Our alcove wardrobes reveal | 1930s bedroom renovation
Collaboration with My Fitted Bedroom
alcove wardrobes
The day we were handed the keys to our 1930s renovation project we knew we needed fitted alcove wardrobes for this bedroom.
The previous owner just about squeezed a double bed, freestanding wardrobe, an ugly storage heater and not much else in the room – so I never held out much hope for building in an en suite never mind the storage we needed for the mountain of clothes we owned back then (this was pre-watching The Minimalists Movie times, until then I was a hoarder!)
Not one, but four rooms in this house have chimney breasts and alcoves. I’ve had my fair share of hours of scrolling for chimney breast ideas and over the years we’ve discovered many ways to make these awkward alcove spaces work for us. Fitted alcove wardrobes have always been the top of our list, for many reasons.
This room though, was a challenge and a half.
The alcoves are bigger one side than the other, so my dream of having symmetrical wardrobes either side was quickly flattened.
Still, I love a challenge and we were glad to work with My Fitted Bedroom to design and build them.
It only took us a few years (and a pandemic!) to finally finish the more prioritised work elsewhere in the house and move on to the master bedroom renovation. Heating, electrics and plastering had to be all completed before we could turn our attention to designing the alcove wardrobes for accuracy in measurements so as soon as that was done, I was straight on the phone to the My Fitted Bedroom team to start designing.
Our fitted alcove wardrobe requirements (and the design we chose)
That first phone call with the team was all about measurements, requirements and design so that the in-house designer could get a feel for our needs and start drawing up possibilities.
It was a virtual tour of the space and an initial chat to scope out the project (completely free of charge) then we got on a Zoom call to run through the design their in-house designer drew for us.
Having flicked through their brochure already, Neil and I agreed that a shaker door design was for us. The clean lines and more traditional frame suits our Modern Farmhouse style so well and I’ve always thought shaker designs age timelessly vs the more detailed fitted wardrobe designs people tend to rip out when they inherit them in their fixer uppers (don’t do this! just swap the doors!).
We instantly landed on My Fitted Bedroom’s Shaker Bianco fitted wardrobes. The range is classic, available in 29 colours and fully customisable to your needs and home.
So that decision was easy! The layout, not so much…
Getting the interior layout right
Obviously with one alcove bigger than the other we had to decide on whether to have 3 doors on one side, and 2 doors on the other side (not symmetrical and would leave voids either side) or to opt for 2 wider doors on either side to maximise storage space and run some narrow shelves down the left alcove.
It was this image that made me certain the shelves were for us although Neil took a bit of persuasion (“they’ll be a dust trap” ….guess who got their way?? 😊)
My Fitted Bedroom’s Shaker Bianco Wardrobes
While we have sacrificed some storage we gained on the overall look. The shelves help to achieve a less blocky/door-heavy view and transition the wardrobes to the bay window well.
I shared on the call (and followed up via email) details of our requirements so that our My Fitted Bedroom designer (who was wonderful, and listened to our needs very well) could draw the layout on a CAD system for us all to visualise.
Both wardrobes needed to:
Be as symmetrical as possible (i.e same size doors either side)
Keep access to the plug points (one in each alcove)
Finish lower than the ceiling (people either opt for full height to the ceiling, or slightly lower. It’s personal preference but in smaller rooms like ours keeping space above makes the wardrobes feel less towering when you’re lying in bed, it makes the room feel bigger and shelves are easier to reach)
Left wardrobe (as you're facing them)
Open shelving on the left (to fit wicker baskets, and for me to style – and for Neil to dust 😆)
Internal drawers for makeup, underwear, folded clothes
Space for hanging above (we didn’t need long hanging, you can choose to have shorter or longer sections)
Space above the hanging for skiwear/old clothes (the stuff you don’t need everyday)
Mirror on the inside of the left door (so that I could do makeup and dry my hair then close it all off inside the wardrobe when finished)
Right wardrobe (as you're facing them)
Same as above – Neil’s wardrobe, slightly smaller (sorry Neil!)
Internal drawers
Space for hanging (didn’t need long hanging)
Space above for skiwear/old clothes (as above)
Mirror on inside of right door
The designer showed us options on the Zoom call and recommended extra details like having a PIR light turn on automatically which is highly recommended for anyone working early mornings/night shifts to get dressed and not wake up your partner.
She also recommended having mirrors on the inside of both doors and fit door hinges that rotate 180 degrees to be better able to angle the mirror when deciding outfits. Winner.
We finalised the drawings with a hugely knowledgeable My Fitted Bedroom surveyor who came to visit us to double check measurements of the room and finalise every last detail with us. He had worked in the industry for years and assured us that the company was one of the best in terms of quality and price (this was a collaboration but I’ll share what the cost would have been further down).
The appointment was unbelievably helpful – there’s nothing like having the samples / colours in front of you and discussing at length the position of everything and how it will be fitted for as long as it took to understand and get it perfect.
We made some important changes and plans for access to the plug points all on the CAD system.
Fitting the built in wardrobes
When the wardrobe design was all finalised the order was sent to the manufacturers. My Fitted Bedroom are a UK company fitting bedrooms nationwide. I initially thought the wardrobes would be manufactured in China and shipped over, but no, they are made in the UK bespoke to the measurements of your room. It does take time to get bespoke built-in furniture made, but it was worth the wait!
The delivery was huge and arrived the day before the fitting, carefully brought up the stairs by their delivery team. My Fitted Bedroom then sent one of their fitters to fit the alcove wardrobes the next day – initially allowing 2 days for the work to be completed but this guy was brilliant.
It took him 1 day to fit both wardrobes (meticulously) by himself and cleared up. So fast. You know the rare occasions you meet tradesmen who are just so meticulous but fast at their work that you want to snap them up for other jobs in the house?
I couldn’t though, he’s very busy with other fitted bedrooms across the country, damn it! :)
It was super unfortunate that during transit one of the mirrors had acquired a tiny chip on the corner but instead of fitting it, the fitter immediately ordered a replacement and sent someone round to fit it shortly after. Very good service. These things happen don’t they – and we weren’t in a rush to move into the room any time soon. Plus the rest of it was fitted perfectly.
Our fitted alcove wardrobes – all finished!
So here we are. We couldn’t be happier with the design and how despite them being large wardrobes, they still keep the room feeling fresh, bright and airy.
The only issue we spotted with them largely because I’m a designer and Neil’s a photographer (together we’re sticklers for detail) was that the coving appeared slightly creamier white than the doors.
An untrained eye probably wouldn’t notice it, but once we spot things, we can’t get them out of our head.
It was a super simple solution to fix. My Fitted Bedroom don’t recommend painting their wardrobes and they’re right, if it’s an area that’s prone to knocks and scrapes etc then you could ruin the finish. But as we wanted to paint the coving which is rarely touched, we discussed with our local Brewers Decorating Centre and discovered that Bradite One Can could do the job. It’s a primer, undercoat and finish in one can and gives a professional coating on everything from wood, UPVC and metal. We had it colour matched to the colour code of the doors, RAL 9003, Neil painted the coving, skirting and fire surround with it, and now everything matches perfectly.
The fitted wardrobes interior
If you’ve followed this blog since the beginning, you’ll know we go into depth with our content. I don’t want to just give you the before and after – I want to show you exactly how these wardrobes are being used, how much they would have cost if it wasn’t a collaborative post so that you can make the best plans possible for your homes.
I’m also super proud and excited for the interior setup in our fitted wardrobes as we had electrics to factor into it, so thanks for allowing me to indulge in the details!
I’ll walk you through my side of the wardrobes as Neil’s is virtually identical minus the open shelving.
The first thing I’m pleased with is having 3 wide drawers with ample space to put folded clothes, underwear and pyjamas in. The top drawer I’m using as a makeup/skincare station. I bought a drawer divider from IKEA to compartmentalise brushes, palettes, moisturiser, perfume etc and if I’m completely honest, it’s the most exciting part of the bedroom for me!
Having the internal mirror on both sides means I can do my makeup facing the natural light from the window – a luxury I’ve never been able to have in our guest bedroom which gets nowhere near as much light as this room.
I have yet to move all of my clothes in but believe it or not I only own 2 pairs of jeans and a handful of dresses, blouses, cardigans and t-shirts. Neil’s the same, we regularly do charity shop runs of clothes we don’t wear anymore. Our current wardrobe in the guest bedroom gives us enough hanging space, this wardrobe gives us a little more. So I’m confident it will be fine for us.
Searched everywhere on the internet for the perfect size and depth storage baskets with a handle I can easily pull down and was leaping for joy when I found Mangata. I bought 4 of their Jumbo Beige Storage boxes in XXL for the top of both wardrobes. These will be perfect for things like skiwear, packing away winter/summer clothes and will give Neil more storage for camera equipment.
They arrived flat packed so there’s a crease running through them at the moment which will flatten out once I fill them. What’s really smart is that they come with draw string dust protectors so you could have these on top of any wardrobe and the top layer of clothes remains dust free.
The eagle eyes will have spotted that we’ve run a 1.5m length extension lead up the back of the drawers and out the base of the hanging area. It was cut well by the fitter, finished off with a chrome plug cap to hide the wires and still be able to fit a plug through. The drawers can be pulled out to access the plug socket behind (we can switch the PIR light on and off permanently from there).
I highly recommend having electric points inside wardrobes like this. Firstly, it’s given me a convenient and discreet location to plug in and house a hair dryer rather than having one lying around elsewhere in the room. Secondly, it gives Neil somewhere to charge up camera batteries overnight before shoots. It’s just really handy and tidier.
I’m still on the lookout for drawer dividers to properly organise my clothes inside. For now I just picked up some basic IKEA ones in a pretty mint green colour which aren’t the right width but it’s a start!
I’m so glad that many of you responded to my Instagram Stories with questions about fitting alcove wardrobes including the cost, why we chose to not go to the ceiling and more so I’ll rattle through these.
How much do fitted wardrobes cost?
The cost of fitted wardrobes vary depending on the size, material, add-ons and route you choose to get them fitted (via a carpenter vs a fitted bedroom company). Our alcove wardrobes supplied and fitted by My Fitted Bedroom would cost approximately £2.5K to supply and fit. I’m told that this is very competitive. My Fitted Bedroom are usually more affordable than Sharps, about the same cost as Hammonds, but they tend to provide a more flexible service – for example, I was able to get handles from a different company, and they really supported our individual needs on the electrics front.
I’ve requested the exact invoice to be sent over to us so I can put the exact figure into this post.
Is it cheaper to just get free standing wardrobes?
Possibly, yes but here’s my thinking. In the early days we floated the idea of getting freestanding wardrobes either side but quickly realised when we started looking for wardrobe options in the right style, the right size, they were either impossible to find or wouldn’t fit correctly, and the cost came in at about £1,000 per wardrobe anyway.
My point is that going for built in wardrobes, yes it may be that bit more expensive, but you’re getting exactly what you want and optimising every inch of space available. There’s also an argument to say they add value to a property. My Fitted Bedroom offer a free home design service so they can tell you exactly what the price would be for your perfect fitted bedroom. Just book a virtual design appointment here.
Why didn’t you go all the way to the ceiling?
There are typically two ways you can design the height of alcove wardrobes – go all the way to the ceiling, or leave space. Both are great and ultimately it’s down to personal preference. When you’re designing a small to medium room with an average ceiling height like ours, having wardrobes all the way to the ceiling could feel too over-powering for the room.
We worried it would feel like the wardrobes towered over us while in bed – so we didn’t go all the way to the top for this reason. Leaving space above or below furniture gives the illusion of a larger ceiling or floor area which makes the room feel bigger. And finally, having owned floor to ceiling wardrobes in our previous home, it can be so hard to reach the shelves and I’m a shorty. So the decision was made!
Are we having any other storage in the room?
For now it’s only the wardrobes which I’m confident will give us what we need – however if my shopping habits change (doubt it, I live in pyjamas) we have discussed getting a large chest of drawers on the right wall as you enter the room. We got a plug point installed there just in case we do this so I can put a lamp on it.
Other ways we could have brought storage in would be under-bed storage and bedside table storage. Honestly though, it’s just the two of us living here and we still have a guest bedroom wardrobe as backup so I’m really pleased with the level of storage we have throughout the house. It’s all because we’ve optimised these alcoves to give us exactly what we need.
How did My Fitted Bedroom fit these, do they slot the frame into the alcove and touch the wall behind?
Yes. If you can imagine the same way kitchen units are fitted, they slot the frame in so that it touches the back wall and they built around the corners of the chimney breast, out into the room to give enough hanger depth (minimum depth required is 600mm for wardrobes). Our alcoves are about 350mm deep so the wardrobes protrude into the room by a further 300mm.
Do My Fitted Bedroom work nationwide?
Yes they do. They offer remote design appointments too so it’s really convenient to be able to discuss your needs and get a feel for costs. You can book a free home design appointment with them here.
I really want fitted wardrobes, what do I do next?
Our experience with My Fitted Bedroom has been really good, from the design right through to the build. We have felt like they’ve really listened to our needs, understood our space and provided us with wardrobes that will really enhance our life and add value to our home. We both recommend discussing your needs and getting a quote from My Fitted Bedroom if you’re looking for a company to create your dream fitted bedroom.
Conclusion
Alcoves have to be one of my favourite features in a home. I often help people design theirs whether they’re clients, friends/family or renovators I’ve met through our Reno Club. Many homeowners decide to remove bedroom chimney breasts to offer more space – but in my heart, there’s part of me that just couldn’t do that to this house. Alcoves bring character, and are an amazing period feature in a home. Yes they can be hard to design, but once you’ve cracked it, you’re left with results you feel really proud of and designs that ultimately enhance your life.
I hope this post has given you some inspiration for your alcoves or fitted wardrobe plans.
Thank you so much for reading, and stay tuned for the final Master Bedroom reveal coming soon.
