Merton · London
Alcove Units in Merton
We make alcove units for homes in all 20 neighbourhoods we list across Merton, designed after a visit and made in our workshop., with a design visit before any quote.
Alcove Units across Merton
Neighbourhoods we cover in Merton
The furniture is made in our workshop, then fitted. Find your neighbourhood in the lists below for local details.
Largest neighbourhoods
About alcove units in Merton
We fit alcove units across Merton and the rest of London. It starts with a design visit, where we measure the alcoves and go through the design. Then you receive a quote; the units are then built in our workshop and fitted in your home. Most enquiries start with shelving for books and records and room to work in an alcove, and the answer is built in our workshop from MDF made to resist moisture and birch plywood, then spray-painted or hand-painted.
Once the main sections are fixed in place, we hang any doors and fit any drawers or lids. Each one is adjusted until the gaps are even and it closes cleanly, then checked again. The time the fitting takes depends on the size and number of units, and we confirm the fitting days in your quote.
- You let us know which room it is and roughly what you’d like in the alcoves.
- We visit to measure, look at how the walls run and note the skirting, picture rail and any vent. We also talk through heights, doors and shelves.
- You receive a quote with the design, the materials and the paint finish. If anything needs changing, just tell us.
- The cupboards and shelves are then built in our workshop.
- Fitting day: the units go in, are scribed to the alcoves and levelled on a plinth or feet. The finish is sprayed in our workshop or hand-painted on site, as agreed.
What goes into your quote
Access to the room makes a difference too. Several flights of stairs, a small lift or a narrow hall can mean smaller sections and more carrying, which the quote allows for. Every piece is quoted for your room after the design visit.
What you get with us
- Work across the whole of London
- Built from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood
- Spray painted or hand painted, in the colour you choose
- Saturdays by arrangement
Getting a quote
The quote is built from the design visit. We take full measurements, see how true the walls and floors are and work through the design together. A written quote follows the visit. To arrange the visit, drop us a line using the contact form.
Around Wimbledon
We fit furniture in homes around St. Mark's Church, Willington School and Wimbledon High School and the streets around them. Other local landmarks include Cannizaro Park (0.8 miles west), Bishop Gilpin CofE Primary School (less than half a mile north-east) and Dog & Fox pub (close by, under half a mile west). There is a railway station in Wimbledon itself: Wimbledon station. Nearby you will also find Wimbledon Museum (within half a mile west) and Atkinson Morley Hospital (1.2 miles west). Open spaces near Wimbledon include Henman Hill and Merton Park Green Walks.
Homes across Merton and their living rooms
We make alcove units for homes across Merton, in Wimbledon, Colliers Wood and Morden and beyond. Walls could be solid brick, lath and plaster, block or plasterboard, so fixings are chosen for each. Shelf spans and depths are chosen so nothing bows.
Homes built between 1919 and 1939 make up about 37% of the housing in Merton, with about 27% built before 1919, on the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax figures for 2025. Knowing roughly when a home was built helps, because walls and fixings change from one era to the next. About 37% of homes in Merton date from between 1919 and 1939, going by the Valuation Office Agency’s 2025 council tax figures. Interwar front rooms normally have a bay at the front and a chimney breast on the side wall, and alcove units are planned around both. About 36% of households in Merton live in terraced houses, the 2021 Census shows. Terraced houses in London often have alcoves beside a chimney breast, which suit alcove units built to their exact widths.
Much of London is covered by controlled parking zones run by the boroughs, and depending on the street, a visitor permit, a paid bay or a bay suspension through the council may be needed. Let us know about parking at the design visit.
Wimbledon: For a family home near Wimbledon High School, low doors that small hands can open, with books and ornaments higher up, suit a busy family room. Near listed buildings like Parish Church of St Mary, under half a mile north of the centre of Wimbledon, older homes may keep original joinery that alcove units can be designed around. If your own home is listed, check with the council before fixing into original features.
What prompts alcove units
A busy family living room is another reason. Toys, games, post and chargers all need a home, and cupboards with doors keep them out of sight. Open shelves above are left for the things you like to see.
These come up often when people first get in touch:
- Walls too uneven for standard furniture
- Somewhere to keep books and records
- Toys and paperwork with no proper home
- Furniture that does not fit the alcove
Boards, parts and paint
Moisture-resistant MDF
MDF in a moisture-resistant grade is stable and paints beautifully, which makes it our choice for doors and visible panels. It is a sensible choice where an alcove sits against an external wall.
Spray-painted finish
Because the units are sprayed before they come to you, there is less painting to do in your home, in the colour agreed with you. Give the paint time to cure fully once fitted.
What we do not do
We do not treat damp or carry out building work, and there are a few other limits too:
- New sockets or wiring (your electrician handles those)
- Replastering, which is a plasterer’s job
- Finding and fixing the cause of damp
Tips worth knowing
New paint needs time to cure fully, so treat it gently at first. After that, a few simple habits help:
- Sort out damp patches before fitting
- Talk to your electrician early if you want new sockets
- Check whether there’s a vent in the chimney breast
- Move things out of the alcoves so we can measure properly
Keep any chimney vent clear once the units are in. Ventilation helps keep the chimney breast dry.
Watch for damp marks on the chimney breast or the walls near the units. Damp needs its cause fixing by the right trade, and it is easier to deal with before it spreads.
What affects the cost of alcove units
Not every room costs the same, for these reasons:
- Spray painting or hand painting
- Walls and floors that are out of level or out of square
- Hanging rails, shelves, drawers and other fittings inside
- How easy it is to get the furniture into the room
There is no price list, because every piece is designed for one room. Instead, we measure, discuss the design and then quote in writing, with the materials and finish set out. To start, send us a few details through our contact form.
Getting in touch
To give us a picture of the room, it’s useful to include:
- Whether it’s a house or a flat, and if there are stairs or a lift
- Any ideas or images you have saved
- Pictures of the whole wall or room, including the floor and ceiling
- Anything in the way, like radiators, sockets, switches, a boiler or meters
For a quote for alcove units in Merton, message us from the contact page. Tell us which room it is and roughly what you have in mind. We will arrange a design visit, then send a written quote.
Common questions about alcove units
Do you cover Merton?
Yes, we do. We design and make alcove units for homes in Merton.
What affects the price of alcove units?
Each room is quoted on its own: the size, what goes inside, the finish and how square the room is all count. The written quote follows the design visit.
What materials do you use?
We build with moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood, each used where it suits the job best. Your quote sets out the materials.
What if the wall is cold or damp?
It needs a little planning: leaving ventilation behind and inside helps stop condensation. Damp treatment isn’t something we do, so any damp needs sorting first.
Should both alcoves have the same units?
That depends on how you use the room. The two alcoves are often slightly different sizes. They can match in style while doing different jobs.
Can I send pictures before the visit?
Yes, they help. Pictures of the whole wall or room, including the floor and ceiling, give us a good idea of the space. You can send them when you fill in our short enquiry form.
Should alcove units go up to the ceiling?
That depends on the room and what you’d like to store. In a tall period room, units can stop under the picture rail or the cornice, or run to the ceiling for a built-in look. We agree the height at the measuring visit.