Hammersmith and Fulham · London
Alcove Units in Hammersmith and Fulham
We make alcove units for homes in all 16 neighbourhoods we list across Hammersmith and Fulham, designed after a visit and made in our workshop., made in our workshop and fitted in your home, and fitting on weekdays or Saturdays by arrangement.
Planning alcove units in Hammersmith and Fulham?
Alcove units across Hammersmith and Fulham
We make cupboards and shelves built into the alcoves beside a chimney breast. Every neighbourhood has its own page, listed below, or get in touch to arrange a design visit.
Biggest places in Hammersmith and Fulham
Other services in Hammersmith and Fulham
- Wall beds
- Window seats
- TV and media units
- Fitted home offices
- Bespoke kitchens
- Fitted cupboards
- Built-in bookshelves
- Walk-in wardrobes
- Under-stairs storage
- Loft storage
- Fitted wardrobes
Postcode districts
Alcove units in Hammersmith and Fulham: how it works
Alcove units are made from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood, each used where it works best. MDF suits doors and panels because it paints so evenly, and birch plywood is strong for shelves and carcasses. You can have a spray-painted finish from the workshop or a hand-painted one done on site, in the colour you choose. We make alcove units from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood, finished by spray or by hand, and the usual reasons to get in touch are a place for a small desk and shop-bought shelving that doesn’t fill the recess.
If anything comes up on the day, just ask. The design, materials and finish were settled before anything was made, so fitting day is about putting it in place carefully and leaving the room tidy. The time the fitting takes depends on the size of the alcoves and what goes in them, and we confirm the fitting days in your quote.
- It starts with a short message from you about the alcoves.
- At the design visit we measure up, agree the layout and talk about colour and finish. You can choose a spray-painted finish from our workshop or a hand-painted one done in your home.
- A written quote follows, with the finish written in alongside the design and materials.
- We make the units in our workshop from moisture-resistant MDF, which takes paint well, and birch plywood. If you chose spray painting, that’s done in the workshop too, for a smooth, even surface.
- We fit the units in your home and scribe them to the walls.
- New paintwork takes a while to cure fully, so treat the surfaces gently at first.
Quotes in Hammersmith and Fulham
In London, parking can affect the price. Much of London is covered by controlled parking zones, so a van may need a visitor permit, a paid bay or a bay suspension. Tell us about parking at the design visit, so we can plan for it.
What you get with us
- Made for your room, not a standard size
- Scribed to uneven walls
- 300+ projects completed
- Saturday work by arrangement
Arranging a design visit
If you know what you want, say so; if not, we can work it out together at the visit. The design is talked through at the visit, once we’ve measured, and the written quote then sets it out. To start, drop us a line using the contact form.
Around Fulham
In Fulham, that includes homes near Polish Library POSK in London, St Johns Walham Green Church of England Primary School and The Cock pub and the streets around them. Nearby too are Parsons Green (park) (0.5 miles south-east), St. Peter's Church (close by, under half a mile north-west), Queensmill School (0.7 miles south-east) and Fulham Cross Girls' School and Language College (under half a mile north-west). The closest station to Fulham is West Brompton station, roughly 0.8 miles north-east. A little further out are Chelsea Stadium Tour And Museum (0.8 miles east) and Western Hospital (0.7 miles north-east). For a walk, there’s WWT London Wetland Centre.
Living-room carpentry across Hammersmith and Fulham
Most people in Hammersmith and Fulham who ask about alcove units want somewhere for books, the TV and the things that pile up. Alcove units can do all three in one design, made in our workshop and fitted on the days set out in your quote.
In Hammersmith and Fulham, the largest groups of homes date from before 1919 (about 56%) and the years since 2000 (about 16%), going by the Valuation Office Agency’s 2025 council tax figures. We take that into account at the design visit, since older and newer walls take different fixings. More than half of the homes in Hammersmith and Fulham (about 56%) were built before 1919, in the VOA’s 2025 council tax stock figures. Houses of that age typically have a chimney breast with an alcove each side, and alcove units are built to those exact widths, scribed to walls that are rarely straight. Flats in converted or shared houses account for about 26% of households in Hammersmith and Fulham, according to Census 2021. In a converted house, rooms can be odd shapes, with new partitions meeting old walls, and the way in often goes up shared stairs. If your flat is leasehold, check your lease before anything is fixed to the walls.
We cover the whole of London, so homes in Hammersmith and Fulham are well within our area. Tell us about access and parking when you first get in touch.
Fulham: The wider area includes historic houses like Fulham Palace, about 0.7 miles south-west. For a period home anywhere nearby, picture rails and cornices give alcove units a line to finish at. For an older house near St. Peter's Church, walls that bow and floors that slope are why alcove units are scribed to fit rather than pushed into place.
Materials and finishes
Plinths and scribe strips
Most alcoves need scribing on both sides and sometimes at the top. It’s what makes a fitted unit look fitted.
Birch plywood
Birch plywood is strong and holds screws well, which makes it a good choice for shelves and carcasses. Its layered edge can be painted or left to show.
Do you need alcove units?
For some, it’s about books, records or a TV. An alcove unit can be shaped around what you own, with shelf heights and depths to suit.
Here are some of the needs we are asked about most:
- Units that sit well with original features
- Walls too uneven for standard furniture
- Shop-bought shelving that doesn’t fill the recess
- A desk that tucks into an alcove
Bespoke or off-the-shelf?
Off-the-shelf units can work in an alcove, and they typically cost less to buy. The trouble is usually the gaps: standard widths rarely match the recess, and uneven walls make every gap obvious. A bespoke alcove unit is made to your measurements and scribed to the plaster.
What to check before you book
- Whether they measure the room themselves
- How the doors are hung and adjusted
- Who does any electrics, plumbing or gas work
- Is it spray painted or hand painted?
Honest limits
We’d rather be clear about where our work stops:
- Making good damaged walls before fitting
- Redecorating, which is for your decorator
- Moving sockets or switches, which needs an electrician
Looking after your furniture
These points come up often when people plan alcove units. They’re worth knowing whatever the room:
- Tell us about parking and access during the design visit
- Measure anything large that must fit inside, like a record player
- Decide whether the units stop at the picture rail or run to the ceiling
- Book your electrician first if sockets need moving
Load the shelves evenly rather than piling weight in the middle. A full shelf of books is heavier than it looks.
Use a mat under plants, vases and drinks, since standing water can mark painted shelves. Wipe up spills straight away.
Questions we are often asked
Can you fit a desk into an alcove?
Yes. One alcove can take a desk with shelves above and a drawer or cupboard beneath. We plan the height and depth with you, with a route left for cables.
What happens to the chimney vent when alcove units go in?
We plan alcove units so any chimney vent stays clear. Even a blocked chimney needs some ventilation to help keep damp away and we design around it.
How do I get started?
Just tell us about the room on our contact form. Rough sizes and a few pictures help, and we will arrange a design visit, followed by a written quote.
Can I send pictures before the visit?
Yes. Pictures help us understand the room before the design visit. Show anything the furniture has to work around, like radiators or sockets.
How long does it take to fit alcove units?
It depends on the size of the alcoves and what goes in them, and your quote sets out the fitting days. We’ll explain what to expect before we arrive.
What paint finish can I have on alcove units?
There are two options: a spray-painted finish done in our workshop, or a hand-painted finish done on site. Either way, the colour is agreed with you. Spraying gives a smooth, even surface, and hand painting is easy to touch up.
Does fitted furniture need planning permission?
Not normally. Conservation area controls are mostly concerned with the outside of buildings, and fitted furniture inside a house does not normally need planning permission. Listed buildings are different: check with the council’s conservation officer first.