Victorian (1837–1901) and Edwardian (1901–1910) terraced houses are common across much of inner London and many outer areas. They were built with generous ceiling heights, fireplaces in the main rooms and handsome details, but very little in the way of cupboards. Families stored things in standalone furniture, and the houses were designed around that.
Today, most people want more storage and less furniture standing in the room. The good news is that these houses are full of spaces that suit fitted furniture: alcoves, bays, the void under the stairs, sloping ceilings in converted lofts. This guide walks through a typical terrace, room by room, and covers the period details and practical points to think about. Many of the same ideas apply if your home is a flat in a converted terrace.
How these houses are laid out
A typical London terrace has a front room and a back room on the ground floor, often knocked through into one. A narrow hallway runs from the front door to the stairs, with the stairs rising along the party wall. Many houses have a back addition, sometimes called an outrigger, holding the kitchen on the ground floor and a bathroom or small bedroom above.
Upstairs there are usually two or three bedrooms, the larger ones with chimney breasts. Many terraces now have a loft conversion, adding a room at the top with sloping ceilings and low eaves. Every house differs, but this pattern helps you spot where fitted furniture will earn its place.
Living rooms: alcoves and chimney breasts
The alcoves on each side of the chimney breast are the obvious place to start. Low cupboards with shelves above are the classic choice, giving hidden storage below and space for books above. One alcove can hold the TV boxes and speakers, the other a small desk.
Where front and back rooms have been knocked through, there may be two chimney breasts and four alcoves. Matching the units across both gives the long room a sense of order. Before fitting, check each chimney breast for damp: a blocked chimney should still be ventilated. See our guide to alcove units and alcove units page.
Bay windows and sash windows
Many terraces have a bay window at the front, often with sash windows. A window seat built into the bay makes a comfortable spot to sit and adds storage underneath, with lift-up lids or drawers. Under a single sash window in a bedroom, a smaller seat can do the same.
Radiators are often fitted under windows. If a seat is built over one, it needs a grille or open front so heat isn’t trapped in the seat. Read more in window seats: bays, sashes and radiators.
The hallway
Victorian hallways are often narrow, which limits what can go in them. A shallow cupboard for coats and shoes near the front door can work if the hall is wide enough to pass easily. Where the hall is too tight, the space under the stairs often becomes the main coat and shoe store.
Look up, too. In some hallways there’s room for a shelf or shallow cupboard above head height, for things you need only now and then.
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.
Under the stairs
The space under the stairs is one of the most useful in the house, and one of the most wasted. Pull-out drawers, cupboards with shelves, coat and shoe storage or a small desk can all fit under a staircase.
In many terraces this space also holds the gas meter, electricity meter or fuse board. These must stay accessible, because meter readers and engineers need to reach them. A cupboard can be designed around them with a door or panel that opens easily. Our guide to under-stairs storage covers this in detail.
Bedrooms
In the main bedroom, the alcoves beside the chimney breast are natural places for wardrobes. Alcove wardrobes leave the chimney breast clear, and a shelf or cupboard above the fireplace can link them. If the chimney breast has been removed in the past, a wall of wardrobes may be possible instead.
Smaller bedrooms often benefit from wardrobes around the bed, with cupboards bridging above the headboard. The box room over the front door, common in many terraces, can become a small dressing room, a study or a spare room with a wall bed. See storage ideas for small bedrooms.
Bedrooms on the front and back walls of the house have external walls of solid brick, which can be colder. Ventilation behind wardrobes on these walls helps avoid condensation.
The kitchen and back addition
Kitchens in the back addition are often long and narrow. Cabinets made to the room can make the most of the length and the height, with tall larders and cupboards to the ceiling. Where the kitchen opens into a side return or a rear room, there may be space for a dresser or an island. Our guide to planning a bespoke kitchen covers this.
Utility spaces, boot rooms and boiler cupboards often end up here too. A boiler in a cupboard needs the clearances and ventilation set out in the manufacturer’s instructions.
Loft conversions
A converted loft gives a room with sloping ceilings and low eaves. Those eaves are excellent storage: cupboards or drawers built into the knee wall, wardrobes shaped under the slope and shelves in a dormer. We build storage in lofts that are already converted or boarded; the conversion itself isn’t our work. See storage in a loft conversion.
Period details and practical points
Whatever the room, a few things come up again and again in Victorian and Edwardian houses:
- Walls and floors are rarely flat or square. Fitted furniture is scribed to follow the walls and set level with adjustable feet or a plinth.
- Walls vary. External walls are usually solid brick; older internal walls and ceilings may be lath-and-plaster. Fixings must suit the wall.
- Skirting, picture rails and cornices need to be met neatly or carried onto the furniture.
- Access. Narrow hallways and tight stair turns mean furniture is made in sections sized for the route in.
- Parking. Many terraced streets are in controlled parking zones. It helps to tell us about parking at the design visit.
If your house is listed, check with the council’s conservation officer before fixing into original joinery or panelling. When you’re ready, get in touch to arrange a design visit.
Quick answers
Is it worth fitting furniture in a period house?
Period rooms rarely suit standard units, because walls lean and alcoves are odd sizes. Fitted furniture uses the space properly and can be styled to suit the house.
Can fitted furniture match my existing woodwork?
It can be styled and painted to sit with the skirting, doors and picture rails, for example with panelled doors and a matching paint colour.
Can you build storage around the gas meter under my stairs?
Yes, as long as the meter stays easy to reach. We design a door or panel that gives clear access.
Do you do loft conversions?
No. We build storage in lofts that are already converted or boarded.
Does my conservation area affect fitted furniture?
Conservation area controls are mainly about the outside of buildings, and fitted furniture inside a house doesn’t normally need planning permission. Listed buildings are different, so check with your council if your home is listed.
Related services
More advice
- Alcove Units: A Guide for London Homes
- Under-Stairs Storage: Ideas and What to Check
- Window Seats: Bays, Sashes and Radiators
- Building Around a Chimney Breast: What to Know
- 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.