Example photo by Franco Debartolo on Unsplash, not our project
Lewisham · London
Catford Window Seats
Few London rooms are perfectly square, and we scribe the furniture to follow the walls. Our work on window seats in Catford starts with a design visit, and everything is built in our workshop.
- Looking for a reading spot by the window
- Off-the-shelf pieces that never quite fit the window
- Unused space below a sash window
Window seats designed for your room
Window seats in Catford: what you get
Bay windows are common in period homes, and they make a natural place for a seat. A bay is rarely a simple shape, with angled sides and walls that are not quite straight. We measure every face and scribe the seat to follow them, so it sits neatly in the bay without gaps. It’s the kind of space where a ready-made bench never quite fits. Typical reasons to get in touch are needing more storage in the room and unused space below a sash window; the furniture is made from birch plywood and moisture-resistant MDF with a spray-painted or hand-painted finish.
Ceilings and floors in homes built before 1919 are rarely level, and a large share of homes around Catford are that old. Window seats are scribed to the walls and levelled on site so doors, lids and drawers run true. Original skirting and mouldings are met neatly.
We write quotes in plain English, without jargon. You will see what will be made, the boards used and the finish, all taken from the design visit.
- Where
- Catford (SE6, BR1)
- Borough
- Lewisham
- Price
- Quoted for your room
- How it starts
- We visit, measure, then quote
- Making
- In our workshop, then fitted in your home
- Materials and finish
- Painted MDF and birch ply
- Working days
- Weekdays (Saturdays if arranged)
- Enquiries
- Send us a message
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What window seats cannot fix
Electrics, plumbing, gas, plastering and structural work aren’t part of what we do. Please bear these in mind too:
- Seat cushions, which you source separately
- Moving or replacing a radiator, which is for your plumber
- Plastering and decorating around the seat
Not sure whether your space suits window seats? You can drop us a line using the contact form and we will tell you before you arrange a visit. How a job runs, step by step.
Boards, parts and finishes
- Birch plywood
- Hand-painted finish
- Lift-up lids or drawers
- Radiator grilles
- Moisture-resistant MDF
- Spray-painted finish
How fitting day works
There is not much for you to do on fitting day. We need someone to let us in at the start, and it helps to have the room cleared beforehand. After that, it is over to us: the floors are covered, the sections come in and the fitting begins. How long the fitting takes depends on the size of the window and the design, and the fitting days are agreed in your quote. Original hallway tiles and old floorboards are worth protecting, so they’re covered before anything comes in. Drilling into lath and plaster is done with care, so the plaster around stays sound. Decorating around the furniture afterwards is for your decorator.
- First we hear about your bay or window and what you’d like.
- At the design visit, every side of the window is measured.
- We agree the seat, the storage and the finish, and send a quote in writing.
- Every part is made at our workshop, ready for a spray-painted or hand-painted finish.
- The seat is fitted, scribed to the walls and checked with you.
Before we arrive
- Let us know about any meters, fuse boards or boilers in the area
- Take anything hanging off the wall we’re fitting to
- Move anything in the hall or on the stairs out of the way
Ask for a quote
The price comes in a written quote, worked out from the measurements and the design you choose. Each room is different, so we quote after seeing it, once the room is measured and the design talked through. To arrange a visit, drop us a line using the contact form.
Related advice
Catford homes and window seats
The biggest shares of homes in the neighbourhood around Catford were built before 1919 (about 68%) and since 2000 (about 14%), according to Valuation Office Agency council tax figures (2025). That matters for window seats, as the build era decides whether a wall is solid brick, lath and plaster, block or plasterboard. 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. For a listed home, internal works that affect its character may need listed building consent from the council, for example removing or fixing into original panelling. Ask the council’s conservation officer before anything is fixed. Around Catford, about 68% of homes date from before 1919, well above the figure for Lewisham as a whole, about 36%, according to Valuation Office Agency council tax figures (2025). That makes period details like uneven walls, alcoves and picture rails more likely to shape the design.
If you live near Forster Memorial Park, window seats can be designed to hold outdoor kit, from walking boots to picnic things. If you live in a flat close to Catford Bridge station, each piece is planned so it can be carried up and joined together in the room. The wider area includes historic houses such as Eltham Palace, about 2.8 miles east. For a period home anywhere nearby, a radiator under the window just needs a grille in the seat front.
Catford is about 2 miles north of New Cross, part of the London Borough of Lewisham. Catford is part of the area we cover. Across Lewisham, we cover Catford and the places around it.
Here we cover the SE6 and BR1 postcode area for window seats. Our area takes in homes on streets like Bargery Road, Penerley Road and Inchmery Road, along with the roads around them, whether you want window seats or another piece made for the room. Nearby, we also make window seats in 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). Elsewhere in Lewisham, we also cover 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). Being one of the larger places in Lewisham, Catford is covered for window seats and everything else we make.
Around Catford
The streets we cover here include those near The London & Rye pub, Conisborough College and Trinity Church of England School and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Catford Bridge station, about 0.5 miles north-west. Nearby you will also find Lewisham Shopping Centre (1.4 miles north) and Prefab Museum (0.7 miles south-east). Not far away are Downham Woodland Walk.
Boards, parts and paint
Doors and drawer fronts
What shows of the seat is mainly its fronts. We make them plain or panelled, with handles to match. A radiator grille can be built into the front.
Birch plywood
Seats take weight every day, so they need to be strong. Birch plywood suits them, as it’s strong and holds screws firmly. It suits the drawers below too.
Bespoke window seats or ready-made?
Standard storage benches come in set sizes. A seat made for your window can use the full width and depth of the bay or recess, with drawers, a lift-up lid or a mix below. Tall ceilings in older homes leave a band of empty wall above standard furniture, wasting space that could hold things you rarely use. Built-in pieces can run to the cornice or the picture rail.
There is no price list, because every piece is designed for one room. We measure up, discuss the design and send a quote in writing, with the materials and finish set out. To start, send us a few details through our contact form.
Why us?
- We work across all London boroughs
- Made in moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood
- Saturday work by prior arrangement
- A spray or hand-painted finish
Take a look at bespoke vs off-the-shelf and what a quote should include.
Your questions about window seats in Catford
Can you fit furniture in a home close to Catford Bridge station?
Yes. We cover all of Lewisham and the rest of London. You can fill in our short enquiry form to arrange a design visit, and tell us about parking and access at the same time.
Will a conservation area stop me having window seats fitted in Catford?
Not normally. Conservation area controls are largely about how buildings look from outside, so fitted furniture inside a house does not normally need planning permission. If your home is listed, internal works that affect its character can need listed building consent, so check with the council first. If you’re unsure, the council can confirm.
How is a window seat priced?
There’s no price list: each design is priced in writing after we’ve seen the space. The size of the window, the storage and the finish all shape the price. To get a quote, use our contact form and we will arrange a design visit.
Can I send pictures before the visit?
Yes, they help. A few pictures of the room, from floor to ceiling, tell us a lot. You can send them when you tell us about the room on our contact form.
What happens when you come to measure?
We measure the space and discuss the design, materials and finish. We also check the walls and floors and note radiators, sockets and other things in the way, and the written quote comes afterwards.
Can you fit furniture to uneven walls?
That’s normal in older homes, and it’s what scribing is for. We scribe the edges to follow the wall and set the furniture level on adjustable feet or a plinth.
More for homes in Catford
How we price window seats
Every room is different, so every job is quoted on its own. This is what makes the difference:
- Whether you choose a spray or hand-painted finish
- Access to the room, like stairs, lifts and narrow halls
- How big the furniture is
- How many doors and drawers there are
What goes inside matters as much as the outside: rails, shelves, drawers and dividers all add work. We’ll talk through what you need inside at the measuring visit.
What to send when you contact us
What helps most when you first contact us:
- Anything in the way, such as radiators, sockets, switches, a boiler or meters
- Approximate measurements of the space
- Pictures of styles you like, if you have any
- The type of home and how the room is reached
To get a quote, get in touch through our contact form and tell us a little about the room and roughly what you’d like. We then arrange a design visit to measure and go through the design, and a written quote follows.