AlcoveCupboardsinPoole
Cupboards and shelving built into the alcove itself, not a piece pushed up against the wall in front of it.
- Built to the exact shape of your alcove, not a standard size
- Drawn and agreed with you before anything is cut
- Fitted on site, with the room protected and dust extraction used throughout
★★★★★Mostly repeat customers and referrals across Poole and Broadstone
- 8 yearsin the trade
- £5mpublic liability cover
- NVQ 2 & 3carpentry qualifications
- 7 townscovered within 15 miles of Broadstone
What this covers
What Alcove Units and Cupboards Actually Are
An alcove unit is a cupboard, cabinet or run of shelving built into the recess either side of a chimney breast, so the space is used rather than left as an odd gap. It is not a piece bought as-is and placed in front of the alcove. A fitted wardrobe, built for hanging clothes, can also suit an alcove when that is what the recess is for. Alcove cupboards and alcove shelving can be combined in the same unit, depending on what needs to be stored and what you would rather have on show.
- Built into the recess itself, not just placed in front of it
- Cupboards, open shelving, or a mix of both
- Can be finished to match the skirting and woodwork already in the room
Fitted wardrobe built into an alcove recessWhat Working With Us on Your Alcove Units Looks Like
Three stages, in this order.
01We visit and measure the alcove
A site visit to measure the recess properly and talk through what it needs to hold, whether that is books, a media unit, or general storage.
02It is built to fit, then fitted in your home
Drawings and materials are agreed before anything is ordered. The unit is built and fitted on site, with the floor and room protected and dust extraction used throughout.
03You are left with a finished feature
The room is left tidy at the end of the job. If something is not right once it is finished, we come back and put it right.
Alcove Units, Fitted Wardrobes or Freestanding Furniture
A comparison is only useful when it is honest about where each option wins. Here is how alcove units and cupboards stack up against the alternatives.
| Fitted Wardrobes | Alcove Units & Cupboards | Freestanding Furniture | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uses the space beside a chimney breast | |||
| Built to the exact shape of the room | |||
| Can be taken with you if you move house | |||
| Needs joinery work on site to fit |
Swipe to see every column
What Is Included as Standard
The detail that is agreed before anything is cut.
Measured to the exact alcove
No standard sizes: the unit is built to fit the recess it is going into.
Materials agreed up front
You know what is going in before it is ordered, not after.
Drawn before it is built
Sketches or drawings agreed with you before any cutting starts.
Fitted on site by the same carpenter
Built and fitted in your home, not delivered flat-packed.
Dust extraction and floor protection
Used on every job, with the room tidied at the end of each day.
Doors, shelving, or both
Cupboard doors, open alcove shelving, or a mix, built around what you need to store.
Pricing
What Alcove Units and Cupboards Cost
Priced after a site visit
Every alcove is a slightly different shape, so every job is measured and quoted before any work is booked in.
- A visit to see the alcove, then a written quote
- Materials agreed with you before they are ordered
- Nothing booked in until the quote is accepted
The size of the alcove, the style of doors or shelving, and what is already in the room all move the price, so a figure given without seeing the room would not be an honest one.
How a Job Runs, Start to Finish
The same eight steps every job follows, whatever size the alcove.
Get in touch
Call Alex or use the quote form with roughly what you are after and where.
Talk it through
A quick conversation about scope and rough budget before anyone visits.
Site visit and measure
The alcove is measured properly and how it will be used is discussed.
Design and materials agreed
Drawings are agreed and materials confirmed with you before anything is ordered.
Written quote
A written quote for the job as discussed.
Booked in
A date is set once the quote is accepted.
The work
The unit is built and fitted on site, with the room protected and dust extraction used throughout.
Sign off
You check it over before the job is called finished.
Fitted joinery: recent work
Fitted wardrobes built into recesses and sloped ceilings, using the same carcass-and-door work that goes into an alcove unit.
The photographs here are fitted wardrobes rather than alcove units.
What customers say
Reviews from Google.
5.0
Sami K.
Excellent service, very punctual very tidy, craftsmanship above expectations. genuinely very happy to deal with Alex any time. Sincerely recommend this company it's very refreshing to see a trade person who is proud of his craftsmanship. He is really an artist did not leave a spec of dust Thank you Alex
Nick F.
Alex is fantastic, really diligent and a great guy to have help with a project. He has just laid a solid wooden floor for me. It looks brilliant. The trouble is I'm not sure it's such a great idea to give him a great review as it will make him even more popular and in demand
John B.
What a find a decent ,hardworking person who loves his trade and it shows in his workmanship absolutely excellent. Will be recommending him to anyone who wants any sort of carpentry job. On a final note very reasonably priced for the craftsmanship.
David H.
Alex built and installed our main gate and a side gate in top quality wood to our complete satisfaction and at a very competitive price. He is a very efficient young lad and we would highly recommend him.
CJ W.
Really happy with the bespoke builds carpentry. Great workmanship, clear communication, and the finished result looks amazing. Would definitely recommend.
What People Ask Before They Book
Answered here, so nobody has to ask when we arrive.
Will it make a mess of my front room?
Floors and doorways are protected before anything starts, dust extraction is used throughout, and the room is tidied at the end of each day.
How much disruption is there having someone in the house?
Having a tradesperson in your home is not always easy, so we make it as easy as possible and the site is left tidy every evening.
What if something is not right once it is finished?
If something is not right after the job is finished, we come back and put it right.
More About Alcove Units and Cupboards
Many period homes around Poole and Broadstone have a chimney breast with an alcove either side of it, and in a lot of houses that space is left as an awkward, hard-to-use gap. Alcove units and cupboards turn that recess into proper storage, whether that is a run of cupboards, open shelving, or a mix of the two either side of the fireplace.
Built-in alcove units differ from a bought wardrobe or bookcase in one important way: they are made to fit the room, not the other way round. Alcoves are rarely a perfect rectangle, walls are often slightly out of square, and a unit built off-site to standard dimensions tends to show a gap somewhere. Measuring and building to the actual recess avoids that.
Fitting cupboards or open shelving into an existing alcove is decorative work, not structural, so it does not generally need planning permission or building control sign-off. The exception is where the chimney breast itself is being altered or removed, which is a different job. Get in touch and we will tell you which applies to your room.
Alcove Units and Cupboards: Questions We Get Asked
Phrased as customers actually ask them.
What is the difference between alcove units and a fitted wardrobe?
An alcove unit is built into the recess beside a chimney breast, using space that would otherwise sit empty. A fitted wardrobe is built for hanging clothes and can suit an alcove too, or run along a flat wall. Tell us what you need to store and we will say which suits your room.
Do you fit alcove shelving as well as cupboards?
Yes. Open shelving, closed cupboards, or a mix of both, depending on what you want out on show and what you would rather have hidden away.
Can you match built in alcove units to my existing skirting?
Yes. We also fit skirting and architrave, so the unit can be finished to match the woodwork already in the room rather than looking like something added on afterwards.
Do alcove units need planning permission?
Generally not. Fitting cupboards or shelving into an existing alcove is decorative rather than structural, so it does not usually need planning permission or building control.
Other Fitted Furniture We Build
If this was not quite the right page, one of these might be.
01Fitted Wardrobes
For hanging clothes and general bedroom storage. A wardrobe can suit an alcove too, or run along a flat wall.
Learn more
02Media Walls & TV Units
A built-in feature wall around the television, with cables and equipment hidden away.
Learn more
03Fitted Bookcases & Shelving
Shelving built to a wall or run, sized for what you actually own rather than a standard unit.
Learn more
04Home Office & Study Furniture
Desks, shelving and storage built for a home office or study, fitted rather than assembled.
Learn more
Where We Fit Alcove Units and Cupboards
Bespoke Builds Carpentry covers Poole, Broadstone, Bournemouth, Wimborne Minster, Ferndown, Verwood and Christchurch.
Poole
Our primary town, and the anchor of the 15-mile radius we cover from Broadstone.
Poole →Broadstone
Home ground: Bespoke Builds Carpentry is based on West Way, so this is usually the shortest trip for a site visit.
Broadstone →Bournemouth
On the coast east of Broadstone. Alcove units and cupboards covered here, within our 15-mile radius.
Bournemouth →Wimborne Minster
The market town north of Broadstone. Alcove units and cupboards covered here, within our 15-mile radius.
Wimborne Minster →Ferndown
North-east of Broadstone, between Wimborne Minster and Verwood. Alcove units and cupboards covered here, within our 15-mile radius.
Ferndown →Verwood
About 12 miles north of Broadstone. Alcove units and cupboards covered here too, within our 15-mile radius.
Verwood →Christchurch
East of Broadstone, beyond Bournemouth. Alcove units and cupboards covered here, within our 15-mile radius.
Christchurch →See What Your Alcove Could Hold
A visit to measure, a written quote, and the person who measures it is the person who fits it.
Get a free quote
Tell us what you need and we'll come back with a price. No pressure, no hard sell.
Prefer to talk? Call Bespoke Builds Carpentry on 07960 671999