scribed edges and joins are painted along with the rest.
Fitting day, step by step
Once the main sections are fixed in place, we hang any doors and fit any drawers or lids. We adjust each one so the gaps line up and it closes cleanly, then checked again. How long fitting takes depends on how many alcoves there are and how tall the units go, and the fitting days are set out in your quote. Newer developments sometimes have their own parking and loading rules, so tell us what applies at the measuring visit. On fitting day, the sections are carried in, assembled and fixed. Saturday fitting is possible by arrangement.
- 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.
- You receive a quote with the design, the materials and the paint finish. If anything needs changing, just tell us.
- The cupboards and shelves are then built in our workshop.
- We fit the units, scribe them to the walls and set them level. The finish is sprayed in our workshop or hand-painted on site, as agreed.
Before we arrive
- Let us know where the boiler and meters are
- Arrange any electrical changes with your electrician in advance
- If you live in a block, book the lift and tell the building manager
Starting with a design visit
Rough measurements are fine at the start. We measure everything properly at the design visit, along with the walls, floor and ceiling. To get started, use our contact form with some details about the room. The written quote follows the visit.
Read more
Questions from Westcombe Park
Will a conservation area stop me having alcove units fitted in Westcombe Park?
Not normally. Conservation area controls are largely about how buildings look from outside, so fitted furniture inside a house does not normally need planning permission. Listed buildings are different, as works inside that affect their character can need listed building consent from the council. If you are unsure, the council can confirm.
Can you make alcove units for a home in Westcombe Park?
Yes. Westcombe Park is one of the places we work, along with the rest of Greenwich and London. You can message us from the contact page to arrange a design visit.
How do I get a quote for alcove units in Westcombe Park?
The first step is to message us from the contact page and tell us about the room. We then arrange a design visit, measure up and send a quote in writing.
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 quote in writing after the design visit.
Should I send pictures?
Yes. Pictures help us understand the room before the design visit, along with rough measurements. It helps to show radiators, sockets and anything else on the wall.
What do you do at the measuring visit?
We take full measurements, look at the walls and floors and work through the design together. Access and parking are worth talking about too, and a quote in writing follows.
Nearby places to Westcombe Park
More for homes in Westcombe Park
Practical tips
Painted fitted furniture is easy to look after. A few things help it stay looking good:
- Plan any new sockets with your electrician before fitting
- Make a rough list of what the cupboards need to hold
- Note the sizes of large things you want to store
- Mention parking and access when we visit
A soft, slightly damp cloth is all painted units normally need. Skip scouring pads and harsh cleaners, which can dull or mark the paint. Wipe it dry when you have finished.
Keep heaters and very hot lamps from standing right against the paintwork, as strong heat can mark paint over time.
Do you need alcove units in Westcombe Park?
In bedrooms, the alcoves may be the only place for hanging space. Built into the alcove, a cupboard holds clothes without taking over the room, which helps in a small bedroom.
Alcove units can help with:
- A desk that tucks into an alcove
- Cupboards in keeping with an older house
- Alcoves that are wasted space
- Alcoves that are not square
If your children go to Halstow Primary School or a school nearby, a cupboard for board games and a shelf for reading books can go into the same design.
Questions to ask before you hire anyone
- A quote in writing that sets out the job
- Do they scribe the furniture to the walls?
- How parking will work on your street
- Will the doors close with even gaps?