When you need more storage, there are two broad routes. You can buy off-the-shelf units in standard sizes, either flat-packed or ready-made, and fit them yourself or have them fitted. Or you can have furniture designed and made for the room, then fitted to the walls. Both have their place.
This guide compares the two in practical terms: fit, use of awkward spaces, build, finish and getting the furniture into your home. It’s written with London housing in mind, from Victorian terraces with leaning walls to new-build flats with plasterboard everywhere.
What we mean by each
Off-the-shelf means units made in fixed widths, heights and depths, sold in a range. You choose the sizes that come closest to your space and fill any gaps with filler panels or leave them open.
Bespoke means the furniture is designed for your room after it has been measured, made to those sizes, and fitted so that it follows the walls, floor and ceiling. Our services are all of this kind: we visit, measure and talk through the design, send a written quote, make the furniture in our workshop and fit it in your home.
Fit: walls, floors and ceilings
Standard units assume the room is square and level. In many London homes it isn’t. Period walls lean and bow, floors slope, and ceilings dip towards the middle of the room. A standard unit placed against a leaning wall leaves a tapering gap. On a sloping floor, it either tilts or needs packing underneath.
Bespoke furniture is scribed, which means its edges are trimmed to follow the wall, and it’s set level on adjustable feet or a plinth. The result is a unit that meets the wall, floor and ceiling without gaps. Our guide on fitting furniture to uneven walls and floors explains how.
Using awkward spaces
The spaces that need storage most are often the ones standard units can’t reach:
- alcoves beside a chimney breast, which are rarely a standard width;
- the space under the stairs, which slopes;
- eaves and sloping ceilings in a loft conversion;
- bay windows and the space under sash windows;
- the wall around a bed, a door or a window.
Bespoke furniture can be shaped to these spaces. That might mean a cupboard with an angled top under the stairs, a wardrobe that follows a slope, or a window seat that fits a bay. See our guides to under-stairs storage and storage in a loft conversion.
Height and depth
Off-the-shelf ranges stop at set heights. In a tall Victorian or mansion block room, that leaves a band of empty wall above the units, which gathers dust. Bespoke units can go right up to the ceiling or the picture rail, which adds storage and makes the furniture look built-in.
Depth matters too. A standard wardrobe depth may be too deep for a narrow room, or a standard cupboard too shallow for what you want to keep in it. When furniture is made for the space, the depth can suit both the room and the things you store.
Thinking about fitted furniture? We design, make and fit it across London: we visit, measure and talk through the design, then send a written quote. Arrange a design visit.
Build and materials
Off-the-shelf units vary widely in build. Many use particle board with a printed or plastic surface. That can be fine for light use, but it doesn’t hold screws as well when it’s taken apart and put back together, and a damaged edge can be hard to repair.
We build from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood. MDF is stable and takes paint well. Birch plywood is strong and holds screws well, which suits carcasses, long shelves and drawer boxes. Our guide to MDF vs plywood explains the differences in more depth.
Finish and colour
Off-the-shelf furniture usually comes in a set range of colours and surfaces. Bespoke painted furniture can be any colour you choose, and it can be matched to your walls, woodwork or kitchen.
We finish by spray painting or hand painting. Spray painting is done in the workshop and gives a smooth, even finish. Hand painting can be done on site and is easy to touch up later. Both use colours agreed with you. Painted furniture can also be repainted years later if you change the room, which isn’t possible with most printed surfaces. See spray-painted vs hand-painted furniture.
Getting it into the house
Here, flat-pack has an advantage: it arrives in boxes that go up any stairs. Large ready-assembled units can be a problem in London, where narrow hallways, tight stair turns and small lifts are common.
Bespoke furniture deals with this by being made in sections. The sections are sized to get up the stairs, round the landings, into the lift and through the doors, then joined and fitted in the room. That’s why we look at the route in as well as the room at the design visit.
A side-by-side comparison
| Off-the-shelf | Bespoke | |
|---|---|---|
| Sizes | Fixed widths, heights and depths | Made to the measured room |
| Uneven walls | Gaps or filler panels | Scribed to follow the wall |
| Awkward spaces | Often left empty | Shaped to fit |
| Height | Stops at set heights | Can reach the ceiling |
| Colour | From a range | Painted in a colour you choose |
| Speed | Can be bought straight away | Designed, made and then fitted |
| Moving house | Can usually go with you | Usually stays with the room |
When off-the-shelf makes sense
Bespoke isn’t always the right answer. Off-the-shelf may suit you better if:
- you rent, or expect to move soon, and want to take the furniture with you;
- the room is square and the units will fit a straight wall with little left over;
- you need storage straight away and can’t wait for furniture to be designed and made;
- the storage is temporary, for example while you decide how to use a room.
Bespoke tends to make most sense in rooms you plan to keep, with awkward shapes, uneven walls or tall ceilings, where standard units would leave gaps. If you’d like to talk it through, get in touch and arrange a design visit.
Quick answers
Is bespoke furniture always more expensive?
It usually costs more than standard units, because it’s designed and made for one room. What you get is furniture that uses the whole space and fits the walls. Our guide to what affects the cost of fitted wardrobes explains what drives the figure.
Can bespoke furniture be taken with me if I move?
Fitted furniture is made for one room and fixed to its walls, so it usually stays. Some standalone pieces can be designed to move, but that’s worth raising at the design visit.
Can you fit off-the-shelf units I’ve bought?
We design, make and fit our own furniture. If there are units you’d like to keep, mention them at the design visit so the design can work around them.
Does bespoke furniture suit a new-build flat?
Yes. New-build rooms are often squarer, but fitted furniture can still use the full height, fit around doors and windows, and be fixed properly to stud walls.
Will bespoke furniture get up my stairs?
It’s made in sections sized for the route in, including stairs, landings, lifts and doors. We look at the route at the design visit.
Related services
More advice
- MDF vs Plywood for Fitted Furniture
- What Affects the Cost of Fitted Wardrobes?
- Fitting Furniture to Uneven Walls and Floors
- Choosing a Carpenter in London: A Checklist
- All advice
This guide is general information about fitted furniture. It isn’t legal, planning or building advice; for those, speak to the council, your landlord or managing agent, or a suitably qualified professional.