Lewisham · London
Under-stairs storage in Catford, Lewisham
Planning under-stairs storage for a home in Catford? We start with a design visit and a quote in writing, before anything is made.
- A low corner too deep to reach into
- A vacuum cleaner that has nowhere to go
- A dark, wasted space under the stairs
Ask about under-stairs storage in Catford
Could you do it yourself?
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.
Flat-pack and off-the-shelf furniture has its place. If the walls are straight and the space suits standard sizes, it often does the job, and it is easy to buy.
About our under-stairs storage in Catford
Deep pull-out drawers bring the back of the space within reach. Instead of crawling in to find something, you slide the drawer out and everything is in view. At the tall end, a cupboard works well for coats, an ironing board or the vacuum. A mix of drawers and cupboards is often the best use of the space. If you’re living with a meter or fuse board buried behind clutter and open space under the stairs that collects clutter, under-stairs cupboards made from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood, finished by spray or by hand can solve it.
Hallways in period terraces are often long and narrow, with the stairs rising along one wall. Around Catford, a large share of homes date from before 1919, so every bit of depth is weighed up when storage is planned. Even shallow storage can hold a lot without narrowing the way through.
The quote names the materials: moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood, each used where it suits the job. The finish is stated too, whether that is spray painting or hand painting.
- Place
- Catford (SE6, BR1)
- Area
- Lewisham
- Prices
- Quoted for your room
- To begin
- Design visit, then a written quote
- Where it is made
- In our workshop, then fitted in your home
- Boards and paint
- Painted MDF and birch ply
- When we fit
- Monday to Friday; Saturdays by arrangement
- Enquiries
- Our contact form
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Neighbourhoods near Catford
More for homes in Catford
Common questions about under-stairs storage
Does a conservation area in or near Catford affect fitted furniture?
Not normally. Conservation area controls are mainly about the outside of buildings, so fitted furniture inside a house doesn’t normally need planning permission. Listed buildings are different, as works inside that affect their character may need listed building consent from the council. If you are unsure, the council can confirm.
Can parking be tricky on fitting day in Catford?
It can be, as controlled parking zones cover much of inner London. A van may need a visitor’s permit, a paid parking bay or a bay suspension, which the council arranges, often with notice. It helps to let us know about parking at the measuring visit, so we can plan the day around it.
Is it possible to have a desk built under the stairs?
That depends on the shape of your stairs and the room beside them. We look at it at the measuring visit and tell you honestly whether it will work. If it does, a compact desk with shelving can suit paperwork and a laptop.
Do I need to be at home on fitting day?
We need access, so someone has to let us in. After that, you don’t need to stay in the room, but it helps to be around at the end.
Can you fit furniture to uneven walls?
Uneven walls are normal in older London homes, and the furniture is made to deal with them. Edges are scribed to the wall, and adjustable feet or a plinth bring the furniture up to level.
Are drawers or cupboards better under the stairs?
Often a mix works best. Deep pull-out drawers suit the shallow end under the bottom steps, and a cupboard at the tall end handles taller things. We talk it through at the measuring visit.
How it is made
Hand-painted finish
Hand painting on site lets the storage be finished alongside the woodwork around it. Marks can be touched in without much trouble. Paint needs time to cure fully, so it is best treated gently at first.
Birch plywood
We use birch plywood where strength matters, as it is strong and holds screws firmly. Drawer boxes and carcasses that take a load are often made from it. Its layered edge can be shown or painted.
Fitting day, step by step
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. How long the fitting takes depends on the shape of the space and the number of drawers and doors, and the fitting days are agreed in your quote. Hallways in period houses are often narrow, and the stairs turn sharply, so under-stairs cupboards are made in sections sized to get through. Floors, stairs and doorways are covered before anything is carried through.
- It starts with a few details from you about the space.
- We come to measure and talk through the design.
- A quote in writing follows.
- We make the drawers and cupboards in our workshop from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood.
- The storage is fitted and finished, and we check each pull-out with you before we leave.
- New paint needs time to cure fully, so open and close things gently at first.
Before fitting day
- Take down pictures, mirrors and shelves from the wall
- Let us know about parking near your home
- Clear the hallway and stairs so the sections can come through
Arranging a design visit
There’s no price list: each design is priced in writing after we’ve seen the space. Each room is different, so we quote after seeing it. To arrange a visit, fill in our short enquiry form.
Advice
Do you need under-stairs storage in Catford?
Many people struggle with the shallow, sloping end under the bottom steps. You cannot stand up in it, and you cannot reach the back without kneeling. Pull-out drawers solve that by bringing the back of the space to you.
Here are some of the needs we are asked about most:
- A dark, wasted space under the stairs
- An old cupboard door that doesn’t suit the hall
- A meter or fuse board buried behind clutter
- Cleaning things with no proper home
For a flat near Catford Bridge station, the lift, the stair turns and the front door all set the largest piece that can come in.
Before you hire any carpenter
- Have they measured the stairs, lift and doorways?
- Are the boards named, like MDF or plywood?
- Whether you’ll get a written quote, not just a figure
- How they deal with uneven walls and floors
Catford homes and under-stairs storage
Homes built before 1919 make up about 68% of the housing in the neighbourhood around Catford, with about 14% built since 2000, on the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax figures for 2025. We take that into account at the design visit, since older and newer walls take different fixings. Entries on the National Heritage List near the centre of Catford include Church of St Andrew (Grade II*), about 0.6 miles east, and Church of St Laurence and Community Centre (Grade II), less than half a mile west. If your own home is listed, works inside that affect its character, such as fixing into or removing original joinery, can require listed building consent. Ask the council’s conservation officer before anything is fixed. TfL’s red routes have strict stopping rules. If your home is on or just off a main road, it is useful to mention it. Then we can work out where to load and unload.
Close to Forster Memorial Park? Under-stairs cupboards can be designed to hold outdoor kit, from walking boots to picnic things. For families living near Holy Cross Catholic Primary School, deep drawers suit the bulky things families collect, from scooters to swimming kit.
Catford is part of the London Borough of Lewisham, about 2 miles north of New Cross. Wherever you are in Catford, the process is the same: a design visit, a written quote, furniture made at our workshop and fitting in your home. Our Lewisham coverage includes Catford.
In SE6 and BR1, the process is the same as anywhere else in London. If your home is on a street such as Bargery Road, Penerley Road and Inchmery Road, or close by, we can visit to measure up for under-stairs storage. Neighbouring places we cover for under-stairs storage include Bellingham (1 mile south-west), Southend (1 mile south-west), Ladywell (1 mile north), Hither Green (1 mile north-east) and Bell Green (1 mile south-west). Across the rest of Lewisham, our area takes in New Cross (2 miles north), St Johns (2 miles north), Deptford (3 miles north), Surrey Canal (3 miles north-west), Sydenham (2 miles south-west) and Telegraph Hill (2 miles north-west). As one of the bigger places in Lewisham, Catford is covered for all of our fitted furniture.
Landmarks near Catford
We fit furniture in homes around The London & Rye pub, Conisborough College and Trinity Church of England School. The nearest railway station is Catford Bridge station, roughly 0.5 miles north-west of the centre. A little further out are Lewisham Shopping Centre (1.4 miles north) and Prefab Museum (0.7 miles south-east). Not far away are Downham Woodland Walk.
Pricing under-stairs storage in Catford
What you pay depends on:
- Walls and floors that are out of level or out of square
- Doors and drawers, and how many
- The overall size of the piece
- Whether you choose a spray or hand-painted finish
Awkward rooms take more time: walls that lean, floors that slope and sloping ceilings all mean more scribing and cutting. The quote allows for it, which we write after seeing the room.
Helping us understand the room
You do not need exact measurements or a plan. It’s enough to send:
- What the furniture needs to hold
- The postcode, so we can plan the visit
- Anything in the way, like radiators, sockets, switches, a boiler or meters
- Pictures of styles you like, if you have any
It’s useful to see the room before we come. Pictures of the whole wall, the corners and the ceiling line tell us a lot about the space, especially with rough measurements. To send them over, tell us about the room on our contact form, and we’ll arrange a design visit.