What we made

Left alcove

Full-height open bookcase. Seven adjustable shelves above a fixed bottom plinth. Reeded pilasters either side. A traditional crown that runs flush into the existing cornice. Inset back panel for shadow line.
‍

‍

Right alcove

Two-door shaker cupboard at the base, around chest height, with a four-shelf open bookcase above. Same reeded pilaster detail and matching crown so the eye reads the two units as a pair.

Both built and sprayed in the workshop, installed in two days on site.
‍

‍

Period detail

A few things make these units sit right in an older house:

• The crown dies into the existing cornice so the line carries unbroken
• The plinth height picks up the skirting profile
• Reeded pilasters echo the architrave detail elsewhere in the room
• Shelf spacing was set to the client's actual books, with the lowest shelf dropped for taller hardbacks

Walls in a period house are never plumb or square. The carcasses were scribed on site so the cabinets sit tight to the plaster with no packing strips on show.
‍

‍

The finish

Sprayed in the workshop in a deep blue close to Farrow & Ball Hague Blue. A spray coat is harder-wearing than a brushed finish and shows the joinery off properly. The client chose the colour to lift the yellow walls and pull through the dark fireplace tiles.
‍

‍

Working in Chingford E4

Chingford has a lot of 1930s semis and Edwardian terraces with this exact layout: two alcoves either side of a chimney breast, original cornice and picture rail still in place, parquet or floorboards underfoot. Alcove units sit well in these rooms when they're built to fit the space and the period properly.

We cover Chingford, Highams Park, Woodford Green and South Woodford from our Leytonstone workshop. Most jobs in E4 are 20 to 25 minutes from us.
‍

‍

Project facts

• Location: Chingford, E4
• Property: Period home, original cornice, picture rail and ceiling rose
• Scope: Two alcove units, one full-height open bookcase, one bookcase over base cupboard
• Materials: Tulipwood frames, MDF panels and shelves
• Finish: Sprayed, deep blue
• Style: Shaker, reeded pilasters, traditional crown
• Lead time: Around six weeks from sign-off to install
• On site: Two days
  ‍

‍

FAQs

Do the alcove units either side of a chimney breast have to match?
No. The two alcoves are often slightly different sizes anyway, and there is no rule that says both sides need the same configuration. In this Chingford job we ran a full-height bookcase one side and a bookcase-over-cupboard the other. They share the same materials, finish and detailing, so they read as a pair.

Can you build alcove units around original cornice and picture rail?
Yes. We scribe the top of the unit to meet the cornice and run a crown moulding so the line carries through. Picture rail is either cut tight to the unit or, depending on the design, the unit can pass under it.

What about wonky walls in older houses?
Most alcove walls in a period property are out of plumb. We measure the alcove top to bottom and side to side, build to those dimensions, then scribe the carcass on site so the cabinet sits flush to the plaster.

How long does a pair of alcove units like this take?
Around six weeks from deposit to install. Most of that is workshop build and spray finishing. The on-site element is two days.

Do you work in Chingford?
Yes. Chingford E4 is around 25 minutes from our Leytonstone workshop. We cover most of East London and the North East London fringe from there.

‍