Mansion blocks are purpose-built blocks of flats, mostly from the late Victorian and Edwardian years. They’re found in many inner London boroughs. The flats often have high ceilings, large rooms, original joinery and long corridors. They also have shared stairs, small lifts, porters or managing agents, and building rules.
All of that affects fitted furniture. This guide covers the points to think about before you plan new wardrobes, bookshelves or cupboards in a mansion block flat.
Check your lease first
Most mansion block flats are leasehold. A lease can require consent from the landlord or managing agent for alterations, and some leases count fixing furniture to walls as an alteration. Check your lease before you commit to anything. We can’t advise on your lease, but it’s worth reading the relevant clauses or asking the managing agent.
Our guide to fitted furniture in a leasehold flat explains what to look for.
Lifts, stairs and the route in
Furniture made in a workshop is made in sections, and each section has to reach your flat. In a mansion block, that can mean:
- a small or old lift with a narrow door
- a stone staircase with tight turns
- long corridors with fire doors
- a narrow front door into the flat.
Measure the route, not just the room. The lift car’s inside size, the door width and the stair turns all decide how big each section can be. We size the sections to suit.
Building rules and booking
Many blocks have rules for contractors. These might include booking the lift, protecting the common parts, working hours, or registering with a porter or concierge. Some ask for notice before work starts. Find out what your block asks for early.
Entry systems matter too. Let us know how access works so the team can get in and out while carrying sections.
Thinking about fitted furniture? We design, make and fit it across London: we visit, measure and talk through the design, then send a written quote. Arrange a design visit.
Parking in inner London
Mansion blocks are often on busy streets in controlled parking zones. Some are on or near red routes, which have strict stopping rules. A van may need a visitor permit, a paid bay or a parking bay suspension, which the council arranges, often with notice. The Congestion Charge zone covers central London, and the ULEZ covers all London boroughs.
It helps to tell us about parking at the design visit. See parking for tradespeople in London for more.
High ceilings and period details
High ceilings are a gift for storage. A fitted wardrobe or bookcase that runs to the ceiling gives a lot of space, and a library ladder or step can reach the top shelves. Many mansion flats also have picture rails, cornices, deep skirting and panelled doors.
Units can be scribed round these details so they stay in place. Walls and floors in older blocks are often out of level, so scribing and adjustable plinths are part of the job. If the building is listed, works that affect its character, such as fixing into original panelling, can need listed building consent.
Ideas that suit mansion flats
- Hallway cupboards along a long corridor, kept shallow so the passage stays clear.
- Built-in bookshelves in a living room with a high ceiling.
- Alcove units beside a chimney breast, where the flat has one.
- Fitted wardrobes that fill a bedroom wall up to the ceiling.
- A home office in a box room or at the end of a corridor.
See fitted cupboards and built-in bookshelves for more.
Quick answers
Do I need permission to fit wardrobes in my mansion flat?
It depends on your lease. Some leases need consent for alterations, which can include fixing to walls. Check your lease or ask your managing agent.
Will fitted furniture fit in our small lift?
Furniture made in a workshop is made in sections sized for the route. We measure the lift, stairs and doors as well as the room.
Can you work around original cornice and skirting?
Yes. Units can be scribed round period details. If the building is listed, check with the council before fixing into original joinery.
Related services
More advice
- Fitted Furniture in a Leasehold Flat: Check Your Lease
- Parking for Tradespeople in London: CPZs Explained
- How to Measure a Room for Fitted Furniture
- Fitted Furniture in Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
- All advice
This guide is general information about fitted furniture. It isn’t legal, planning or building advice; for those, speak to the council, your landlord or managing agent, or a suitably qualified professional.