Example photo by Pete Alexopoulos on Unsplash, not our project
Merton · London
Alcove units in Wimbledon Chase, Merton
Cupboards and shelves built into the alcoves beside a chimney breast, for homes in Wimbledon Chase. We measure, design and quote first, then make it in our workshop and fit it.
- Somewhere to keep books and records
- Storage that suits a period room
- Room to work in an alcove
Alcove units designed for your room
Bespoke alcove units or ready-made?
Shop-bought shelving and cabinets can go in an alcove, and they’re usually cheaper. The catch is the fit: standard widths rarely match the recess, and uneven walls make every gap obvious. A bespoke alcove unit is made to your measurements and scribed to the plaster. Tall standalone furniture needs fixing back to the wall so it can’t tip, and older walls of brick or lath and plaster make that harder than it looks. Fitted furniture is designed with the wall in mind.
Parking is part of the price picture in London. The boroughs run controlled parking zones across much of the city, so a van may need a visitor permit, a paid bay or a bay suspension. Tell us about parking at the measuring visit.
Why work with us in Wimbledon Chase
- Saturday work by prior arrangement
- Built around your room
- Edges scribed to follow your walls
- Built in our workshop and fitted in your home
Take a look at bespoke vs off-the-shelf or what a quote should include.
How we make alcove units for Wimbledon Chase
Alcove units are made from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood, each used where it works best. MDF gives smooth doors and panels that take paint well, while birch plywood is strong and holds screws well. You can have a spray-painted finish from the workshop or a hand-painted one done on site, in the colour you choose. We make alcove units from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood, finished by spray or by hand, and the usual reasons to get in touch are everyday clutter left on show and tired cupboards in the alcoves.
Around Wimbledon Chase, a large share of homes date from before 1919, and in London most homes of that age are Victorian or Edwardian. Main rooms in houses like these normally have a chimney breast with an alcove on each side, and those alcoves are the natural home for alcove units. Because old walls bow and floors slope, the units are scribed to follow the wall and levelled at the base.
A quote in writing is the clearest record of what we have agreed. It describes the alcove unit we’ve designed for the room, what it’s made from and how it is finished, and the workshop works from it.
- Location
- Wimbledon Chase (SW19, SW20, SM4)
- Borough
- Merton
- Prices
- Quoted for your room
- To begin
- Design visit, then a quote in writing
- Making
- Workshop-made, then fitted
- Materials and finish
- MDF and birch plywood, painted
- Fitting days
- Weekdays, and Saturdays by arrangement
- Enquiries
- Send us a message
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Alcove units in Wimbledon Chase: local notes
In the area around Wimbledon Chase, the largest groups of homes date from before 1919 (about 47%) and between 1919 and 1939 (about 29%), in the VOA’s 2025 council tax stock figures. 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 Wimbledon Chase, Historic England’s list includes Church of St Mary (Grade II*), less than half a mile east, and The Manor House (now (Grade II), under half a mile east. If your own home is listed, internal works that affect its character, such as fixing into or removing original joinery, may need listed building consent. An early word with the council’s conservation officer is the best first step. Many London boroughs run controlled parking zones, and Merton sets its own rules. If your street in Wimbledon Chase is in a controlled parking zone, a visitor permit, a paid bay or a parking bay suspension through the council may be needed. We ask about parking at the design visit, so the day can be planned around it.
Southside House, about 1 mile north-west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area. If your own home is a period one, walls that bow and floors that slope are why alcove units are scribed to fit rather than pushed into place. Close to Cannon Hill Common? Alcove units can be planned to frame a window with a view rather than block it. For a flat near Wimbledon Chase station, the route in is measured not just the room, and the sections are sized to fit it.
Wimbledon Chase is about 1 mile north of Wimbledon, in the London Borough of Merton. We design and make alcove units for homes in Wimbledon Chase, as part of our work in every London borough. In Merton, Wimbledon Chase is one of the places we cover, and the borough has 20 places on our list.
We work across the SW19, SW20 and SM4 postcode area. We cover homes on streets such as Edna Road, Manor Road and Dorien Road, whether you want alcove units or another piece made for the room. Neighbouring places we cover for alcove units include Merton Park (1 mile east), Bushey Mead (1 mile west), Cannon Hill (1 mile south), Wimbledon (1 mile north) and Raynes Park (1 mile south-west). Across the rest of Merton, our area takes in Colliers Wood (2 miles east), Eastfields (2 miles east), Mitcham (3 miles east), Hackbridge (3 miles east), Wimbledon Park (2 miles north) and Lower Morden (2 miles south).
Landmarks near Wimbledon Chase
In Wimbledon Chase, that includes homes near The Edward Rayne pub, Rutlish School and Wimbledon School of Art, among other places. Wimbledon Chase has its own railway station: Wimbledon Chase station. Well-known places in the area include Atkinson Morley Hospital (1.2 miles north-west) and Wimbledon Museum (1 mile north). Open spaces near Wimbledon Chase include Merton Park Green Walks.
Honest limits
We’d rather be clear about where our work stops:
- Taking out a chimney breast or opening up a fireplace
- Plastering or repairing loose plaster in the alcoves
- Moving sockets or switches, which needs an electrician
If in doubt, you can send us a few details through our contact form and describe the room before you arrange a visit. Our process from visit to fitting.
What it’s made from
- Birch plywood
- Hand-painted finish
- Spray-painted finish
- Moisture-resistant MDF
- Panelled or flat doors
- Scribed side panels
- Adjustable shelves
Pricing alcove units in Wimbledon Chase
What it costs comes down to the materials and the time involved. The main factors are:
- Parking near your home
- The width and height of the space
- Access to the room, like stairs, lifts and narrow halls
- The number of doors and drawers
Tricky rooms take more time: uneven walls, sloping floors and angled ceilings all add scribing and cutting on site. That is reflected in the quote.
Before the design visit
Some details help us understand the job before we visit. When you contact us, it helps to send:
- Pictures of styles you like, if you have any
- Rough measurements, even if they’re only to the nearest few centimetres
- Your postcode and the borough
- What you’d like to store or use the space for
To get a quote, get in touch through our contact form and let us know which room you have in mind and what you want the furniture to do. We then arrange a design visit to measure and discuss the design, and a written quote follows.
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 in our workshop come in next. The time the fitting takes depends on the size of the alcoves and what goes in them, and the fitting days are set out in your quote. Where a period house has been split into flats, the way in often goes through shared parts, so it helps to let neighbours know about fitting day. The sections are sized for the narrowest point on the route. Saturday fitting is possible by arrangement.
- You get in touch and describe the alcoves you want to fill.
- We visit to measure the alcoves top, middle and bottom, and check the floor for level. Then we go through the design together.
- You get a quote in writing for the units, materials and finish.
- The units are made at our workshop from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood, leaving a scribing allowance where they meet the walls.
- On fitting day we level the units and scribe the edges so they follow the line of the plaster. Spray-painted units arrive finished; hand-painted ones are painted once fitted.
Before fitting day
- Let us know where the boiler and meters are
- Keep pets out of the room and the hallway
- Arrange any electrical changes with your electrician ahead of time
Starting with a design visit
Photos help us understand the room before we visit. Pictures of the whole wall, the corners and the ceiling line give us a good feel for the space. To send them over, drop us a line using the contact form, and we will suggest a time for a design visit.
Advice
Common questions about alcove units
Do I need permission for fitted furniture in a conservation area?
Typically not: conservation area rules mainly cover the outside of buildings, and 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 you cover homes near Wimbledon Chase station?
Yes, homes across Merton and the rest of London are within the area we cover. To get started, you can drop us a line using the contact form with some details about the room.
Do alcove units affect the chimney’s ventilation?
Any vent in the chimney breast is kept clear when we design the units. A capped or blocked chimney should still be ventilated to help stop damp, so we never box a vent in.
Can you fit furniture on an external wall?
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.
How do I get started?
The first step is to fill in our short enquiry form and tell us about the room. We then arrange a design visit, measure up and send a written quote.
Are alcove units spray painted or hand painted?
You can choose a spray-painted finish from our workshop or a hand-painted finish in your home. Both are in a colour agreed with you. Spraying gives a smooth, even surface, and hand painting is easy to touch up.
Also near Wimbledon Chase
Also in Wimbledon Chase
Flats, conversions and leaseholders
If you live in a flat, getting the furniture in is planned from the start. We measure the stairs, landings, lift and doorways not just the room, so the furniture can be made in sections that fit through.
We also make and fit furniture for landlords furnishing a let, often to make the most of a small or awkward room. It’s made from the same moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood as any of our work.