Put a spirit level on almost any wall in a Victorian or Edwardian house and the bubble will wander. Floors slope, ceilings dip and corners are rarely square. Newer homes can be out too, though usually by less. This is one of the main reasons off-the-shelf furniture looks wrong in older rooms: a straight box against a crooked wall leaves gaps.
Fitted furniture deals with this in a few well-tried ways. This guide explains them, so you know what to expect and what to ask.
Why period rooms are out of true
Houses move a little over their lifetime as they settle. Walls were often plastered by hand, so the surface follows the brickwork beneath. Floors on timber joists can sag or slope. Later changes, such as a removed fireplace, a new partition or a replastered wall, add their own differences.
None of this is usually a problem in itself. It just means furniture has to be made and fitted to the room as it actually is.
Scribing to the wall
Scribing means trimming the edge of a panel so it follows the shape of the wall. The panel is made slightly oversize, held in place, marked with the line of the wall and then cut to that line. The result is a close fit with no gap, even where the wall bows.
Scribing is used where a unit meets a side wall, the ceiling or an alcove. It’s why we measure carefully at the design visit and why some of the final trimming is done on site.
Levelling on uneven floors
If a floor slopes, a cupboard placed straight on it will lean. Doors then swing open or closed on their own and the gaps between them look uneven. Fitted furniture is set level using adjustable feet or a plinth, which is then trimmed to the floor. The cupboard sits true and the plinth hides the difference.
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.
Skirting, picture rails and coving
Period rooms often have skirting boards, picture rails, cornices and coving that units have to meet or be cut around. There are a few approaches:
- Cut around the existing mouldings so they stay in place.
- Stop short of a cornice and finish the top of the unit with its own moulding.
- Remove a section of skirting behind a unit and refit it neatly at the ends.
Which suits you depends on the room and what you want to keep. In a listed building, removing original joinery may need consent. See listed buildings and conservation areas.
Fixing into different walls
Fixings must suit the wall. Victorian and Edwardian houses usually have solid brick external walls. Older internal walls and ceilings may be lath-and-plaster, which needs care. Newer homes and conversions often have timber stud or metal-stud plasterboard walls, where fixings go into the studs or use suitable fixings for the board. We check the walls before deciding how a piece is fixed.
If plaster is loose or cracked where a unit will go, you may want a plasterer to repair it first. We don’t do plastering or decorating.
Why materials matter
Moisture-resistant MDF is stable and doesn’t move much with changes in the room, which helps panels stay flat after scribing. Birch plywood is strong and holds screws well, which suits carcasses and shelves. See MDF vs plywood.
Quick answers
Will there be gaps between the unit and the wall?
Scribing is how we avoid them. Panels are trimmed to follow the wall so the fit is close.
My floor slopes. Is that a problem?
Not usually. The furniture is set level on adjustable feet or a plinth trimmed to the floor.
Do I need to replaster first?
Only if the plaster is loose or damaged where the unit will go. We can look at it at the design visit; plastering itself is for a plasterer.
Can you keep my original skirting boards?
Often, yes. Units can be cut around skirting, picture rails and coving, or the skirting can be taken off and refitted.
Related services
More advice
- Storage Ideas for Victorian and Edwardian Terraces
- Building Around a Chimney Breast: What to Know
- How to Measure a Room for Fitted Furniture
- MDF vs Plywood for Fitted Furniture
- 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.