Example photo by Franco Debartolo on Unsplash, not our project
Islington · London
Window seats in Tufnell Park, Islington
Walls in older London homes are rarely straight, so we scribe the furniture to follow them. Our work on window seats in Tufnell Park starts with a design visit, and everything is made in our workshop.
- No comfortable place to sit in the light
- A sash window with space beneath it going to waste
- No space for toys and games
Window seats in Tufnell Park
Window seats in Tufnell Park: what you get
The storage under a window seat is often as useful as the seat itself. A lift-up lid is simple and gives access to the full depth, while drawers are easier to reach if there’s a cushion on top. At the design visit in Tufnell Park, we will help you choose. We make window seats from birch ply and moisture-resistant MDF, painted by hand or sprayed, and the usual reasons to get in touch are wanting a quiet place to read and a radiator under the window getting in the way.
With a large share of homes around Tufnell Park built before 1919, the space under the stairs in a terraced house often holds the gas meter, the electricity meter or the fuse board. Those have to stay reachable, so any storage is designed around them. Sash and bay windows are common in houses of that age too, and good places for seating with storage below.
The quote comes in writing, so there is time to read it properly. It covers the design, materials and finish agreed at the visit.
- Location
- Tufnell Park (NW5, N19, N7)
- Area
- Islington
- Price
- Quoted for your room
- To begin
- Design visit, then a quote in writing
- Making
- Made in our workshop and fitted on site
- Made from
- Painted MDF and birch ply
- Working days
- Weekdays (Saturdays if arranged)
- Get in touch
- Send us a message
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Do you need window seats in Tufnell Park?
Many people want a window seat for the storage beneath it. Under the seat there’s room for blankets, toys, books and more. It adds storage without taking up more of the floor.
Requests we hear often include:
- Nowhere to keep blankets, toys or books
- A sash window with space beneath it going to waste
- Wanting a seat without blocking the radiator
- A bay with no furniture that fits
If your home is as old as some of the listed buildings nearby, like Church of St Mary Brookfield, original features like shutters, panelling and fireplaces are worth designing around. If your own home is listed, check with the council before fixing into original features.
Choosing a carpenter
- Have they measured the stairs, lift and doorways?
- Will other trades be needed, and who arranges them?
- How they deal with uneven walls and floors
- How the furniture will be finished, and where
Fitting day, step by step
Getting everything level comes first. Floors are often out of level, so adjustable feet or a plinth take up the difference, which keeps the lines straight. After that, it’s fixed to the wall using fixings that suit the wall, whether that is solid brick, lath and plaster or plasterboard. On fitting day in an older house, the main job is scribing to walls and levelling on floors that slope, so there’s some trimming and adjusting on site. We protect the floors and keep dust to a minimum. Parking can be tight on terraced streets, so tell us about permits and bays during the design visit.
- You get in touch about a window seat.
- At the design visit we agree the seat and talk about colour, with a choice of spray painting or hand painting.
- A written quote follows, with the finish written in.
- The seat is made in our workshop from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood; a spray-painted finish is done there for a smooth, even surface.
- We fit it in your home, and a hand-painted finish is applied in the room.
- Fresh paint takes a while to cure, so go gently with the seat and lids at first.
Before we arrive
- Check the building’s rules for trades and lift bookings
- Move furniture and belongings away from the wall
- Clear the walls of pictures and shelves
How to get a quote
You don’t need exact measurements to get started. Everything is measured properly when we visit. To arrange it, message us from the contact page. The written quote follows the visit.
Read more
Flats, leases and landlords
If you live in a flat, getting the furniture in is planned from the start. At the design visit, we measure the stairs, the landings, any lift and the doors, so each section is sized to get through without a struggle.
If your flat is leasehold, check your lease before fixing furniture to the walls. A lease can require consent from the building owner for alterations, which is worth sorting early. We cannot advise on your lease.
Questions from Tufnell Park
Do you cover homes near Upper Holloway station?
Yes, homes across Islington and the rest of London are within the area we cover. You can get in touch through our contact form to arrange a design visit.
My house in Tufnell Park is Victorian. Can you deal with uneven walls?
Yes, that is normal in older houses: each piece is scribed to the wall and levelled at the base. We also work around skirting boards, picture rails and cornices. Older walls can be solid brick or lath and plaster, and the fixings are chosen to suit.
Can the fitting be on a Saturday?
Yes, Saturdays are possible by arrangement. Let us know when you first get in touch, and we will see what we can do.
Which materials go into your window seats?
Our window seats are made from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood, then painted. A moisture-resistant grade suits a spot by a window, where condensation can form. The materials and finish are agreed in your quote.
What if the wall is cold or damp?
An outside wall can be colder and damper than an inside one, so ventilation behind and inside the furniture helps. Any damp needs sorting by the right specialist before fitting.
Should I send pictures?
Yes. Pictures help us understand the room before the design visit, along with rough measurements. Show anything the furniture has to work around, such as radiators or sockets.
When you need someone else
Not everything around window seats is carpentry, such as an electrician, a plumber or a Gas Safe registered engineer. Here’s what to know:
- New sockets or lights near the window, which are for your electrician
- Painting the walls of the bay
- Seat cushions, which you source separately
If you’re not sure what’s possible in your room, you can fill in our short enquiry form and we will give you a straight answer before you arrange a visit. How a job runs, step by step.
What it is made from
- Radiator grilles
- Moisture-resistant MDF
- Hand-painted finish
- Spray-painted finish
- Birch plywood
- Lift-up lids or drawers
Making use of awkward spaces in Tufnell Park
In the neighbourhood around Tufnell Park, the largest groups of homes date from before 1919 (about 56%) and between 1973 and 1999 (about 15%), in the VOA’s 2025 council tax stock figures. Each era brings its own kind of wall, ceiling height and floor, so it shapes the design from the first measurement. Part of Tufnell Park is in a conservation area, going by Historic England’s data. Fitted furniture inside a house does not normally need planning permission in a conservation area, as the controls are mostly concerned with the outside of buildings. If you want to be certain, ask the council’s planning team. About 47% of households in the area around Tufnell Park live in purpose-built flats, according to Census 2021. For a flat, window seats are made in sections sized for the stairs, the lift and the doors. Many blocks have rules on lift booking and working hours, so check with the managing agent before fitting day.
The wider area includes historic houses like Witanhurst, about 1.2 miles north-west. For a period home anywhere nearby, a seat under a sash window can keep shutters and cills clear. If you live in a period home close to Church of St Benet and All Saints, a radiator under the window just needs a grille in the seat front.
Tufnell Park is part of the London Borough of Islington, about 2 miles east of Highbury. Anywhere in Tufnell Park, it works the same way: a design visit, a quote in writing, furniture built in our workshop and fitting in your home. Tufnell Park is one of 17 places on our list for Islington.
We work across NW5, N19 and N7. We cover homes on streets such as Hugo Road, Ward Road and Anson Road, along with the roads around them, for window seats and any of our other fitted furniture. Neighbouring places we cover for window seats include Dartmouth Park (1 mile west), Upper Holloway (1 mile north), Gospel Oak (1 mile west), Lissenden Gardens (1 mile west) and Holloway (1 mile east). Other parts of Islington we cover include Highbury (2 miles east), Farringdon (3 miles south-east), Clerkenwell (3 miles south-east), Finsbury (3 miles south-east), St Luke's (3 miles south-east) and Islington (2 miles south-east).
Local landmarks in Tufnell Park
In Tufnell Park, that includes homes near Acland Burghley School, The Boston Arms Public House and Musical Theatre Academy. The nearest railway station is Upper Holloway station, roughly 0.5 miles north-east. A little further out are Arsenal Football Club Museum (1.1 miles east) and Royal Northern Hospital (0.5 miles north-east). Open spaces near Tufnell Park include Dartmouth Park Hill and Gillespie Park.
Also near Tufnell Park
More for homes in Tufnell Park
What it’s made from
Hand-painted finish
A hand-painted finish can be applied once the seat is in place. It is easy to touch up later. Like any new paint, it needs time to cure fully.
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.