Practical answers about fitted wardrobes, alcove units, media walls, materials, prices, surveys and installation across London homes.
Use this page as the practical reference before you book a survey. It covers the questions we are asked most often by homeowners planning fitted wardrobes, alcove units, media walls, bay-window seating, built-in storage and bespoke kitchens.
The short version is simple: we measure first, quote in writing, build in our East London workshop, then install with the same small team. The details below explain what affects cost, what happens at each stage, how materials are chosen, and what you need to prepare before fitting day.
If you cannot find the answer here, send photos of the room, the postcode and a short note about what you need. We can usually tell you whether the project is a fit before booking the free site survey.
6 questions
General questions
What does Live Joinery make?
We design, build and install bespoke joinery for London homes. Most often that means fitted wardrobes, alcove units around chimney breasts, integrated media walls, bay-window seating with storage, and various pieces of built-in storage for awkward spaces. We also take on bespoke kitchens.
Where in London do you work?
We're based in E16 and work across East, North-East and selected wider London areas — including E11 (Wanstead, Leytonstone), E5 (Clapton), E7 (Forest Gate), E10 (Leyton), E18 (South Woodford), Hackney, Greenwich, Ealing and Brentwood. If your area is not listed, ask; for the right fitted furniture project we can usually make it work.
How long does an installation take?
Most fitted-wardrobe and alcove projects are two to four days on-site after a three-to-five-week lead time in the workshop. Media walls with hidden cable runs take longer — typically four to seven days on-site. Bespoke kitchens are eight to fourteen weeks lead-in plus a one-to-two-week install window. We confirm exact dates after sign-off on the quote.
Is the site survey free?
Yes. The first 30-minute on-site survey is free and there's no obligation to proceed. We bring sample boards for door styles and finishes, measure the room, take photographs (with your permission), and use that to build a fixed quote within seven days. You only pay anything once you've accepted the quote and we've booked your install slot.
Do you offer a guarantee?
Twelve months on workmanship from the day of completion, covering anything that fails through how the piece was built or installed. Hardware (hinges, runners, handles) carries the manufacturer's own warranty — Blum hinges, for example, are lifetime. If something within the workmanship guarantee fails we come back and fix it at no charge.
Do you work in listed buildings and conservation areas?
Yes, regularly. Conservation-area restrictions mostly affect exterior changes, which doesn't impact interior joinery. For listed buildings we work within the constraints — no fixing into original mouldings, demountable installations where required, and we can advise on whether a specific design needs listed-building consent. Bring the listing grade to the survey and we'll talk through what's possible.
4 questions
Enquiries and surveys
What photos should I send with an enquiry?
Send one straight-on photo of the wall or alcove, one wider room photo, and close-ups of anything that affects the build: sockets, radiators, skirting, coving, ceiling slopes, pipes or access panels. A rough width and ceiling height help too, but we still measure properly at the survey.
How quickly can I get a quote?
After the free site survey we usually send a fixed written quote within seven days. Simple wardrobes or alcoves can be quicker if the brief is clear and the measurements are straightforward. Multi-room joinery, kitchens and media walls with electrics may take longer because the design needs more checking before we price it.
Do I need to know my budget before I contact you?
No, but a rough range helps us advise honestly. If you say the room, postcode and what problem you need solved, we can explain the likely price band and whether bespoke joinery is the right route. We would rather say early if an off-the-shelf option is better value.
Do you work in rented homes?
Yes, if the landlord has approved the work in writing. Fitted joinery is fixed to walls, floors or ceilings, so it is not the same as freestanding furniture. For rented homes we can also discuss more demountable options, but they still need permission before we survey.
5 questions
Costs and payment
What affects the price of fitted joinery?
Three main factors. (1) Run length and ceiling height — more square metres of cabinetry is more material and more workshop time. (2) Door style and finish — flat-fronted laminate is cheapest, hand-painted shaker is mid-range, in-frame painted hardwood is the most expensive. (3) Interior fit-out — drawer pull-outs, integrated lighting, soft-close on everything and bespoke jewellery inserts all add cost compared to a plain interior with hanging rails and shelves.
How is payment structured?
Standard payment schedule for our jobs is 30% on order acceptance (so we can order the materials), 50% on workshop completion (when the carcasses are ready to leave the workshop) and 20% on practical completion at your home. For projects under £2,000 we sometimes do 50/50 (deposit + completion) instead. We invoice rather than take card payments — bank transfer is the standard route.
Is VAT included in the quote?
Yes. Every price you see — on this site, in our quotes and on the order acceptance — is the final price including VAT at 20%. We don't quote ex-VAT and then add it on later. If a specific project qualifies for the reduced 5% VAT rate (for example certain conversions or new-build adjacent works), we'll apply that instead and show the calculation on the quote.
Can we stage the project to spread the cost?
Yes, often. The most common version of this is building the bigger piece (e.g. wardrobes) first and coming back six months later for the alcoves and media wall. Splitting it into two visits costs a little more than doing both in one go (we still need two surveys and two install windows), but the budget hit per quarter is lower. We'll quote both options if you ask.
When is IKEA Pax (or similar) cheaper than fitted?
For a simple wardrobe in a square room with a flat ceiling and skirting that runs straight, IKEA Pax plus a panel above and a scribe down the side will be 30–50% cheaper than bespoke. We've recommended that route to clients more than once when it genuinely was the better answer. Bespoke wins when the room is irregular (sloping ceilings, awkward corners, alcoves around chimneys, bay windows), when you need the full ceiling height, or when the door style isn't available off-the-shelf.
4 questions
Design process
Are there separate design fees?
For standard fitted-furniture projects no — the design work (drawings, 3D renders where useful, materials samples) is included in the quote. For more complex commissions — full bespoke kitchens, multi-room joinery, anything needing detailed structural coordination — we sometimes break out a separate design fee that's then credited against the build cost if you proceed.
What if we want to change the design after we've signed?
Up until we cut the first sheet of material, changes are free — we just re-issue the drawing and the quote. Once carcasses are in production, changes cost what they cost in materials and workshop time, and we'll quote a variation before doing anything. Most projects don't need post-sign-off changes; what they do need is a clear sign-off, which we work hard to get right at the design stage.
How disruptive is the install? We're living in the house.
Bespoke fitted-joinery installs are among the quieter renovations you can do because the noisy work (cutting, milling, spraying) happens in our workshop. On-site we're mostly assembling and scribing. We protect floors with hardboard sheeting, run a daily site vacuum, and finish each day with the room left clean. Most clients work from home during installs without needing to leave. If you've got pets we can talk through containing the work area.
What happens after the installation is finished?
We check doors, drawers, hinges, handles, shelves and any lighting before handover. You can walk through the piece with us and raise anything that needs adjustment. We leave basic care notes, the invoice record and the 12-month workmanship guarantee. If a hinge settles after a few weeks, tell us and we will come back to adjust it.
5 questions
Materials and finishes
What door styles do you offer?
Five main families. (1) Shaker — five-piece frame-and-panel, the classic and most-asked-for; works in modern and period homes. (2) Flat slab — plain MDF or veneer, modern and minimal. (3) In-frame shaker — the door sits inside a face frame, with a small shadow gap around it; the higher-end version of shaker. (4) Tongue-and-groove — vertical board pattern, popular in coastal and cottage interiors. (5) Mirrored — for wardrobes where a full-length mirror is part of the brief. Each one comes in painted (any Farrow & Ball or RAL colour) or stained-veneer finishes.
Which paints do you use?
For hand-painted finishes we use Tikkurila Helmi or Farrow & Ball Modern Eggshell as standard — both are tough enough for high-touch furniture without being plasticky. Doors and frames are sprayed in our workshop with two coats over primer and a hand-finished topcoat. We can match any RAL, NCS or Farrow & Ball colour. Sample colour blocks are part of the design sign-off so what you see at the workshop is what arrives at home.
What hardware do you use?
Carcass hinges are Blum CLIP top BLUMOTION (soft-close, full overlay) as standard. Drawer runners are Blum TANDEM with BLUMOTION soft-close. Wardrobe interiors use either Blum or Hettich depending on the configuration. Handles vary — we offer brass push-to-open (no visible hardware), recessed finger pulls, and a range of bar/cup/D-shaped pulls in brass, nickel and matt black. All chosen at sign-off; nothing is "fitted as standard if you don't say otherwise".
Do you use MDF, plywood or solid timber?
Most painted fitted furniture uses moisture-resistant MDF for doors and visible panels because it paints cleanly and stays stable. Carcasses are usually melamine-faced board, veneer board or birch plywood depending on the brief and budget. Solid timber is used where it makes sense, such as lippings, frames, worktops or details that need extra strength.
Can I see samples before signing off?
Yes. We bring sample boards to the survey for common door styles, finishes and colours, then confirm the final material and hardware choices before the workshop build starts. For painted projects we can prepare colour sample blocks so you can check the finish in your own room light.
5 questions
Installation at home
Do you need parking, and what if there isn't any?
Most days we can run with one van bay close to the front door for unloading. If you're in a controlled parking zone we'll need a visitor permit for the install days (usually three to five days). For mansion blocks or any property where vehicle access is tight, let us know at the survey and we'll plan the unloading window — we'd rather know up front than discover it on day one of install.
Who handles electrics for media walls and lit wardrobes?
For low-voltage runs (12V LED strip lighting, routing of your existing mains and AV cables inside the cabinet structure) we do the work ourselves — it's part of the standard install. For any work that requires a new mains spur, an additional socket, or rewiring of an existing circuit, we work with a Part-P registered electrician we know well. Their cost is itemised separately on the quote so you can see exactly what's electrical and what's joinery.
Do you paint the wall around the new furniture?
We do the joinery — doors, faces, edges, scribes, the visible structure of the furniture itself. Touching-up the existing walls where the new piece meets the room is usually part of the project too (small fillets, caulk lines, repainting a 50mm strip where needed). Repainting whole rooms or ceilings isn't included in standard quotes; if you'd like that done we can recommend a decorator we work with regularly.
What should I do before installation day?
Empty the area where the joinery will be fitted, clear a route from the entrance to the room, and remove fragile items from nearby shelves or walls. If we need parking permits, lift access or building-manager approval, arrange those before day one. We bring dust sheets and floor protection.
Can we stay in the house during the installation?
Usually, yes. Most fitted furniture is built in the workshop, so on-site work is mainly assembly, scribing, fixing and finishing. There will still be noise and dust, but we protect the room and clean at the end of each day. For kitchens or multi-room work, we will explain which rooms are out of use and for how long.
1 questions
Service-specific questions
Can bespoke joinery work in a small London room?
Yes, and small rooms are often where fitted furniture earns its keep. We can build to full ceiling height, follow awkward wall lines, use sliding or narrow hinged doors, and plan interiors around exactly what needs storing. The key is measuring properly before deciding the layout.
1 questions
Areas and local projects
Do you take projects outside East London?
Yes, selectively. Our core is East and North-East London, but we also take on larger fitted furniture projects in selected wider London areas and nearby Essex locations. Travel time matters, so small single-item jobs far outside the core may not be practical, but a multi-room project often is.
Free survey
Tell us the room and postcode.
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We'll be in touch within one working day. If it's urgent, call +44 7877 959138.