Alcove cupboards, shelving and wardrobes designed for the exact alcoves in your home, handmade in our own London workshop.
Almost every Victorian and Edwardian home in London has them: two recesses either side of a chimney breast, each a slightly different width, with walls that lean and floors that slope. Off-the-shelf furniture cannot follow those lines. Our bespoke alcove units are measured to the millimetre, and every panel is shaped to follow the contours of your walls, so the finished joinery looks original to the house.
Noba & Stod designs and builds bespoke alcove units for London homes: alcove cupboards, alcove shelving, alcove wardrobes, desks and media units. We use premium carcass materials, such as birch plywood, high-quality soft-close hardware, and workshop spray finishes. A pair of alcove cupboards with shelving above typically costs £1,800-£3,000 in painted MDF. Free design consultations, with typical lead times of 4-8 weeks.
This page covers our alcove joinery service: what we build, how the process works, and what it costs at a glance. For room-by-room design inspiration and a full price breakdown by configuration, read our alcove cupboards & shelving guide.
Alcove Cupboards with Shelving Above
The classic London pairing: built in alcove cupboards at the base with open alcove shelving above. The cupboards hide toys, paperwork, routers and cables behind Shaker or flat panel doors, while the shelves display books, ceramics and art. We match your skirting profile at the base, align shelf heights across both alcoves, and shape every panel to follow the contours of your walls so there are no gaps and no filler strips.
Alcove Wardrobes
An alcove wardrobe turns the recess beside a bedroom chimney breast into full-height hanging, shelving and drawers without eating into the room. Doors run floor to ceiling, so no dust ledge and no wasted space above. Interiors are planned around what you actually own: long hang, double hang, pull-out drawers and shoe storage. For complete bedroom schemes, see our fitted wardrobes service.
Alcove Desks & Media Units
An alcove is often the only spare floor space in a London room, and bespoke joinery puts it to work. We build alcove desks with integrated drawers and cable management for working from home, and low media cabinets that frame the television neatly beside the chimney breast. See our bespoke home office and media walls services for larger schemes.
Floating Shelves & Open Shelving
Chunky floating shelves with concealed fixings, cut to the exact width of each alcove. Choose solid oak or walnut for warmth, or spray-painted shelves that match the wall colour and seem to grow out of it. Because every alcove tapers differently, each shelf is shaped to follow the contours of your walls. We often pair alcove shelving with a matching radiator cover for a coordinated room.
Alcove Unit Styles We Build
Every project starts with your room, your architecture and your storage needs. These are the bespoke alcove furniture styles we build most often for London homeowners.
Shaker-Framed Alcove Units
Framed doors with a recessed centre panel, matched to period skirting and picture rails. The safest choice for Victorian and Edwardian houses because the proportions echo original joinery. Works beautifully in heritage colours with brass or bronze knobs.
Best for: Victorian terraces, Edwardian semis, traditional interiors.
Flat Contemporary Units
Slab doors, handleless push-to-open fronts and crisp shadow gaps. These alcove cabinets read as clean architectural planes rather than furniture, ideal where you want the alcove to disappear into the wall. Spray-painted in any colour, including exact matches to your walls.
Best for: Modern flats, minimalist interiors, media storage.
Glazed Display Cabinets
Glass-fronted upper sections that keep books and glassware dust-free while staying on display, usually over closed base cupboards. Add internal LED lighting for depth in the evening. For a premium look, we offer metal-framed glazed doors in brass or bronze finishes.
Best for: Living rooms, dining rooms, collectors and readers.
Panelled Units with Brass Details
Fluted or panelled fronts lifted with integrated metalwork: brass inlays, brass shelf edging or slim metal frames around the doors. A signature Noba & Stod option for clients who want alcove joinery that reads as a piece of furniture-grade cabinetry.
Best for: Statement living rooms, high-end renovations.
Why Do Period London Alcoves Need Bespoke Joinery?
No two London alcoves are the same. In a typical Victorian terrace the two recesses either side of the chimney breast differ by 10-40 mm in width, the walls lean out of plumb, and the plaster undulates. Flat-pack and freestanding furniture is built square, so it either does not fit or leaves ragged gaps. Bespoke alcove carpentry starts from a precise survey of your actual walls, which is why the result looks built with the house rather than pushed against it.
| Consideration | Bespoke Alcove Units | Freestanding Furniture |
|---|---|---|
| Fit to the alcove | Every panel shaped to follow the contours of your walls | Standard widths leave visible gaps either side |
| Uneven walls and floors | Levelled and fitted seamlessly during installation | Units sit off-square against leaning walls |
| Storage capacity | Uses the full height, width and depth of the recess | Dead space above, behind and beside the unit |
| Period details | Skirting and cornice profiles matched and continued | Mouldings interrupted or hidden |
| Long-term value | Looks original to the property and appeals to buyers | Leaves the alcoves underused |
This is also why chimney breast alcove cupboards are the single most requested piece of joinery we build. Done well, they add symmetry, storage and calm to the busiest room in the house.
Materials & Finishes
Alcove units carry books, media equipment and daily use for decades, so what they are built from matters. Explore the full range on our materials page.
Carcass Materials
We build carcasses from premium carcass materials, such as birch plywood, specified to suit your design and budget. Shelves are engineered for their span, so a metre of hardbacks will not cause sagging five years from now.
Fronts & Finishes
Spray-painted MDF in any colour with a flawless furniture-grade finish, or natural timber in oak and walnut veneers. Painted units are finished in our spray booth before installation, giving a harder and smoother surface than hand-painting on site.
Soft-Close Hardware
Every hinge and drawer runner uses high-quality soft-close hardware chosen for smooth, quiet operation and long service life, backed by a manufacturer warranty. Push-to-open mechanisms are available for handleless designs.
Metal Details
For a more premium specification we integrate metalwork into the joinery: brass inlays, brass shelf trims, and metal-framed glazed doors. Small details that lift a pair of fitted alcove cupboards into statement furniture.
How Does the Process Work?
Free Home Consultation
We visit your home, measure both alcoves precisely, check walls and floors for level, and discuss how you want the space to work. You leave with a clear idea of options and budget. No obligation.
Design & Quote
Detailed drawings of the units in your alcoves, with internal layouts, materials and finishes specified. An itemised quote with no hidden costs, revised until the design is exactly right.
Workshop Build
Your units are cut, assembled and spray-finished in our own London workshop by one dedicated team. Building off site keeps dust out of your home and quality under our control.
Installation
Pre-finished units arrive and are installed by the team that built them. Panels are shaped to follow the contours of your walls, levelled and adjusted until the fit is seamless. Most alcove installations complete in 1-2 days.
How Much Do Alcove Units Cost in London?
Bespoke alcove cupboards and shelving in London typically cost £1,200-£6,000+ per pair of alcoves, depending on configuration, materials and finish. The figures below are drawn from our detailed cost guide and cover design, manufacture, installation and finishing.
| Configuration (per pair of alcoves) | Typical Price |
|---|---|
| Floating shelves only (3-4 per alcove) | £400-£900 |
| Base cupboards only, painted MDF | £1,200-£2,000 |
| Base cupboards with shelving above, painted MDF | £1,800-£3,000 |
| Full-height cupboards with doors | £2,500-£4,500 |
| Base cupboards with shelving above, hardwood | £3,000-£5,000 |
| Full floor-to-ceiling alcove wall unit | £5,000-£8,000+ |
Prices are a guide and exclude VAT.
For worked examples by room and budget, plus the factors that move a quote up or down, read our full guide: Alcove Cupboards & Shelving: Costs, Ideas & Design Guide.
Alcove & Storage Guides
Alcove Joinery Across London
We design and install alcove units throughout London, including Islington, Hackney, Camden, Hampstead, Highbury, Stoke Newington, Clapham, Battersea, Fulham, Chiswick, Richmond, Wimbledon, Greenwich, Dulwich, Kensington, Chelsea and Notting Hill. Period terraces are our home ground, and our London workshop keeps site visits, deliveries and installations straightforward in every borough.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do alcove cupboards cost in London?
Bespoke alcove cupboards in London cost £1,200-£6,000+ per pair of alcoves. Base cupboards in painted MDF run £1,200-£2,000, cupboards with shelving above £1,800-£3,000, and full floor-to-ceiling units £5,000-£8,000+. Prices are a guide and exclude VAT. Our alcove cost guide has full breakdowns.
Can you build alcove cupboards around a chimney breast?
Yes. Chimney breast alcove cupboards are the most requested joinery we build. We fit units into both recesses, align doors and shelf lines for symmetry, and continue your skirting profile across the cabinetry. Every panel is shaped to follow the contours of your walls, so the units look original to the room.
How long do bespoke alcove units take?
Expect 4-8 weeks from design approval to installation. The survey and design stage takes 1-2 weeks, the workshop build 2-5 weeks, and installation is usually complete in 1-2 days per room. Because units arrive pre-finished from our workshop, disruption in your home is kept to a minimum.
Do alcove units add value to a London home?
Yes. Estate agents consistently highlight fitted storage as a feature that attracts buyers, and alcove joinery is especially persuasive in period properties because it looks original to the house. Well-designed alcove units turn otherwise dead recesses into useful storage, which is a genuine selling point in space-hungry London.
Can an alcove unit include a desk or media unit?
Yes. Alcove desks with integrated drawers and cable management make excellent compact home offices, and low alcove cabinets carry televisions, consoles and soundbars neatly beside the chimney breast. For larger entertainment schemes that span the whole wall, see our media walls service.
What is the difference between alcove units and fitted wardrobes?
Alcove units are built into the recesses either side of a chimney breast and typically combine cupboards, shelving, desks or media storage. Fitted wardrobes are full-height clothes storage that can occupy alcoves or an entire wall. An alcove wardrobe sits in both camps: wardrobe storage built into the alcove itself.
Why Choose Noba & Stod for Alcove Carpentry
Own London Workshop
Every unit is built in our own London workshop, then delivered pre-finished. You are welcome to visit and see your project in production.
One Dedicated Team
A single point of contact from first survey to final fix. The makers who build your units install them, so nothing is lost in translation.
Period Property Specialists
Victorian, Edwardian, Georgian: we know London’s period homes, their leaning walls and their mouldings, and we build joinery that respects them.
Premium Materials as Standard
Premium carcass materials, such as birch plywood, high-quality soft-close hardware and workshop spray finishes on every project, whatever the budget.
Ready to Transform Your Alcoves?
Send us a photo of your chimney breast and rough measurements, and we will come back with initial ideas and a budget range. Call 0207 118 9889 or book a free design consultation online. You can also browse recent alcove and storage projects in our portfolio, or explore our wider bespoke joinery service.
