Alcove Cabinets with an Exposed End for a Walthamstow E17 Period Home
This is one of our favourites. Our client in Walthamstow E17 asked us to build a pair of bespoke alcove cabinets into the recesses either side of the chimney breast — with a particular challenge on the right-hand side.
Why "Exposed Ends" Change the Brief
Most alcove cabinet installs are tucked snugly between two walls, so the sides are hidden from view. But in plenty of Victorian and Edwardian homes, one side of the chimney breast opens into a bay, a through-room, or the edge of a removed wall — which leaves one end of the cabinet fully exposed to the room.
That changes the build considerably:
- Standard install — the cabinet carcass is hidden on both sides by the alcove walls. Only the front face needs to be finished.
- Exposed-end install — the visible side has to be built and finished like a front panel, with matching mouldings, so it reads as a deliberate, architectural piece from any angle rather than the unfinished back of a cupboard.
For this Walthamstow E17 project, the right-hand cabinet had one exposed end opening into the room. We extended the panelling, mouldings, and paint finish around that side so the unit looks like it was designed as a standalone piece — no raw edges, no compromise.
Matt Green and Warm Oak — A Complementary Pairing
The cabinets were finished in a matt green paint, which sits beautifully against the warm oak floorboards. Matt greens against warm wood is one of our favourite combinations in period houses — the green feels grounded and calm, the oak adds warmth that stops the palette from feeling cold, and the two together make the alcoves feel like part of the room's architecture rather than an add-on.
Concealed TV Wiring for a Samsung Frame
Our client mounted a Samsung Frame TV on the chimney breast — the TV that looks like a picture when it's off. We wired it through the chimney breast into the cabinets on either side and tucked the control box inside the left-hand alcove cupboard. No visible cables, no control box sitting on a shelf, no power block dangling behind a plant. Just the TV on the wall and a clean pair of cabinets flanking it.
This kind of built-in TV integration is something we build into a lot of our alcove work — access holes through the shelves, cable runs between the cabinets, and a dedicated home for the router, Sky box, or AV kit so the whole setup stays invisible in daily use.
A Lived-In Photo the Day After
Our client very kindly sent us a photo the day after installation — books on the shelves, the Frame TV showing an artwork, the room fully moved back in. It's always nice to see people's homes once they've lived in them rather than just the empty shot we take on install day. That photo is in the gallery below.
Thinking About Bespoke Alcove Cabinets in Walthamstow E17 or Nearby?
Walthamstow E17 is around 10 minutes from our Leytonstone workshop. We regularly install bespoke alcove cabinets, cupboards, and shelving in period houses across Walthamstow (E17), Walthamstow Village (E17), Leyton (E10), Leytonstone (E11), and Highams Park (E4) — all within a comfortable 30-minute drive. For our full service coverage, see our East London carpenter and North East London carpenter pages.
Exposed ends, tricky angles, or unusual layouts are where bespoke joinery earns its keep. Send us the width, depth, and height of your alcoves — along with a photo showing any exposed sides — and we'll send back a quote by email, typically within a couple of days.
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