Bespoke kitchens in Norfolk, made for barns, rectories and country houses
Reeve & Co designs, draws, makes and installs hand-built kitchens for Norfolk homes — flint farmhouses, barn conversions, Georgian rectories and architect-designed new builds — from our own workshop just over the Suffolk border near Stowmarket.
Norfolk houses ask for a particular kind of kitchen — generous larders, painted cabinetry, range cookers, proper sculleries and storage that works for a house that entertains. We named a kitchen in our range after the county because the brief comes up so often.
Every kitchen is drawn for the room in-house, made bench-by-bench in fine timbers — oak, walnut, tulipwood, sycamore and ash — and hand-finished: painted, sprayed lacquer or traditional French polish. Our own fitters install it; nothing is sub-contracted.
Our recent East Anglian work includes Norfolk barn conversions alongside listed Suffolk farmhouses and new-build joinery near Bury St Edmunds — cabinetry that answers original beams, uneven floors and historic proportions.
Kitchen directions for Norfolk houses
Starting points we adapt to the house — from Norwich and Wymondham to Holt, Burnham Market and the north coast.
Norfolk is an easy run from our workshop on Stonham Road, Mickfield — down the A140 from Norwich. That matters more than it sounds: you can stand at the benches while your cabinetry is made, approve timber and paint samples in person, and the team that drew your kitchen is the team that fits it.
Before committing, look at the standard of our recent work across East Anglia and beyond on the case studies page.
Larders, breakfast cupboards and pantry storage designed as part of the architecture.Dressers, islands and pantry pieces made with proper furniture weight.
How we take a Norfolk kitchen from brief to fitting
Visit and survey
We come to the house, measure properly and understand how the room needs to work.
Design drawings
Cabinetry, elevations, finishes, appliances and adjoining rooms resolved before the workshop starts.
Workshop making
Made bench-by-bench in our Suffolk workshop, with samples you can approve in person.
Fitting and aftercare
Installed by our own fitters, with snagging and aftercare a phone call away.
Norfolk kitchen questions
Is Norfolk too far for you?
No — Norwich is straight up the A140 from the workshop and we work across East Anglia constantly. Site visits, sample approvals and fitting are all part of the normal programme.
How long does a bespoke kitchen take?
Lead times typically run from twelve to twenty weeks depending on scope and finish, plus the design stage. You get a clear programme before anything is made.
Do you fit the kitchen yourselves?
Yes. Design, drawings, making and installation are all done by our own team. Nothing is sub-contracted.
Which parts of Norfolk do you cover?
All of it — Norwich, Wymondham, Diss, Holt, Fakenham, Burnham Market, King’s Lynn and the coast.
Start a kitchen conversation
Tell us about the house, the rooms involved and your timescales.
Call 01449 710500, message us on WhatsApp or send drawings and photographs through the contact page. If the project is a good fit we will arrange a visit.
Bespoke kitchens norfolk from Reeve & Co — handmade in our Suffolk workshop for high-end homes across London, the Home Counties and East Anglia.
Bespoke kitchens norfolk by Reeve & Co
From our Suffolk workshop we design, make and install bespoke kitchens for high-end homes across London, the Home Counties and East Anglia. Every commission is made to measure, drawn in detail and finished to a furniture-quality standard, then installed by our own team.
We work directly with homeowners and alongside architects, interior designers and main contractors, building with carefully selected, responsibly sourced timber. To discuss bespoke kitchens norfolk, get in touch or explore our case studies and about us.
Bespoke kitchens in Essex, made as furniture rather than fitted units
Reeve & Co makes hand-built kitchens for Georgian townhouses, weatherboarded farmhouses, period rectories and architect-designed homes across Essex — drawn in-house and made in our own Suffolk workshop, an easy reach up the A12.
We have recently completed a full bespoke kitchen for a private Essex home, alongside period-home joinery in Ingatestone, residential joinery in Woodford Green and country-house work at Wealside. Essex is home ground for us — close enough for proper site visits, sample approvals at the house and a fitting programme run by our own team.
Every kitchen is drawn for the room in-house, made bench-by-bench in fine timbers — oak, walnut, tulipwood, sycamore and ash — and hand-finished: painted, sprayed lacquer or traditional French polish. Nothing is sub-contracted.
Much of our Essex work is in period and listed buildings, where new cabinetry must answer original beams, uneven floors and historic proportions — precisely the territory where a joinery workshop beats a kitchen showroom.
Kitchen directions for Essex houses
Starting points we adapt to the house — from Saffron Walden and Dunmow to Ingatestone, Brentwood and the villages around Colchester and Chelmsford.
The Essex kitchen — drawn in-house, made in our workshop and fitted by our own team.Cabinetry detail from the same commission — in-frame doors and hand-applied finishes.
How we take an Essex kitchen from brief to fitting
Visit and survey
We come to the house, measure properly and understand how the room needs to work.
Design drawings
Cabinetry, elevations, finishes, appliances and adjoining rooms resolved before the workshop starts.
Workshop making
Made bench-by-bench in Suffolk — visit the benches and approve samples in person.
Fitting and aftercare
Installed by our own fitters, with snagging and aftercare a phone call away.
Essex kitchen questions
Do you really cover Essex?
Yes — Essex sits between our Suffolk workshop and our London joinery work, so we are on the A12 constantly. Site visits, sample approvals and fitting are all straightforward.
How long does a bespoke kitchen take?
Lead times typically run from twelve to twenty weeks depending on scope and finish, plus the design stage. You get a clear programme before anything is made.
Do you fit the kitchen yourselves?
Yes. Design, drawings, making and installation are all done by our own team. Nothing is sub-contracted.
Which parts of Essex do you cover?
All of it — Chelmsford, Colchester, Saffron Walden, Ingatestone, Brentwood, Dunmow, Maldon and the villages in between, plus the London fringe.
Start a kitchen conversation
Tell us about the house, the rooms involved and your timescales.
Call 01449 710500, message us on WhatsApp or send drawings and photographs through the contact page. If the project is a good fit we will arrange a visit.
Bespoke kitchens essex from Reeve & Co — handmade in our Suffolk workshop for high-end homes across London, the Home Counties and East Anglia.
Bespoke kitchens essex by Reeve & Co
From our Suffolk workshop we design, make and install bespoke kitchens for high-end homes across London, the Home Counties and East Anglia. Every commission is made to measure, drawn in detail and finished to a furniture-quality standard, then installed by our own team.
We work directly with homeowners and alongside architects, interior designers and main contractors, building with carefully selected, responsibly sourced timber. To discuss bespoke kitchens essex, get in touch or explore our case studies and about us.
Bespoke kitchens in Suffolk, made a few miles from your door
Reeve & Co designs, draws, makes and installs bespoke kitchens from our workshop on Stonham Road, Mickfield, near Stowmarket — for listed farmhouses, timber-framed village houses, barn conversions and architect-designed new builds across Suffolk.
Most of our year is spent on substantial fitted joinery for London and Home Counties private homes, and Suffolk kitchens are made to exactly that standard. Every kitchen is drawn for the room in-house, made bench-by-bench in fine timbers — oak, walnut, tulipwood, sycamore and ash — and finished by hand: painted, sprayed lacquer or traditional French polish.
Because the workshop is here, the whole process happens close to the house. You can visit the benches while your cabinetry is being made, approve timber and paint samples in person, and our own fitters — never sub-contractors — install the finished kitchen.
Much of our Suffolk work is in period and listed buildings, where cabinetry must answer uneven floors, original beams and historic proportions. That is joinery territory, and it is where we are strongest.
Kitchen directions for Suffolk houses
Starting points we adapt to the house — from medieval wool-town cottages in Lavenham and Long Melford to Georgian townhouses in Bury St Edmunds and coastal homes in Aldeburgh and Southwold.
A substantial kitchen planned around cooking, storage, family life and entertaining.Larders, breakfast cupboards and pantry storage designed as part of the architecture.
How we take a Suffolk kitchen from brief to fitting
Visit and survey
We visit the house, measure properly and understand how the room needs to work.
Design drawings
Cabinetry, elevations, finishes, appliances and adjoining rooms resolved before the workshop starts.
Workshop making
Made bench-by-bench in Mickfield, with samples and hand-applied finishes you can approve in person.
Fitting and aftercare
Installed by our own fitters, with snagging and aftercare a phone call away.
Suffolk kitchen questions
How long does a bespoke kitchen take?
Lead times typically run from twelve to twenty weeks depending on scope and finish, plus the design stage. We will give you a clear programme before anything is made.
Can we visit the workshop?
Yes — we encourage it. The workshop and showroom are on Stonham Road, Mickfield, near Stowmarket, IP14 5LS.
Do you fit the kitchen yourselves?
Yes. Design, drawings, making and installation are all done by our own team. Nothing is sub-contracted.
Which parts of Suffolk do you cover?
All of it — Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, Stowmarket, Woodbridge, Framlingham, Lavenham, Long Melford, Aldeburgh, Southwold and the villages in between.
Start a kitchen conversation
Tell us about the house, the rooms involved and your timescales.
Call 01449 710500, message us on WhatsApp or send drawings and photographs through the contact page. If the project is a good fit we will arrange a visit.
Bespoke kitchens suffolk from Reeve & Co — handmade in our Suffolk workshop for high-end homes across London, the Home Counties and East Anglia.
Bespoke kitchens suffolk by Reeve & Co
From our Suffolk workshop we design, make and install bespoke kitchens suffolk for high-end homes across London, the Home Counties and East Anglia. Every commission is made to measure, drawn in detail and finished to a furniture-quality standard, then installed by our own team.
We work directly with homeowners and alongside architects, interior designers and main contractors, building with carefully selected, responsibly sourced timber. To discuss bespoke kitchens suffolk, get in touch or explore our case studies and about us.
Alcove joinery looks simple because the space is already defined: two recesses, often either side of a chimney breast, waiting to become storage, shelving, display or AV housing. In practice, it is one of the details that can quietly lift or weaken an interior scheme.
For interior designers, the opportunity is not only to fill a gap. Bespoke alcove joinery can correct awkward proportions, frame a fireplace, hide services, introduce lighting, balance a room and give a client useful storage without making the space feel heavy.
At Reeve & Co, we design, draw, make and install bespoke fitted joinery from our Suffolk workshop for architects, interior designers and private clients across London, the Home Counties and East Anglia. This guide sets out what to resolve before workshop drawings begin, so alcove joinery supports the design intent rather than becoming a late-stage compromise.
Why alcove joinery deserves early specification
Alcoves are often treated as “minor joinery”, but they touch several design decisions: room symmetry, fireplace setting, storage planning, electrical coordination, decorative finishes and installation sequencing. If those items are left until after finishes are chosen, the joinery can end up forcing decisions rather than supporting them.
For designers working to a formal project structure, it helps to align joinery decisions with the wider project programme. The RIBA Plan of Work organises projects from Strategic Definition through Technical Design, Manufacturing and Construction, through to Use, giving interior designers a useful framework for managing information exchange and procurement (BIID).
The practical point is simple: by the time technical design is under way, the joinery partner should already know the design intent, finish intent and the client’s storage needs. Alcove joinery may be compact, but it still benefits from early coordination.
Start with the room, not the unit
Good alcove joinery begins with the room elevation. Before deciding door style or shelf thickness, resolve what is wanted for the room as a whole.
Key questions to settle early:
What should the fireplace wall become? A quiet architectural elevation, a library wall, a media wall, a display wall or a storage-led family room?
Should the two alcoves match? Symmetry suits formal reception rooms, but asymmetry can work where one side needs AV equipment, a desk, a drinks cabinet or additional storage.
How much visual weight is acceptable? Full-height cupboards maximise storage, while base cupboards with open shelving keep the wall lighter.
What should be hidden? Routers, speakers, AV boxes, children’s items, paperwork, logs, books and decorative objects all need different depths, shelf spacings and ventilation.
How does the joinery meet existing architecture? Skirting, cornicing, picture rails, dado rails, fireplaces and uneven plaster should be drawn into the design, not discovered during installation.
This is where a specialist joinery partner adds value for designers. A concept sketch can show the design intent and confirm the spatial relationships; the joinery partner can then turn that intention into workable dimensions, junctions and manufacturing decisions.
Survey: the detail that protects the design
Most alcove walls are not perfectly square, plumb or symmetrical. This is especially true in Victorian and Edwardian properties across London, where chimney breasts, plasterwork and old floors can vary noticeably across the elevation.
As a guide, a current London alcove joinery market guide notes that Victorian properties can vary by 20–50mm across an alcove’s width and recommends measuring each alcove at several heights rather than taking one width and assuming it applies across the whole recess (Noba & Stod).
For interior designers, the survey should capture:
Overall room dimensions and ceiling height.
Each alcove width at floor level, mid-height and near ceiling height.
Alcove depth relative to the chimney breast face.
Skirting, dado, picture rail and cornice positions.
Socket, switch, radiator, pipe, vent and AV locations.
Fireplace projection and hearth dimensions.
Wall condition, damp risk and any historic fabric constraints.
Access route, parking, floor protection and installation restrictions.
The result should be a proper elevation and plan, not just a shopping list of cabinets. Alcove joinery that is built to a proper survey rarely needs adjusting once installed.
Choosing the right configuration
There are four common approaches to bespoke alcove joinery, and each suits a different design outcome:
Configuration
Best for
Design considerations
Floating shelves only
Light-touch display, books, informal living rooms
Needs careful fixing, wall condition checks and well-proportioned shelf thickness.
Base cupboards with shelves above
Reception rooms, family rooms, studies
Good balance of hidden storage and display; works well around chimney breasts.
Full-height cupboards
Bedrooms, offices, boot rooms, compact storage areas
Maximises capacity but can feel heavy if door proportions and shadow gaps are not handled well.
Full-height library or display joinery
Formal rooms, libraries, studies
Requires detailed thinking around lighting, shelf spans, object sizes and ladder or access needs.
Market guidance for London suggests base cupboards with shelving above are one of the most common configuration choice for alcoves either side of chimney breasts (Noba & Stod). That does not mean it is always the best answer. In a high-end scheme, the correct configuration should come from the room’s use, the client’s storage needs and the designer’s intended hierarchy.
Materials and finishes: specify what the eye and hand will notice
Not every part of an alcove unit needs the same material. In many painted schemes, the best specification uses engineered material for carcasses with solid timber, tulipwood or hardwood lippings for visible edges, frames and doors.
Designers should agree:
Carcass material — often moisture-resistant MDF, birch plywood or veneered board depending on finish, budget and use.
Door construction — flat slab, shaker, raised-and-fielded, reeded, fluted, framed or veneered.
Shelf construction — solid timber, veneered board, lipped board or torsion-box construction for deeper spans.
Durability requirements — family use, rental use, display-only use or commercial-grade wear.
The British Woodworking Federation describes itself as the UK trade association for the woodworking and joinery manufacturing industry, providing technical, regulatory and specification guidance to more than 500 members and supporting good practice across the sector. For interior designers, that reinforces the importance of treating fitted joinery as a specified element, not just site carpentry.
Lighting, sockets and AV need to be designed in
Alcove joinery often becomes the point where lighting design, AV, electrical work and furniture design intersect. If those are not resolved early, cables become visible, routers overheat, sockets sit in the wrong place and shelves get drilled after fitting.
Resolve these details before manufacture:
LED shelf lighting location, colour temperature and control method.
Driver, transformer and access panel positions.
Socket and data requirements inside cupboards.
Cable routes for TVs, speakers, lamps and routers.
Ventilation for AV equipment.
Door clearance around plugs and trailing leads.
Whether the joinery needs removable backs or service access.
The best result is almost invisible. The client notices the atmosphere, not the cable route.
Listed and period properties: protect character first
Many high-end residential projects involve period houses, conservation areas or listed buildings. Alcove joinery that is fixed, chased or built against historic fabric needs careful thought, and the team should check whether any fixings, chasing, removals or alterations affect historic fabric.
Historic England advises that if you want to alter or extend a listed building in a way that affects its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest, you need to apply for Listed Building Consent from the local planning authority, and recommends checking first with the local planning authority to confirm whether consent is needed and what may be acceptable.
For interior designers, that means:
Do not assume internal work is exempt.
Avoid cutting through original mouldings, panelling or plasterwork without advice.
Design reversible junctions where possible.
Record existing details before works begin.
Allow for conservation input before finalising workshop drawings.
Reeve & Co already works on period and listed-building-sensitive projects, so the conversation should start early when a scheme includes original joinery, historic plaster, chimney pieces or unusual existing fabric.
Cost and lead-time expectations
Every project should be quoted from drawings, specification and survey information, not from a general price list. That said, designers need early budget ranges to guide clients before detailed design begins.
Recent London market guidance gives broad alcove joinery ranges of around £1,200–£6,000+ per pair, with full-wall units reaching £5,000–£8,000+ depending on complexity, materials and finish (Noba & Stod). The same guide suggests a typical total timeline of 4–8 weeks, with design and manufacture often taking 2–4 weeks and installation 1–3 days depending on method and complexity (Noba & Stod).
For high-end work, the factors that usually affect cost are:
Complexity of the room and survey.
Whether the units are workshop-made, site-built or pre-finished.
Door style, moulding profile and frame detail.
Painted, stained, veneered or specialist finish.
Lighting, AV access and concealed services.
Drawer boxes, internal fittings and ironmongery.
Matching existing architectural details.
Access, parking, protection and installation constraints.
The safest approach is to set an early budget allowance, then refine once the design intent, drawings and specification are confirmed.
What a designer should give the joinery partner
A good joinery brief does not need to be complicated. It should make the design intent clear enough for the joinery partner to advise on specification and prepare drawings, without requiring the designer to resolve every technical detail.
Useful information includes:
Design concept, moodboard or room elevation.
Site photos and any existing survey drawings.
Intended use for each cupboard, shelf and display area.
Preferred door style, finish direction and hardware language.
Paint colours, timber references or sample requirements.
Electrical, AV and lighting requirements.
Relevant heritage, listed-building or conservation constraints.
Programme, access dates and dependency on other trades.
Client expectations around budget, finish level and maintenance.
From there, the joinery partner should produce measured drawings, flag constraints, advise on materials and confirm that the design can be manufactured, finished and installed cleanly.
The Reeve & Co approach
Reeve & Co works with private clients, architects, interior designers and main contractors, designing and making bespoke fitted joinery in our Suffolk workshop before fitting on site with our own team (Reeve & Co). For interior designers, that gives one joined-up route from design intent to workshop drawings, manufacture, finishing and installation.
For alcove joinery, we can work from your design package or develop the detail with you. That might mean matching an existing period moulding, producing a quieter contemporary detail, integrating lighting or coordinating a media wall alongside study joinery.
The aim is simple: alcove joinery that looks as if it belongs to the room, performs properly for the client and supports the overall scheme.
Planning an alcove joinery package?
If you are an interior designer specifying alcove cupboards, display shelving, living-room storage, media walls or study joinery as part of a high-end residential package, Reeve & Co can help develop the detail before it reaches site.
Send drawings, photos or an outline brief to the workshop and we can advise on specification, survey requirements, programme and next steps.
Bespoke mirrored walls from Reeve & Co — handmade in our Suffolk workshop for high-end homes across London, the Home Counties and East Anglia.
Bespoke mirrored walls, sliding-door wardrobes and fitted mirror panels by Reeve & Co – designed as furniture rather than as a practical afterthought. Clear, bronze, smoked and antiqued mirror glass, framed in painted timber, oak or stainless steel, installed across London, the Home Counties and the wider UK.
Mirror joinery that belongs to the room
A fitted mirrored wall, when designed and installed well, is one of the most powerful tools in an interior. It expands the perceived space, redistributes natural light, and – if the framing and proportions are resolved carefully – reads as an architectural feature rather than a practical addition. When it is done poorly, the joins are visible, the framing is inadequate, the mirror sits in front of the skirting rather than integrating with it, and the room looks smaller and more cluttered than it did before.
Reeve & Co approaches mirror joinery with the same discipline applied to every other fitted furniture commission: the installation is drawn before it is made, the framing is designed to integrate with the room’s architecture, and the mirror specification – glass type, frame material, panel sizing, edge treatment and fixing method – is resolved at the drawing stage. Recent mirrored wall and sliding-door commissions have included a floor-to-ceiling mirrored wardrobe wall at Albert Hall Mansions, mirrored sliding-door wardrobes in a Belgravia apartment, a mirrored reception wall in a St John’s Wood townhouse and a fitted mirror panel scheme in Eaton Place.
Mirrored joinery types and applications
Mirrored sliding-door wardrobes
The most common application: floor-to-ceiling sliding mirror panels on quality track systems. Available in clear, bronze, smoked or antiqued mirror glass, framed in painted timber, natural oak or stainless steel extrusion. The practical wardrobe that also functions as a room-expanding element.
Full-wall mirror panels
A wall lined in full-height mirror panels, either flush-jointed or with a defined frame grid. Used in bedrooms, dressing rooms, reception rooms and hallways to expand a confined space or amplify natural light. Panel sizes, joint types and edge treatments are designed for the room.
Framed mirror furniture
Individual framed mirrors designed as furniture pieces: overmantel mirrors, full-length dressing mirrors, bathroom mirror cabinets and hallway pier mirrors. Made to bespoke dimensions, with frames in painted timber, oak or metal.
Mirrored wardrobe interiors
Mirror panels used on the interior faces of a fitted wardrobe – on the back wall of a hanging bay, as a full-height internal mirror within a dressing room, or as a dedicated mirror panel at the end of a wardrobe run.
Mirror within panelling schemes
Mirror panels incorporated within a timber panelling grid – a classic dining-room or hallway treatment where alternate panels are glass-backed or mirrored. Designed as part of a combined panelling and mirror commission.
Gym and studio mirrors
Full-wall mirror installations for private gyms, yoga studios and dance studios within residential properties. Large-format panels, minimal framing and robust fixing to suit hard-use environments.
Mirror glass options
The choice of mirror glass makes a significant difference to the character of a room. Clear mirror is the standard: crisp, accurate and spatially generous. Bronze mirror has a warm amber cast that reads as part of the room’s colour palette rather than as a neutral surface – it is particularly effective in sitting rooms, dining rooms and hallways. Smoked or grey mirror is darker and more dramatic, suited to contemporary rooms with strong contrasts. Antiqued mirror has a mottled, aged appearance that is appropriate for period rooms and maximalist interiors where a new mirror would look incongruous.
We specify and source mirror glass from specialist glazing suppliers to suit each commission. All panels are cut, polished and drilled to our own specifications before framing in the workshop.
Where mirrored joinery creates the most value
Mirrored sliding-door wardrobes are most commonly commissioned for London flat bedrooms, where the combination of functional wardrobe storage and spatial enlargement through reflection is extremely effective. A sliding-door wardrobe with full-height mirror panels in a room of modest size can make the space feel genuinely larger and better lit – not as an optical trick but as a real improvement to how the room reads and how comfortable it is to live in.
Full-wall mirror panels in a hallway or reception room are one of the oldest spatial interventions in English interior design, and still one of the most effective. A narrow entrance hall with a full-height mirror panel on one wall becomes a hall of double the perceived width. A dining room with mirror in a panelling grid bounces candlelight and creates a sense of occasion that is difficult to achieve by other means. These are not decorating fashion; they are spatial tools with a long and proven history.
For country houses and substantial private homes, a dedicated dressing room with mirror panels on selected walls – not all of them, which tends to feel disorienting – allows natural light to be redistributed around a room that may not have a generous window. The mirror is positioned to face the primary light source, carrying daylight into the darker parts of the dressing room without introducing a second window.
Framing and track systems
Painted timber frames
The most common frame choice for London bedroom wardrobes – a solid hardwood frame, hand-sprayed to match the room’s paint scheme. The frame profile is designed to suit the room’s skirting and cornice.
Oak and walnut frames
Natural hardwood frames for contemporary wardrobes and mirror panels. Oiled or lightly lacquered. Walnut frames give mirror panels a formal, considered quality.
Stainless steel extrusion
Minimal aluminium or stainless steel frame sections for sliding-door systems where a very fine frame is required or where the overall interior language is contemporary and material-led.
Sliding-door track systems
Quality sliding track hardware from specialist suppliers, supporting doors up to 3m in height. Soft-close and self-closing options available. Track concealed within the head and floor detail of the wardrobe frame.
Frameless mirror panels
Large mirror panels fixed directly to the wall with concealed fixings or adhesive, with polished or bevelled edges. A minimal approach for full-wall mirror installations where the frame would interrupt the spatial effect.
Bevelled and polished edges
Bevelled borders add a traditional detail to full-length dressing mirrors and overmantel pieces. Polished flat edges suit contemporary flat-fronted panel installations.
Mirrored joinery as part of a wider wardrobe or furniture commission
Mirrored sliding-door wardrobes are most often commissioned as part of a wider wardrobe or bedroom joinery scheme. In these cases, the mirror doors are designed in conjunction with the wardrobe carcases, interior fittings, dressing table or island, and any other fitted furniture in the room – so that the framing finish, reveal widths and hardware all read as a single, composed interior rather than separate elements sourced from different suppliers.
For London apartments where wardrobe space is constrained and the bedroom is modest in size, the sliding mirror door is one of the most effective design decisions available. It eliminates the floor area lost to door swing, maximises the reflective quality of the mirror, and keeps the visual weight of the wardrobe as low as possible. The track and floor guide can be detailed to be almost invisible in the finished room.
We also make mirrored panels for use in gym rooms and home studios, where the functional requirements are somewhat different: larger format panels, robust framing, polished-edge rather than bevelled profiles, and a fixing method that can withstand the vibration and impact of active use. These are designed and installed to the same standard as our residential work, with the same care given to wall preparation, panel alignment and join treatment.
Clear, bronze, smoked, grey and antiqued mirror glass are all available. The right choice depends on the room’s light levels, colour palette and the desired effect – we advise on glass type at the design stage and can provide samples for approval before the mirror panels are cut.
Can a mirrored wardrobe have the same finish as our fitted wardrobes?
Yes. Where a mirrored sliding-door wardrobe is part of a wider wardrobe commission, the frame finish, handle specification and cornice profile are all designed to match the other fitted furniture in the room. See our fitted wardrobes page for more detail on wardrobe options.
Can you fit mirrors in a room with uneven walls or ceilings?
Yes. Scribing and packing the frame to an uneven wall or ceiling is a standard part of our fitting process. Full-wall mirror installations in period buildings almost always require careful scribing to manage wall irregularities without visible gaps.
Do you install mirrors as well as making the frames?
Yes. Our own fitting team installs all mirror joinery, including the mirror panels themselves. We do not subcontract the glazing or the installation.
How long does a mirrored wall or sliding-door commission take?
A mirrored sliding-door wardrobe or fitted mirror wall typically takes five to nine weeks from drawing approval to installation, depending on complexity and workshop programme. Combined wardrobe and mirror commissions are planned as a single timeline. We confirm the timescale when we quote.
Discuss a mirrored wall or sliding-door commission
Send photographs of the room, the wall or wardrobe dimensions, and any design references. We will advise on mirror glass, framing, track systems and proportions.
From our Suffolk workshop we design, make and install bespoke mirrored walls for high-end homes across London, the Home Counties and East Anglia. Every commission is made to measure and finished to a furniture-quality standard. To discuss bespoke mirrored walls, get in touch or explore our case studies.
Bespoke alcove units from Reeve & Co — handmade in our Suffolk workshop for high-end homes across London, the Home Counties and East Anglia.
Bespoke alcove and fireplace joinery by Reeve & Co – fitted bookcases, cupboards, display shelving and combined bookcase-cupboard units built precisely into chimney breast alcoves for London townhouses, Victorian terraces and country houses. Period detailing or contemporary clean profiles, painted or in natural hardwood, made in our Suffolk workshop.
The alcove bookcase: a classic commission, done properly
The fitted bookcase or alcove cupboard flanking a chimney breast is one of the most common fitted-furniture commissions in British domestic architecture – and one of the most often done poorly. Cheap timber, incorrect proportions, applied mouldings that sit proud of the cornice rather than returning to it, shelves that sag, and drawer boxes that refuse to run smoothly are all common signs that the joinery was not treated as a serious piece of furniture. Reeve & Co takes the alcove commission as seriously as any other: the proportions are drawn from the room’s own architectural language, the construction is solid, and the detailing at the cornice, dado and floor junction is resolved before a single panel is cut.
Our alcove and fireplace joinery has been installed in Victorian and Edwardian terraces in Kensington, Chelsea and Belgravia, in Georgian townhouses in the Home Counties, in a Belgravia apartment flanking a period marble chimneypiece, and in contemporary open-plan living rooms where the chimney breast provides the only natural opportunity for fitted storage. The approach differs in each case; the standard of making does not.
Alcove joinery types and configurations
Open bookcase with cupboard base
The most common configuration: open adjustable shelves above a dado rail height, with a pair of cupboard doors below concealing general storage or wine. Proportions set to align the shelf heights, dado and cornice with the existing room.
Full-height bookcase, alcove to ceiling
A floor-to-ceiling bookcase that fills the alcove completely, with cornice to match or complement the room’s existing mouldings. Adjustable shelves, a library ladder rail, or a combination of shelving and closed cupboards lower down.
Paired alcove bookcases
Symmetrical bookcases in both alcoves, carefully sized so that the reveals at the chimney breast, the skirting returns and the cornice line read as a single, composed piece of furniture rather than two independent units.
Alcove display and media units
Fitted display shelving with open and concealed compartments designed for a combination of books, objects, audio equipment and screen integration. See also our TV and media joinery page for chimney-breast media wall options.
Fitted home bar or drinks cabinet
An alcove repurposed as a fitted drinks cabinet or home bar – with a worktop surface, wine rack, glazed upper display, concealed refrigeration and fitted glass storage – is a popular commission for reception rooms in London townhouses.
Period and overmantel joinery
A bespoke overmantel – the fitted cabinet, mirror frame or shelved surround above a chimneypiece – designed to read as part of the chimney breast composition. A technically demanding piece that anchors the fireplace wall in a period room.
Getting the proportions right
Alcove proportions are not arbitrary. The width of the bookcase frame, the depth of the shelves, the height at which the cupboard doors give way to open shelving, the reveal between the bookcase face and the chimney breast projection, and the profile of the cornice are all governed by the architecture of the room. In a Victorian terrace, the cornice profile, skirting height, ceiling height and window proportions provide a grid from which the bookcase proportions should follow.
We draw each alcove commission in elevation before manufacture begins, showing the frame widths, shelf positions, door sizes and moulding profiles in relation to the room’s existing features. This is where the proportion is fixed – not on site during installation, where it is too late to correct a decision that looks wrong.
What to consider before commissioning alcove joinery
The most useful question to answer before commissioning alcove bookcases is whether the primary purpose is display, storage, or a combination of both. A room that is primarily a sitting room, with books arranged for visual effect and occasional reference, calls for a different interior to a room that is also a working library, with books in heavy rotation, archive boxes at the base and a need for good shelf lighting. The design starts with the use, not with an aesthetic preference.
Shelf depth deserves specific consideration. Standard paperbacks and hardbacks are adequately housed on a 220mm shelf. Oversized art books, encyclopaedias and archive boxes require 300mm or more. A single shelf depth across all the shelves in a bookcase is sometimes right, but a deeper lower shelf with a shallower upper shelf, or a combination of fixed and adjustable shelf positions, often serves the actual collection better. We ask clients to measure a representative sample of their books before we draw the shelf layout.
The cupboard base below the shelves is frequently underused in alcove bookcases. It is often treated as a catch-all for things that do not have another home. With some thought at the design stage, the base unit can house a sound system and cables, a wine and drinks collection with a fitted wine rack, a home office’s filing and archive, or simply deep general storage with pull-out shelving that makes access easy. None of these require major additional cost; they require a brief and a decision before the drawings are completed.
Materials and finishes
Painted hardwood
The most common choice for London period rooms. Solid hardwood frames and shelves, painted in any specified colour. Hand-sprayed eggshell or satin finish in-house, in Farrow & Ball, Little Greene or client-specified colours.
Natural oak
European oak bookcases, oiled or lightly lacquered, suit contemporary living rooms and open-plan spaces where warmth and material honesty are the priority.
Solid shelving
Shelves are solid hardwood, not veneered board with lipping. This matters for books: solid shelves do not bow under weight in the way that veneered panels can.
Soft-close drawer boxes
Full-extension drawer boxes with soft-close runners from Blum or Hettich. Drawer fronts in painted hardwood or solid oak to match the bookcase doors.
Hardware
Solid brass cup handles, knobs and escutcheons for period commissions; simple steel or iron pulls for contemporary work. Hardware specified at the drawing stage to suit the design.
Integrated lighting
LED strip lighting on shelf undersides, recessed spotlights in the cornice detail, or display lighting for objects and collections – all resolved at the drawing stage and co-ordinated with the room’s electrician.
Commissioning alcove joinery alongside other fitted furniture
An alcove bookcase commission is often the first piece of fitted joinery a client commissions from Reeve & Co. It is a contained brief with a clear functional outcome, and it tends to demonstrate quickly whether the workshop’s approach and standards are the right fit for a client. A significant proportion of our longer relationships with private clients and their architects begin with a single pair of alcove bookcases and extend from there into wardrobes, a fitted study, a kitchen, or timber panelling across several rooms.
For clients who are planning a wider programme of fitted joinery – perhaps a complete renovation of a London townhouse or a country-house refurbishment – it is usually more efficient to discuss the whole programme at the outset, even if the work is phased over time. The drawing and design work for several rooms can be co-ordinated as a single scheme, so the detailing and proportions read consistently across the house. This also allows us to plan the workshop programme more accurately and give realistic timescales for each phase.
Can you match an existing cornice or moulding profile?
Yes. We measure the existing moulding profiles in the room and either replicate them with our in-house tooling or source matching timber mouldings. The bookcase cornice should read as a continuation of the room’s own architecture, not an afterthought.
Are your shelves solid timber or veneered board?
Solid hardwood throughout, unless a specific technical requirement or the span makes veneered panel a better structural choice. Solid shelves do not bow under the weight of books and files in the way that veneered panels can.
Can the bookcase include a TV or media compartment?
Yes. We regularly incorporate concealed media bays, cable routing and ventilated equipment shelves within alcove joinery. See our TV and media joinery page for more on combined bookcase and media unit solutions.
Do you work in period and listed buildings?
Yes. We are experienced at working in Victorian, Georgian and Edwardian domestic interiors, including listed buildings, and at specifying fixing methods that respect the historic fabric of the building.
How long does an alcove bookcase commission take?
A straightforward paired alcove bookcase commission typically takes six to ten weeks from drawing approval to installation. More complex schemes with concealed doors, home bar fittings or integrated lighting take longer. We confirm a timescale when we quote.
Discuss an alcove or fireplace joinery commission
Send photographs of the room, the chimney breast and any design references. We will advise on proportion, material and finish, and outline the process and timescale involved.
From our Suffolk workshop we design, make and install bespoke alcove units for high-end homes across London, the Home Counties and East Anglia. Every commission is made to measure and finished to a furniture-quality standard. To discuss bespoke alcove units, get in touch or explore our case studies.
Bespoke timber panelling from Reeve & Co — handmade in our Suffolk workshop for high-end homes across London, the Home Counties and East Anglia.
Bespoke timber wall panelling designed and made by Reeve & Co – from traditional moulded panel rooms and French-polished oak studies to contemporary flat-panel and batten schemes for modern interiors. Every panelling commission is drawn in-house, made in our Suffolk workshop and installed with the care due to a room that needs to feel both settled and architecturally credible.
Wall panelling that is made, not assembled
Timber wall panelling is one of the oldest and most enduring forms of interior joinery. When it is done well – proportioned correctly for the room, made from properly dried hardwood, detailed at the cornice, dado and skirting, and finished by hand – it transforms a room’s character in a way that no other wall treatment can match. When it is done poorly, the same room feels cheap and temporary.
Reeve & Co makes wall panelling as proper joinery. Each scheme is drawn in elevation, with frame widths, panel proportions, moulding profiles and finish all resolved before any timber is cut. We do not use MDF sheeting dressed up with applied mouldings as a substitute for properly made solid-timber or veneered panels; the construction is determined by what the design requires and what will perform well in the long term.
Our panelling work covers London townhouses, Belgravia and Kensington apartments, country-house reception rooms, private studies, hallways, dining rooms and commercial interiors including private members’ clubs and hotel lobbies. We have also completed significant educational panelling commissions, including work at Ipswich School.
Panelling types and styles
Traditional moulded panelling
Fielded panels with classical moulding profiles – bolection, ovolo, cavetto and ogee – appropriate for Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian and early-twentieth-century rooms. Painted or French-polished as the room requires.
Full-height and half-height panelling
Full-height panelling to the cornice line creates a complete, enclosed interior. Dado-height panelling (approximately 900-1,100mm) sits below a picture rail or dado rail, with plastered or decorated wall above – a lighter approach for rooms where full panelling would feel heavy.
Contemporary flat-panel schemes
Flat, unfielded panels in oak or painted MDF with shadow gaps or flush joins. A quieter language that suits contemporary interiors and gives wall faces visual order without period detail.
Batten and slat wall panels
Vertical or horizontal hardwood battens fixed proud of a painted or upholstered backing. A contemporary approach that adds texture and acoustic benefit to a room.
Oak library and study panelling
French-polished or oiled oak panelling combined with fitted bookcases and concealed cupboards. The panelling and the fitted furniture are designed as one interior rather than being adapted to fit each other.
Panelling with concealed doors
Jib doors or hidden service doors incorporated into a panelled wall, flush with the panel faces and with concealed hinges. A technically demanding detail that Reeve & Co has delivered on multiple London commissions.
French polishing and traditional finishes
Reeve & Co has its own French polisher, which places us in a small group of UK joinery workshops able to offer this finish in-house rather than subcontracting it. French polishing – the traditional shellac-based hand-built finish – is the correct finish for period oak, walnut and mahogany panelling, and for reproduction furniture where a deep, hand-applied lustre is required. We also apply oil, wax, lacquer and painted finishes in-house, so a panelling commission can include multiple panel species and finishes within a single room.
The distinction between a French-polished surface and a lacquered or oiled one is not merely aesthetic. French polish builds up in many thin coats, each applied by hand with a rubber, gradually deepening the grain and creating a surface that has real optical depth. It is repairable by hand on site if damaged. It responds to changes in humidity as the timber does. It is the right finish for panelling in a room that will be used formally and cared for properly. Lacquer is tougher, more resistant to water and less susceptible to bloom; it is the better choice for rooms that are in heavier use or where the surface needs to withstand the contact of daily life without regular maintenance.
Materials and finishes
European oak
The most widely used species for English timber panelling. Warm, stable and architecturally sympathetic, available with straight grain, through-cut or quarter-sawn figure. French-polished, oiled or painted.
American white oak
A cleaner, lighter tone than European oak. Popular for contemporary panelling schemes where the material needs presence without the amber warmth of European oak.
Walnut
Rich, dark and formally impressive. Walnut panelling suits dining rooms, studies and reception rooms in townhouses and substantial private homes.
Painted hardwood and MDF
For painted rooms, we use solid hardwood frames and either solid-timber or high-density MDF panels, depending on the profile and finish requirement. Hand-sprayed in any specified colour.
Veneered panels
Book-matched or random-matched veneers on stable substrates for large panel faces where solid timber movement would be a technical risk. Veneers sourced to match species and figure.
French polish and lacquer
Traditional hand-built French polish for period rooms; hardwearing lacquer for contemporary schemes and high-traffic areas. Both applied in-house by our own finishers.
Timber panelling fails when it is made without regard for the movement of wood. Solid timber expands and contracts with changes in humidity and temperature; a panel that is glued rigidly into its frame will split under seasonal movement. A panel properly housed in its frame with an appropriate clearance gap is free to move without deforming the face of the work. This is basic joinery knowledge, but it is often ignored in cheaper panelling installations where speed of production takes priority over long-term performance.
Reeve & Co makes panelling to perform over decades. We specify timber that has been properly dried and stored. We use appropriate substrate materials for painted work. We account for seasonal movement in the design of every panel and frame joint. We apply finishes that allow the timber to breathe where the species requires it, and hardwearing lacquer systems where the room demands it. The result is panelling that does not crack, does not delaminate, does not distort and does not need to be replaced within ten years of installation.
We have reinstated and extended existing panelling in listed buildings where the original eighteenth-century work was still sound, working to match profiles, timber species and finish so that the new work is indistinguishable from the old. This is exacting work and it is one of the most satisfying commissions our workshop takes on.
Where we work
Timber panelling commissions are accepted across London and the Home Counties, where the majority of our residential panelling work is concentrated, and in East Anglia and the wider UK for the right projects. We are experienced at working in occupied properties, listed buildings and heritage-sensitive interiors where the construction method and reversibility of the panelling are important considerations.
Panelling in the context of a wider project
Timber wall panelling rarely exists in isolation. In most residential commissions, a panelled room is also a room with fitted joinery: a panelled study will have a fitted desk and bookcases, a panelled hallway will have fitted cupboards and a boot room, a panelled dining room may incorporate a fitted drinks cabinet or display shelving. Reeve & Co designs and makes both the panelling and the associated joinery as a single scheme, so the reveals, moulding profiles, timber species and finish all read consistently across the whole interior.
This coordination matters. When panelling and fitted furniture are commissioned separately from different workshops, the junction between them is almost always visible: the cornice profiles do not quite match, the reveal widths are different, or the paint finish differs slightly. When they come from the same workshop, the room reads as a composed interior rather than a collection of individual elements.
Yes, but the method of fixing must be appropriate to the building fabric and any relevant listed-building consent conditions. We are experienced at working in period and listed buildings and can advise on fixing methods that are reversible and do not damage historic fabric.
Do you use solid timber or MDF for wall panelling?
Both, depending on the design and finish. Solid hardwood frames and solid panels are used where the moulding profile, finish or specification demands it. High-density MDF panels within solid frames are used where the painted finish or flat profile makes solid timber movement a consideration. We specify the right material for each part of the design.
Can you incorporate concealed storage or doors within the panelling?
Yes. Concealed jib doors, flush-fronted cupboards and integrated shelving within a panelled wall are all part of our offer. These are technically demanding details that we resolve at the drawing stage.
Do you offer French polishing in-house?
Yes. We have our own French polisher, which allows us to offer traditional shellac-based hand-built finishes on oak, walnut and mahogany panelling without subcontracting the finish. This is an important distinction for period panelling commissions.
How long does a panelling commission take?
A single-room panelling commission typically takes eight to fourteen weeks from drawing approval to installation, depending on the species, finish, moulding complexity and workshop programme. We confirm a realistic timescale when we quote.
Discuss a timber panelling commission
Send us photographs of the room, the architectural context and any design references. We will assess whether bespoke panelling is the right route and outline the process and timescale involved.
From our Suffolk workshop we design, make and install bespoke timber panelling for high-end homes across London, the Home Counties and East Anglia. Every commission is made to measure, drawn in detail and finished to a furniture-quality standard, then installed by our own team.
We work directly with homeowners and alongside architects, interior designers and main contractors, building with carefully selected, responsibly sourced timber. To discuss bespoke timber panelling, get in touch or explore our case studies and about us.
Bespoke fitted furniture from Reeve & Co — handmade in our Suffolk workshop for high-end homes across London, the Home Counties and East Anglia.
Reeve & Co designs and makes bespoke fitted furniture for private homes across London, the Home Counties and the wider UK. Every piece is drawn in-house, made in our Suffolk workshop and installed by our own team – furniture that is particular to the room, the architecture and the people who live there.
Fitted furniture made as proper joinery
There is a clear difference between a run of off-the-shelf units fitted to a wall and furniture that has been drawn for the room, made from solid hardwood and detailed to sit flush with the cornice, the architrave and the skirting of the building it inhabits. Reeve & Co occupies the second category. Our fitted joinery is treated with the same rigour as a free-standing cabinet or a kitchen: proportioned from first principles, constructed with dovetailed drawer boxes, solid backs and hand-applied finishes, and designed so that it looks as though it has always belonged there.
Our workshop is based in Mickfield, Suffolk, but the majority of our fitted furniture work is in London and the Home Counties – Kensington, Chelsea, Belgravia, Mayfair, St John’s Wood, and private homes across Surrey, Hertfordshire, Berkshire and beyond. We also work regularly in East Anglia for the right residential and commercial projects. Distance is not the limiting factor; quality of commission is.
We work for private clients, architects, interior designers and developers who want furniture that adds genuine value to a building rather than simply filling it. The brief can be a single wardrobe wall in a Kensington flat, a complete fitted-study for a country house, or a programme of joinery across an entire floor of a Mayfair townhouse. The making discipline is the same in each case.
What we make
Our fitted furniture portfolio covers six principal categories, each handled as a distinct design discipline rather than a variation on the same box. Follow the links below for detailed information, photography and frequently asked questions on each type of work.
Every commission begins with a measured survey and a set of drawn elevations. Proportions are resolved before any timber is cut. We do not use pre-designed units as the basis for a fitted piece; we draw each component for the room it occupies.
Solid hardwoods
European oak, American white oak, walnut, ash and sycamore. Solid throughout where it matters – drawer sides, shelves, facings and exposed edges.
Painted finishes
Hand-sprayed and hand-brushed paint systems in client-specified colours, including Little Greene, Farrow & Ball and bespoke mixed tones. Eggshell and satin finishes available.
French polishing
Traditional shellac-based French polishing for period furniture, panelling and statement pieces where a deep, hand-built patina is required.
Lacquers and oils
Hardwearing lacquers for areas of heavy use, and penetrating oils for oak and walnut where a natural, workable surface is preferred.
Interior fittings
Drawer systems from Blum and Hettich, soft-close mechanisms, integrated lighting, bespoke pull handles and custom-made brass or steel hardware.
Substrates and boards
Moisture-resistant plywood carcases, solid-fronted MDF where paint requires an ultra-smooth ground, and veneered panels from certified sources.
Conversation and brief – We discuss the room, the architecture, the functional brief and any design references. No design fee at this stage. Send photographs, plans or a simple description of what you need.
Site survey – We measure the room in detail: wall faces, ceiling heights, alcove depths, structural constraints, existing cornices, skirtings, reveals and service routes. Accurate measurement is the foundation of furniture that fits.
Design drawings – Elevations, cross-sections and material specifications are prepared. You approve the design before the workshop programme begins. We resolve proportion, storage, reveal widths and finish selections at the drawing stage, not after manufacture.
Workshop manufacture – Every component is made in Mickfield by our own makers. Carcases, drawer boxes, doors, mouldings and hardware are all produced and finished in-house. We do not subcontract the making.
Installation and finishing – Our own fitting team installs the furniture, scribes to the building and applies any site finishing required. We leave the room settled and complete, not simply delivered.
Why bespoke fitted furniture is better than off-the-shelf alternatives
The most common alternative to bespoke fitted furniture is a proprietary unit system: a range of standard-sized cabinet carcases with a selection of door fronts, assembled by a fitter and arranged to fill a given wall. There are circumstances in which unit systems are entirely appropriate, particularly in secondary spaces, rental properties and rooms where cost is the overriding constraint. For a principal room in a substantial private home, the limitations of unit systems are real and significant.
Unit systems are designed around standard dimensions. A wardrobe wall that is 3.4 metres wide will either have an uncomfortable gap or a visible panel infill because the units do not divide into the space evenly. A bookcase that needs to meet an existing cornice line will rarely do so cleanly; it will be too tall or not tall enough, and the gap above it will be filled with a piece of trim that reads as an addition rather than as part of the design.
Bespoke fitted furniture starts from the room. The wardrobe doors are sized to fill the wall from corner to corner and floor to ceiling, with reveals calculated from the room’s architecture. The bookcase cornice matches the room’s existing cornice and returns correctly to the chimney breast. The desk sits at the window reveal rather than stopping short of it. These are not luxury details; they are the difference between furniture that looks as though it belongs to the building and furniture that has been installed in it.
Reeve & Co makes furniture that belongs. That is the only standard we are interested in working to.
Who we work with
Reeve & Co accepts commissions from private clients who want to deal directly with the workshop, and from architects, interior designers and developers managing larger residential programmes. We are experienced at co-ordinating with other trades on site and at reading and working from architectural drawing packages.
Our private client base is predominantly across London and the Home Counties, with a growing number of country-house and estate commissions. We also work with commercial clients – private members’ clubs, boutique hotels, schools and estate offices – where the standard of finish required matches the residential work.
The right enquiry usually comes from someone who has thought about what they want the furniture to do and the room to feel like, and who wants a workshop that will engage with that brief seriously. We are not trying to be the fastest or the cheapest fitted-furniture company in London. We are trying to make things that last and look right for decades.
Frequently asked questions
Do you work in London and the Home Counties?
Yes. The majority of our fitted furniture work is in London and the Home Counties. We work regularly in Kensington, Chelsea, Belgravia, Mayfair, Notting Hill, St John’s Wood, Marylebone and across Surrey, Hertfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire. We also take on East Anglian and wider UK residential commissions for the right projects.
What is the minimum commission size?
We do not set a fixed minimum, but fitted furniture commissions typically justify bespoke making from around 3-4 linear metres of joinery upwards. Smaller projects that form part of a larger programme – a landing cupboard added to an existing fitted study, for example – are considered on their merits.
Can you work from an interior designer’s drawings?
Yes. We are experienced at taking an interior designer’s scheme drawings and producing our own workshop drawings from them. We co-ordinate directly with your designer at the drawing stage and on site.
How long does a fitted furniture commission take?
A single-room commission – one wardrobe wall or one fitted study – typically takes six to twelve weeks from drawing approval to installation, depending on complexity and our current programme. Larger multi-room programmes are planned accordingly. We give realistic timescales at the outset.
Do you make mirrored sliding doors?
Yes. Mirrored sliding-door wardrobes, fitted mirror panels and integrated mirror joinery are part of our fitted furniture offer. See our mirrored walls page for more detail.
Can fitted furniture include integrated lighting?
Yes. We work with clients’ electricians to incorporate LED strip lighting, recessed spotlights and wardrobe interior lighting as part of the design. Cable management is resolved at the drawing stage.
Start a fitted furniture conversation
Send us the room, the brief and any photographs or plans. We will respond with an honest assessment of whether bespoke making is the right route and what the process involves.
From our Suffolk workshop we design, make and install bespoke fitted furniture for high-end homes across London, the Home Counties and East Anglia. Every commission is made to measure and finished to a furniture-quality standard. To discuss bespoke fitted furniture, get in touch or explore our case studies.
Architectural joinery and a bespoke timber staircase for a private home in Beaufort Gardens, in the heart of Knightsbridge. Reeve & Co designed, made and installed finely detailed timber elements that sit at the very centre of the house, bringing craftsmanship and a sense of permanence to one of London’s most sought-after addresses.
Project at a glance
Location
Beaufort Gardens, Knightsbridge, London
Project type
High-end residential and architectural joinery
Scope
Bespoke staircase and architectural timber detailing
Materials & finish
Solid and veneered hardwood, hand-finished
Completed
2024
Worked alongside
Architect, interior designer and main contractor
The brief
In a Knightsbridge townhouse, the staircase is the spine of the building — seen from almost every floor and setting the tone for the whole interior. Our client and their design team wanted a stair and surrounding joinery that would read as a single, confident architectural gesture rather than a collection of separate pieces. The challenge, as so often in fine London homes, lay in marrying exacting visual standards with the realities of an existing structure: tight tolerances, services to conceal and the need to keep clean, continuous lines across several storeys. We were brought in early to develop the detail alongside the architect and resolve how the timber elements would meet floors, walls and balustrades.
What we designed and made
Working from a measured survey and full CAD drawings, we designed and made the bespoke staircase together with the architectural timber detailing around it. Treads, strings, handrails and balustrading were set out so that every junction lines through, with the handrail flowing continuously around turns and landings. The surrounding joinery was detailed to frame the stair and carry its language into the adjoining spaces. Each component was dry-assembled in our workshop, checked and adjusted before delivery, then installed by our own team to protect the finish and the fit. This kind of work rewards patience: it is the accuracy of the setting-out, repeated across hundreds of components, that makes the finished stair feel inevitable.
Materials and craftsmanship
Timber was selected for grain, colour and stability, with solid sections used where strength and feel matter most and veneered panels where broad, calm surfaces were wanted. Everything was hand-finished to a standard suited to a home of this calibre, with ironmongery and fixings chosen to disappear into the design. Because the pieces were made and pre-finished in our controlled Suffolk workshop, the on-site programme was shorter and cleaner — an important consideration in a busy central-London project running alongside other trades.
The result
The completed staircase and joinery give the house a quiet, enduring sense of quality. The lines run true, the timber feels warm and considered, and the work sits naturally within its Knightsbridge setting. It is a clear example of the architectural joinery we deliver for architects, designers and private clients across London — technically resolved, beautifully made and built to last for generations.
Considering a similar project?
If you are planning a bespoke staircase or architectural joinery in Knightsbridge or central London, we would be glad to discuss it.
A bespoke handmade kitchen, utility room and fitted storage for a private family home in Essex. Designed around the house and the way the family really lives, the kitchen combines generous, practical storage with the calm, timeless look of a properly made in-frame kitchen.
Project at a glance
Location
Private home, Essex
Project type
Bespoke handmade kitchen and cabinetry
Scope
Kitchen, island, utility room and fitted storage
Materials & finish
Hand-painted in-frame cabinetry with solid timber
Completed
2024
Worked alongside
Homeowners (client-direct)
The brief
This was a client-direct commission, which meant we worked hand in hand with the homeowners from the very first conversation. They wanted a kitchen that would be the heart of the home — somewhere to cook properly, gather as a family and entertain — without feeling showy or quickly dated. The brief was as much about how the room works as how it looks: clever, generous storage, a layout that flows, and a finish robust enough for everyday family life. We spent time understanding their routines, the equipment they use and how they move through the space before developing the design.
What we designed and made
We designed, made and installed a full in-frame kitchen with a central island, a run of tall larder cabinetry and a separate utility room to keep the main kitchen calm and uncluttered. Cabinets were planned around appliances, bins and storage so that everything has a considered home, with deep drawers, pull-outs and dedicated provision for the things families actually own. The island was sized to work both as a preparation space and a place to sit, and the whole room was set out so sightlines and proportions feel right. Every cabinet was made to measure in our workshop and scribed to the room on installation.
Materials and craftsmanship
The cabinetry was hand-painted in a finish chosen to wear well and be easy to live with, with solid-timber framing and well-made drawer boxes built for decades of use. Worktops, handles and details were specified to suit the character of the house, and soft-close runners and quality hinges were used throughout. Because we design, make and fit under one roof, the homeowners had a single point of responsibility from drawing to installation — and the reassurance that the people who made the kitchen were the people who fitted it.
The result
The finished kitchen has become exactly what the family hoped for: a hard-working, beautiful room that handles daily life and entertaining with ease. It shows what is possible when a bespoke kitchen is genuinely designed around its owners rather than pulled from a catalogue — and it is representative of the handmade kitchens we make for homes across Suffolk, Essex and the wider region.
Considering a similar project?
If you are considering a bespoke handmade kitchen for your home in Essex, Suffolk or beyond, we would love to hear about it.
