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Alcove Units & Bespoke Shelving in Worksop & North Derbyshire — work by Barbers Bathrooms & Kitchens
Joinery

Alcove Units & Bespoke Shelving in Worksop & North Derbyshire

The two recesses either side of a chimney breast are never the same width, never square, and never fit anything you can buy. That is exactly what bespoke joinery is for.

What Is Alcove Units & Shelving?

Alcove units are bespoke cupboards, shelving or media storage built into the recesses either side of a chimney breast. They are made to the measurements of each individual alcove, because in almost every older property the two are different widths and neither is square.

A typical unit combines a base cupboard with floating or fixed shelving above, scribed to the wall and finished to match the room. It is the smallest, quickest and most popular joinery job we do — and often the one that leads to everything else.

Herringbone wood-effect flooring laid up to fitted kitchen units
Who it suits

Is Alcove Units & Shelving Right for You?

  • Victorian and colliery terraces with deep chimney breast recesses
  • 1930s semis where the alcoves flank a fireplace
  • Living rooms needing media and book storage that does not look bolted on
  • Anyone wanting a small, contained project to see how we work

Alcove shelving is often complete in 2 to 3 days. A full cupboard-and-shelving run in both alcoves takes 3 to 5.

Bespoke alcove cupboard and floating shelves built beside a chimney breast
Scope

What Our Alcove Units & Shelving Includes

What is included as standard?

  • Measured survey of both alcoves — they will differ
  • Design combining cupboards, drawers and shelving to suit the room
  • Carcasses and doors made to each alcove
  • Floating shelves with concealed fixings, correctly rated for load
  • Scribing to skirting, picture rail and out-of-square walls
  • Cable management for televisions and media equipment
  • Socket and aerial relocation by our own electrician
  • Making good and plastering where old shelving is removed
  • Painted or sprayed finish
  • Clean and waste removal

Part of a bigger job?

Alcove Units & Shelving is often done alongside a wider project — see bespoke joinery.

Timber framework built out ready for tiling around a window reveal
Stud framework and tiled wall part-way through a first-fix joinery installation
Bespoke boot room with dark green panelling, an oak bench and coat hooks
Worth knowing

What Decides Whether Alcove Units & Shelving Works in Your Home?

Match the room, do not fight it

Alcove joinery works best when the skirting, architrave and shadow lines carry through from the room. Matching an existing profile is routine for us and it is what stops a unit looking added on.

Decide about the sockets first

Almost every alcove unit hides a socket or an aerial point. Moving them properly while the wall is open is straightforward; leaving a cable trailing over a new unit is not.

Floating shelves need real fixings

A floating shelf carrying books needs a proper concealed bracket into masonry or a fixed batten, not a plasterboard fixing. This is the most common failure in DIY alcove work.

Where we work

Where Do We Offer Alcove Units & Shelving?

What Does Alcove Units & Shelving Cost?

We price alcove units & shelving after seeing the room, in writing.

Marble-effect tiled recess with a slim shelf formed in the wall
Free · No obligation

How do I get a fixed quote for alcove units & shelving?

Postcode and a line about the job is plenty.

Rather talk? Call 07811 466054 or message us on WhatsApp. Mon–Fri 7:30am–8:30pm.

Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions About Alcove Units & Shelving

Why can I not just buy a unit to fit an alcove?
Because alcoves in older houses are almost never the same width as each other, and almost never square from front to back or top to bottom. A standard unit either leaves a visible gap or has to be forced in. Bespoke joinery is measured from the actual recess and scribed to the walls, which is why it sits flush and reads as part of the room.
Can you build around a television and its cables?
Yes, media storage with concealed cable runs is one of the most common alcove requests. We plan the routes at design stage and, because the electrics are handled in-house, we can relocate sockets and aerial points rather than working around where they happen to be. The result is a wall with no visible cabling.
Can you match the existing skirting and mouldings?
Yes, matching existing skirting profiles, architrave and picture rail is a standard part of our joinery work, and it is what makes a new unit look original to the house. Where a profile is no longer available we can have it matched or hand-cut. This matters most in the period terraces around Creswell, Bolsover and Retford.
How much disruption is involved?
Very little. Components are made off site, so the work in your home is fitting, scribing, any electrical alteration and finishing — typically two to five days in one room. We protect floors, contain dust and clear up at the end of each day.
Further reading

What Should You Read Before You Start?

Contact us

Barbers Bathrooms & Kitchens

Creswell, Derbyshire Service area business — we work in your home

We cover a 30-mile radius of Creswell, including Worksop, Clowne, Bolsover, Mansfield, Chesterfield, Retford, Sheffield and Nottingham. There is no travel charge anywhere within that area.

Phone
07811 466054
Hours
Monday to Friday: 7:30am – 8:30pm
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