Example photo by Kirsten Miles on Unsplash, not our project
Croydon · London
Loft storage in Shirley, Croydon
We make loft storage in moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood for homes in Shirley. Each piece is finished by spray or by hand, in the colour you choose.
- Space under the eaves going to waste
- A converted loft with no fitted furniture
- A boarded loft with no proper shelving
Loft storage in Shirley
Loft storage for homes in Shirley
Loft stairs are often narrow and steep, with tight turns. At the design visit, we measure the stairs and landings as well as the loft, so every section made at our workshop fits up the stairs. It is a step that matters for any loft in Shirley. We make eaves cupboards from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood, finished by spray or by hand, and the things people most often want solved are a loft room that doubles as an office or guest room and a new loft conversion that needs storage.
In an area where interwar homes or semis make up much of the housing, as around Shirley, loft conversions are common, and they leave low eaves and sloping ceilings. Those spaces, along with bays and hallways, are where fitted storage can add the most. We build storage in lofts that are already converted or boarded.
Where other trades are needed, for example an electrician to move a socket, we point that out. Our quote covers the carpentry: the design, the materials and the finish.
- Place
- Shirley (CR0, SE25, CR9)
- Area
- Croydon
- Prices
- Quoted for your room
- First step
- Design visit, then a written quote
- Where it’s made
- Workshop-made, then fitted
- Materials and finish
- MDF and plywood, painted to order
- Working days
- Monday to Friday; Saturdays by arrangement
- Get in touch
- The contact form
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Bespoke or off-the-shelf?
It’s worth being honest about cost: off-the-shelf furniture typically costs less up front. Bespoke earns its place where the room is awkward, space is tight or you want the furniture to look part of the house.
The real difference is in the fit: scribed edges, a level base on an uneven floor and furniture that meets the ceiling, skirting and picture rail. In an older room, standard units rarely manage that.
Storage in Shirley homes: local notes
The biggest shares of homes in the streets around Shirley were built between 1919 and 1939 (about 49%) and between 1973 and 1999 (about 17%), based on the Valuation Office Agency’s 2025 council tax data. Each era brings its own kind of wall, ceiling height and floor, so it shapes the design from the first measurement. More than a third of the homes in the area around Shirley (about 49%) date from between 1919 and 1939, in the VOA’s 2025 council tax stock figures. Many interwar houses have had their lofts converted, leaving sloping ceilings and eaves to use; we build the storage once the loft is converted or boarded. Red routes are run by TfL, with tight limits on where and when vehicles can stop. If your home is on or just off a main road, it helps to mention it. We will plan where the van can stop.
If your children go to Oasis Academy Shirley Park or a school nearby, eaves cupboards can be planned around what a family needs to keep, from coats and bags to sports kit. For an older house near St George The Martyr Church, sloping ceilings in a loft room suit wardrobes cut to the angle. If you live near Ashburton Park, eaves cupboards can be designed to hold outdoor kit, from walking boots to picnic things.
Shirley is about 3 miles north-west of Thornton Heath, part of the London Borough of Croydon. Shirley is part of the area we cover. Our Croydon coverage includes Shirley and the places around it.
We cover every part of CR0, SE25 and CR9. Our area takes in homes on streets such as Poppy Lane, Homer Road and Craven Road, along with the roads around them, whether you want loft storage or another piece made for the room. Main roads around Shirley include the A232, and we plan where the van can stop before fitting day. If you are just outside Shirley, we also cover Monks Orchard (1 mile north), Shirley Oaks (1 mile west), Addiscombe (1 mile west), Ashburton (1 mile north-west) and Woodside (1 mile north-west). Elsewhere in Croydon, we also cover Thornton Heath (3 miles north-west), Croydon (2 miles south-west), Coulsdon (6 miles south-west), Purley (4 miles south-west), Broad Green (2 miles west) and Upper Norwood (3 miles north-west).
Landmarks near Shirley
Our area takes in the homes around Orchard Way Primary School and The Cricketers pub, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Elmers End station, roughly 1.2 miles north of the centre. A little further out are National Psychosis Unit (1 mile east) and St George's Walk (2 miles west).
Nearby places to Shirley
What else we make in Shirley
What happens on fitting day
However carefully a piece is made in the workshop, it still has to meet the room, and that happens on fitting day. Walls in older homes are rarely flat or square, so we scribe the edges by hand to follow the wall. How long the fitting itself takes depends on the length of the eaves and the design, and the fitting days are agreed in your quote. In a 1920s or 1930s house, the hall and stairs are usually straightforward, though we still measure the route in as well as the room. Eaves cupboards arrive in sections and are assembled in place, with floors protected throughout.
- You let us know about your converted or boarded loft, including the eaves and any dormer.
- At the design visit, the room and the route up are measured.
- We agree the cupboards, drawers and wardrobes, and send a quote in writing, with the finish set out.
- The storage is built in our workshop, in sections sized for the stairs. It’s made from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood.
- We carry it up, fit it and check every door and drawer with you. Any hand painting is done in the loft.
How to prepare
- Make sure pets are kept safely away
- Move furniture and belongings away from the wall
- If you live in a block, book the lift and tell the building manager
Ask for a quote
To get a quote for loft storage in Shirley, use our contact form. Tell us which room it is and roughly what you have in mind, with sizes if you have them. We’ll arrange a design visit, then send a quote in writing.
Advice
How we price loft storage
We quote each job after the design visit, because no two rooms are the same. This is what makes the difference:
- Whether you choose a spray or hand-painted finish
- What goes inside: rails, shelves, drawers and dividers
- Access to the room, like stairs, lifts and narrow halls
- Where a van can park, like a permit bay or a bay suspension
No two rooms cost the same to furnish, because size, layout and finish change from job to job. A spray finish and a hand-painted finish involve different work, and that shows in the price. The figure comes in your written quote after the design visit.
What to send when you contact us
To help us picture the room, please include:
- What you’d like to store or use the space for
- What kind of home it is, and which floor the room is on
- Rough measurements, even if they’re only to the nearest few centimetres
- Your postcode and the borough
To get a quote, send us a few details through our contact form and tell us a little about the room and what you want the furniture to do. We then arrange a design visit to measure and go through the design, and send you a written quote afterwards.
Looking after your furniture
Because fitted furniture stays put, a little upkeep goes a long way. Here are a few tips worth knowing:
- Think about hanging space for a loft bedroom
- Make room so the whole loft can be measured
- Make a list of what you want to store in the eaves
- Choose a calm colour for the loft
Wiping the fronts with a soft, damp cloth is typically all they need. Dry them afterwards, and avoid abrasive pads and strong solvents. Handles and drawer edges pick up marks first.
Keep the eaves ventilated and avoid pressing things against the back of the space. Insulation pressed flat does not do its job. Damp in the eaves is worth raising with the people who did the conversion.
Flats, blocks and rented homes
If your flat is leasehold, check your lease before fixing furniture to the walls. Some leases need the building owner’s consent for alterations, and that is best sorted before fitting day. We can’t give advice on leases, so check it yourself or ask your managing agent.
For flats on red routes or busy main roads, getting the furniture from the van to the door needs planning. Red routes are run by TfL and have strict stopping rules, so it is worth raising during the design visit.
Common questions about loft storage
Do you make loft storage for homes in Shirley?
Yes, Shirley is within the area we cover, which takes in all of Croydon and the rest of London. We start with a design visit to measure the room and talk through what you need, followed by a quote.
Do you cover homes near Elmers End station?
Yes. We cover all of Croydon and the rest of London. You can message us from the contact page to arrange a design visit.
Will the storage fit up my loft stairs?
We make the storage in sections sized for the route. At the design visit, we measure the loft stairs, the turns and the landings. It means a full wardrobe can still reach the room.
Do I need to be in when you fit?
We need access, so someone has to let us in. You don’t need to watch us work, though we like to go over the furniture with you at the end.
Do I need permission in a conservation area?
Not normally. Inside a house, fitted furniture does not normally need planning permission. Listed buildings can need listed building consent for works that affect their character.
Does eaves storage affect the insulation?
It shouldn’t, if it is designed properly. The storage is planned around the insulation and ventilation behind the knee wall. If you have concerns about what’s already behind the eaves, it’s worth asking whoever converted the loft.