Example photo by Jelezniac Bianca on Unsplash, not our project
City of London · London
Built-in bookshelves in Temple, City of London
Thinking about built-in bookshelves in Temple? It starts with a design visit to measure and talk through ideas, then a quote in writing.
- Books piled on the floor
- Shelving that frames a window
- Shelves that suit a period room
Need built-in bookshelves in Temple?
Built-in bookshelves in Temple: what you get
We make built-in bookshelves from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood. MDF gives smooth panels that paint well, and birch plywood gives strong shelves. The finish is spray painted in the workshop or hand painted, in the colour you choose. We fit across the City of London and the rest of London. Most enquiries start with shelves that suit a period room and bowing shelves in an old bookcase, and the answer is built in our workshop from MDF made to resist moisture and birch plywood, then spray-painted or hand-painted.
Solid brick external walls are standard in Victorian and Edwardian houses, while the walls inside can be brick or lath and plaster. With so many homes around Temple built before 1919, the wall type is checked before any fixing for built-in bookshelves is chosen. Lath and plaster needs a lighter touch and the right fixings, particularly behind loaded shelves.
Everything we agree during the design visit goes into the written quote: the layout and internal fittings, the materials and the finish. If something isn’t quite right, tell us before anything is made.
- Location
- Temple (SE1, WC2H, WC2B)
- Area
- City of London
- Cost
- Quoted for your room
- How it starts
- We visit, measure, then quote
- Making
- In our workshop, then fitted in your home
- Boards and paint
- MDF and birch plywood, painted
- Fitting days
- Weekdays (Saturdays if arranged)
- Contact
- Send us a message
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
How fitting day works
With the carcasses fixed and level, any doors go on and any drawers or lids are fitted. Each one is adjusted until the gaps are even and it closes cleanly, and then we check it all again. The time the fitting takes depends on the size of the bookcase and the walls it’s fitted to, and your quote sets out the fitting days. Older London houses often have narrow hallways and tight turns on the stairs, so built-in bookshelves are made in sections sized to get through. Floors, stairs and doorways are covered before anything is carried through.
- You contact us with a short note about the shelving you have in mind, including roughly how many books there are.
- We come to measure, look at how the wall is built and agree the layout.
- Your quote follows, with the design, materials and finish set out.
- We make the shelves and carcasses in our workshop.
- The shelving is fitted in your home, scribed to the walls and fixed to suit them. A hand-painted finish is applied on site, if you chose one.
Getting ready for fitting day
- Empty the space we will be working in
- Clear the walls of pictures and shelves
- Let us know if your street is in a controlled parking zone
Getting a quote
The quote is built from the design visit. We take full measurements, see how true the walls and floors are and work through the design together. Afterwards, we send a quote in writing. To book one, use our contact form.
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Other services in Temple
Built-in bookshelves for homes in Temple
Homes built before 1919 make up about 48% of the housing in the streets around Temple, with about 22% built since 2000, on the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax figures for 2025. Each era brings its own kind of wall, ceiling height and floor, so it shapes the design from the first measurement. Part of Temple is in the Temples Conservation Area, according to Historic England’s records. Conservation area controls are mainly about the outside of buildings, and fitted furniture inside a house does not normally need planning permission. The council can confirm if you are not sure. Parking on many inner London streets is controlled, with zones run by each borough. A van working in Temple will typically need a visitor permit, a paid bay or a bay suspension arranged through the council, which often needs notice. We ask about parking at the measuring visit, so the van can be planned for.
Dr Johnson's House, about 0.2 miles north-east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area. For a period home anywhere nearby, picture rails and cornices give built-in bookshelves a line to finish at. If your home is one of the older houses near Temple Church, the alcoves beside a chimney breast are the natural place for built-in bookshelves. For families living near St Clement Danes CofE Primary School, built-in bookshelves can be planned with low cupboards for toys and higher shelves for everything else.
Temple is about 1 mile east of City of London, within the City of London. We work across all London boroughs and the City of London, and Temple is part of that. Temple is one of the places in the City of London where we make built-in bookshelves, and the borough has 8 places on our list.
Every home in SE1, WC2H and WC2B is within our area for built-in bookshelves. Our area takes in homes on streets such as Shoe Lane, Drury Lane and New Square, along with the roads around them, for built-in bookshelves and any of our other fitted furniture. Temple sits close to the A4 and A40. If your home is on one of them, tell us at the design visit, as some main roads have strict stopping rules. We also cover the places around Temple: Temple Bar (1 mile north), Blackfriars (1 mile east), Aldwych (1 mile west), Clare Market (1 mile north-west) and Covent Garden (1 mile west).
Around Temple
We fit furniture in homes around British Library of Political and Economic Science, Mercers' School and St Mary-at-Hill. Also close by are The Devereux pub (under half a mile north-west) and London Nautical School (close by, under half a mile south). Temple has its own railway station: London Blackfriars station. Well-known places in the area include St Philip's Hospital (less than half a mile north-west) and Twinings Museum (under half a mile north-west). Open spaces near Temple include St. James's Park Lake and Ludgate Hill.
Questions we’re often asked
I live in a flat in Temple. How will the furniture get up the stairs?
We measure the route in along with the room itself: the stairs, landings, lift and doors. The furniture is made in sections that fit the stairs and lift, and put together in the room. It helps to check any building rules and your lease before fitting day.
My home in Temple is a period house with walls that aren’t straight. Is that a problem?
Yes. Walls in older houses are rarely flat or square, and floors are often out of level, so each piece is scribed to follow the wall and set level on a plinth or adjustable feet. Skirting, picture rails and cornices are met neatly or cut around. Older walls can be solid brick or lath and plaster, and the fixings are chosen to suit.
What keeps bookshelves from bowing under books?
Whether a shelf sags depends on how long it is and what it carries. We choose the shelf thickness and material to suit. Spreading heavy books helps too.
How long are you in the house for fitting?
The time the fitting takes depends on the size of the bookcase and the walls it’s fitted to, and the fitting days are set out in your quote. We will talk you through what to expect beforehand.
How do I get a quote for built-in bookshelves in Temple?
The first step is to message us from the contact page and tell us about the room. After that, we arrange a design visit and follow it with a written quote.
Should my shelves be fixed or adjustable?
You can have fixed shelves, adjustable ones or a mix. Fixed shelves brace the bookcase, while adjustable ones let you change the spacing later. Many people choose both.
What it costs
The price for your room depends on:
- Walls and floors that are out of level or out of square
- Where a van can park, like a permit bay or a bay suspension
- Spray painting or hand painting
- The number of doors and drawers
Every piece is quoted for your room after the design visit. The price depends mainly on the size of the piece, how many doors and drawers it has and what goes inside.
What to send when you contact us
Before the design visit, it helps us to know about:
- The postcode, so we can plan the visit
- Pictures of the whole wall or room, including the floor and ceiling
- Examples of the look you’re after
- Anything fixed to the wall that the furniture needs to work around
It helps to see the room before we come. A few pictures showing the walls, the corners and where the ceiling meets them give us a good feel for the space, along with rough sizes. To share them, send us a few details through our contact form, and we will arrange a design visit.
Practical tips
The finish lasts best with a little care. Here are our suggestions:
- Measure your tallest and deepest books
- Think about cupboards below for things you’d rather hide
- Mention anything very heavy, like records or large art books
- Consider a mix of fixed and adjustable shelves
Fill the shelves evenly rather than all at once. Keep the heaviest books low and close to the supports, which helps the shelves stay straight.
Keep heavy things on low shelves, and never climb the shelves to reach the top.
What built-in bookshelves cannot fix
We make and fit furniture, and we do not do electrics, plumbing, gas, plastering or structural work. Please bear these in mind too:
- Making good walls that cannot take fixings
- Decorating the rest of the room
- Making new openings, removing walls or other structural work
If you’re not sure what’s possible in your room, you can message us from the contact page and we’ll give you a straight answer before you arrange a visit. Our process from visit to fitting.
Materials and parts
- Hand-painted finish
- Birch plywood
- Fixed and adjustable shelves
- Cupboards below
- Spray-painted finish
- Moisture-resistant MDF
What it is made from
Plinths and scribe strips
The plinth raises the shelving and hides a sloping floor. Its height can match the skirting board.
Birch plywood
Birch plywood is stiff and strong, which makes it our usual choice for long or heavily loaded shelves. You can paint the edge or show the layers.