Alcoves are the one part of a room you cannot furnish from a shop. The two either side of a chimney breast are almost never the same width, and they are rarely square. That is why fitted shelving looks so different from a bought bookcase pushed into the gap: it is cut to the alcove instead of nearly filling it.
Why does alcove shelving have to be made to measure?
Because no two alcoves are the same, even in the same room, and a standard bookcase leaves gaps down both sides.
Measure the alcoves either side of your chimney breast and they will usually differ, sometimes by an inch or more. Older Dublin houses are worse again, with walls that lean and floors that fall away from the fireplace.
A made to measure unit is scribed to those walls so the shelves meet the plaster with no gap, and the whole thing reads as part of the room rather than furniture placed in it.
Cupboards below and shelves above, or shelves all the way?
Cupboards below and open shelves above is the arrangement most people land on, and it is usually the right one.
Open shelving all the way down looks good in a photograph and collects clutter in real life. Closed storage at the bottom takes the things that are not meant to be seen, and the open shelves above carry books, photographs and whatever you actually want on display.
The height of the break between the two is worth thinking about. Lining it up with the mantel, or with a dado if the room has one, makes the whole wall look deliberate.
How deep and how far apart should the shelves be?
Deep enough for what is going on them, and spaced so the shelves are not all the same.
Paperbacks need far less depth than art books or box files, and a shelf that is too deep wastes room and lets things disappear behind each other. Varying the spacing, taller at the bottom and shorter higher up, holds more and looks better than an even grid.
If the shelving is carrying a lot of books, the span matters. Long unsupported shelves sag over time, which is a question of thickness and material rather than luck.
Can it be built around a radiator or a socket?
Yes, and that is a normal part of the job rather than a complication.
Radiators, sockets, aerial points and skirting all get measured and worked around at design stage. Sockets can be brought through the back of a unit where you need them, and shelving can be set out so a radiator stays clear and usable.
Everything we make in wood carries a two year warranty against defects.
How it works
We call out, measure the space and talk through what you want. Our designers draw it in 3D so you see the finished piece in your own room, and you get one complete itemised quote within two working days. Nothing is ordered and nothing is charged until you say yes.
One team for this and the rest of the job
The same team that makes this fits it, and we also do kitchens, fitted wardrobes, internal doors and windows. If more than one thing needs doing, it is one contractor, one schedule and one point of contact rather than four. See the rest of our fitted furniture.
Frequently asked questions
Can you match the shelving to my skirting and architrave?
Yes. Matching the existing joinery profile is what makes fitted shelving look original to the house, and it is decided at design stage.
Do you paint it or leave it for me?
Either. Tell us at the design visit and it will be reflected in the quote.
Can you do one alcove rather than both?
Yes, though most people do both so the room stays symmetrical.
What areas do you cover?
Dublin, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow. The design visit is free and there is no obligation.