Alcoves either side of a chimney breast and the dead space under a staircase are two of the most common jobs we are asked to quote, and they are also two of the most variable, because no two rooms are built the same. This guide covers how we measure, build and price both, and the decisions that make the biggest difference to the finished result.
Measuring an alcove properly
Almost no alcove is a true rectangle. The chimney breast rarely sits perfectly square to the outer wall, and the depth at skirting level is often different to the depth at head height. We measure width and depth at the top, middle and bottom of the alcove, and take the narrowest measurement as the working dimension for anything that needs to slide or fit precisely, such as a door or a drawer front.
For open shelving this matters less, because a shelf can be scribed to fit the wall on both sides and behind. For fitted cupboards or drawer units it matters a great deal, because a carcass built to the wrong dimension either will not go in, or goes in with a gap that has to be covered with a filler strip.
- Measure width and depth at three heights, not just one
- Check the wall for square with a straight edge, not just by eye
- Note any skirting, coving or picture rail that will need scribing around
- Check for radiators, pipework or sockets already in the alcove
Floating shelves vs framed shelving
Floating shelves, fixed on a concealed bracket or batten with no visible support, give the cleanest look and suit a display of books or ornaments where the load is fairly light and spread evenly. They need a solid fixing behind the plaster — usually into masonry or a noggin — and the bracket has to be sized to the actual span, not just to the shelf thickness.
Framed shelving, built as a full carcass with sides, back and a face frame, carries much more weight and gives a more finished, furniture-like result, particularly when painted to match the room's woodwork. It costs more than floating shelves because there is more material and more joinery involved, but it also gives the option of adding doors or drawers later without rebuilding anything.
Load and span
The wider a shelf spans without support, the more it will deflect under weight, and books are heavier than most people expect — a well-filled shelf of hardbacks can weigh well over 20kg per running metre. As a rough guide, an 18mm shelf without a lipped front edge starts to sag visibly over spans much beyond about 900mm under a full load of books, which is why most alcove shelves either have a solid lipped front edge to stiffen them, or a support at roughly that spacing.
For anything heavier than books — a television, a stack of vinyl, box files — we build the shelf thicker or add a discreet steel or timber stiffener along the front edge rather than just relying on the board thickness.
Doors vs open shelving
Open shelving is cheaper, shows off what is on it, and needs to be kept tidy, because everything is visible. Doors cost more, because each one needs hinges, and usually a matching handle or push-catch, but they hide clutter and keep the alcove looking calm even when what is behind the doors is not.
A common compromise is open shelving above and cupboards below, which keeps display space at eye level and hides bulkier storage — DVDs, files, games consoles, cables — lower down where it does not need to be on show.
Understairs geometry and headroom
Understairs storage is dictated entirely by the shape of the staircase above it, and that shape is rarely simple. The ceiling line follows the stair string at an angle, which means headroom drops steadily from the tall end near the room to almost nothing at the far end. We measure the actual angle of the stringer, not just the height at the doorway, because a cupboard front built to a slightly wrong angle will show a visible gap along the top.
Winders — the triangular turning steps found in many staircases — create an even more awkward shape underneath, sometimes with a genuinely unusable triangular void at the back. Rather than trying to fit storage into that dead corner, it is often better to box it off cleanly and put the useful storage in the taller, more accessible part of the space.
Drawers under the lowest treads
The lowest few steps of a staircase, where the tread height is low but there is still workable depth, are often the best place for drawers rather than a cupboard, because a drawer gives you the full depth of the space without having to crouch down and reach into a dark cupboard. Full-extension runners let the drawer come right out even where the opening above it is fairly shallow.
These step-drawers work particularly well in a hallway for shoes, or in a kitchen understairs area for pans and trays, because the whole drawer is visible at once rather than being stacked three items deep in a cupboard.
Meter and stopcock access
Understairs cupboards very often contain the electricity meter, consumer unit, gas meter or the stopcock, and any of these needs to stay genuinely accessible, not buried behind shelving that has to be emptied to reach it. We build a dedicated access panel or a section with no fixed shelving directly in front of these, sized so an engineer can actually get to it without dismantling the joinery.
It is worth checking with your electricity and gas suppliers whether they have a minimum clearance requirement for meter access before the cupboard is designed, because this varies and is easier to plan for at the drawing stage than to correct afterwards.
Finishes
Most alcove and understairs joinery is built in painted MDF, because it gives a crisp, furniture-quality finish and matches existing skirting and architrave easily. Real timber or veneered fronts are used where the piece needs to look like freestanding furniture rather than built-in joinery, at a higher cost.
Inside cupboards and drawers, a simple painted or melamine-faced finish is usually sufficient, since it is rarely on show, and spending the budget on the visible faces and doors makes more visual difference than an expensive finish inside.
Cost bands
As a rough guide for supply and fit in the south of England, a pair of simple floating alcove shelves either side of a chimney breast typically costs somewhere between £300 and £700. A full pair of framed alcove cupboards with shelving above, built and painted to match the room, is more commonly £1,200 to £2,500, depending on size and whether doors are included.
Understairs storage varies more than almost anything else we quote, because the geometry differs so much house to house. A straightforward understairs cupboard with a door and simple shelving might sit around £800 to £1,800, while a full run of drawers, a fitted desk nook, or storage that has to work around a meter and a winder staircase can run from £2,000 upwards.
What to do about existing plaster
Old plaster in an alcove or understairs void is often uneven, sometimes cracked, and occasionally damp if it backs onto an external wall. Rather than replastering before joinery goes in, we usually build the carcass to scribe against the wall as it is, which saves time and cost, since the joinery itself covers most of the imperfect surface anyway.
Where damp is suspected — a musty smell, staining, or a chimney breast that has never been lined — it is worth having that looked at before any joinery goes in, because boxing storage over a damp wall just hides the problem rather than solving it.
Getting a proper measure-up
Because alcove and understairs shapes vary so much, a phone estimate is only ever a rough guide. The next sensible step is having Bradley come and measure the actual space, check the wall for square, and talk through open shelving versus doors, or where drawers make more sense than a cupboard.
Call 07833 227576 or 02380 201687, or email info@vipwalls.co.uk, and we will arrange a visit across Southampton and the surrounding Hampshire area.
Common questions
- How much does alcove shelving cost?
- Simple floating shelves either side of a chimney breast typically cost £300 to £700 supplied and fitted. Framed cupboards with shelving above are more commonly £1,200 to £2,500.
- How much does understairs storage cost?
- A basic cupboard with a door and shelving is often £800 to £1,800. Drawer units, desk nooks or storage that has to work around a winder staircase and a meter can run from £2,000 upwards.
- Are built-in alcove cupboards worth it over freestanding furniture?
- Built-in cupboards use the full space precisely, including odd corners a freestanding unit would waste, and they look like part of the room rather than an item placed in it.
- Can you put drawers under the stairs?
- Yes, and drawers often work better than cupboards under the lower, shallower steps because they give full access to the space without reaching into a dark cupboard.
- What do you do about the electricity meter in an understairs cupboard?
- We build a dedicated access panel or leave a section free of fixed shelving directly in front of the meter or consumer unit, so it stays genuinely accessible.
- Do alcove shelves need to be exactly the same size on both sides?
- Not necessarily, but they should look balanced. Since most alcoves are not perfectly identical, we measure each one separately and build them to look matched even if the exact dimensions differ slightly.
- Does old plaster need to be replaced before fitting alcove cupboards?
- Usually not. The carcass is scribed to fit the wall as it is, which covers most imperfections. Damp should be checked and dealt with first, though, rather than boxed over.
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