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Everything You Need to Know About Alcove Shelving
October 30, 2026

Everything You Need to Know About Alcove Shelving

Alcoves beside a chimney breast are among the most characterful features of British homes, and shelving them well can transform a room. This guide explains the three main approaches, freestanding units, floating shelves and fitted joinery, and compares the pros and cons of each for owners and renters. We set out how to measure an alcove properly when walls are rarely square, what to look for in a freestanding unit so it looks made for the space, and whether to treat both alcoves the same or try an asymmetric layout. You will find advice on using alcove shelving to balance a television on the chimney breast, practical styling tips, and colour ideas from deep library shades to colour drenching. We also look at alcoves in bedrooms, dining rooms, landings and under stairs, and finish with important guidance on safety and secure wall fixing in older properties, where walls can vary considerably from room to room....

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How to Arrange High Gloss Beds in Rooms with a Chimney Breast
October 27, 2026

How to Arrange High Gloss Beds in Rooms with a Chimney Breast

Chimney breasts are a familiar feature in Victorian, Edwardian and interwar homes across the UK, and they can make bedroom layouts feel tricky. The projection takes up wall space, creates two alcoves of varying depth and often sits exactly where you would like the bed to go. The good news is that a high gloss bed works well in these rooms, and there are several reliable ways to arrange one. In this guide we explain how to measure the room properly, then compare the main options: placing the bed against the chimney breast, positioning it on another wall, or tucking it into an alcove in a compact room. We look at how to use the alcoves for bedside storage, drawers or wardrobes, and how a modern gloss finish can sit comfortably beside period details such as cornicing, picture rails and original fireplaces. We also cover lighting, safety considerations for working fireplaces and simple tricks for balancing an asymmetric room....

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How to Arrange Leather Beds in Rooms with a Chimney Breast
October 26, 2026

How to Arrange Leather Beds in Rooms with a Chimney Breast

In most bedrooms with a chimney breast, a leather bed looks and works best centred against the breast itself, with the alcoves on either side used for bedside storage. This creates natural symmetry and turns awkward recesses into practical space. However, it is not always the right answer. In this guide, we explain how to measure a period bedroom properly, then walk through three layout options: the bed centred on the chimney breast, the bed on the opposite wall facing a fireplace, and the bed on an adjoining wall where doors or bay windows get in the way. We cover common challenges in older UK homes, including uneven alcoves, radiators, projecting hearths, picture rails and cornicing. You will also find advice on choosing the right size, colour and storage for a leather bed in a chimney breast room, and on completing the space with wardrobes, layered lighting and rugs that suit original floorboards and features....

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How to Arrange Fabric Beds in Rooms with a Chimney Breast
October 18, 2026

How to Arrange Fabric Beds in Rooms with a Chimney Breast

A chimney breast can be the best friend or the biggest obstacle when arranging a bedroom. In many British period homes it dominates one wall, creating alcoves either side and limiting where furniture can go. The good news is that a fabric bed adapts well to most of the common layouts. You can centre the bed on the chimney breast for a symmetrical, framed look, place it on an adjacent wall so the chimney breast becomes a feature, or position it opposite to keep the fireplace in view from bed. This guide walks through each option, how to measure before you decide, and what to consider around working and decorative fireplaces. We also look at headboard sizes that suit a projecting wall, how to use alcoves either side, where mirrors and lighting work best and how to keep walkways clear in narrower rooms. The aim is a layout that feels balanced and practical rather than forced....

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Making Wooden Double Beds Work in Rooms with a Chimney Breast
October 15, 2026

Making Wooden Double Beds Work in Rooms with a Chimney Breast

A chimney breast can make a bedroom feel awkward, but it also brings character and useful alcoves. The simplest way to make a wooden double bed work in a room with a chimney breast is to decide early whether the bed will sit against the breast or face it, and then plan storage around that choice. In this guide we walk through both layouts, explain how to measure the projection and alcoves accurately, and show how headboard width, frame shape and bedside furniture affect the fit. We also cover practical points common in British terraced and semi detached houses, such as off centre windows, radiators and doors that open onto the bed, along with ideas for using alcoves for storage, lighting and display. Whether you have an original fireplace or a plain plastered breast, you will find layouts that make good use of every centimetre. Explore wooden double beds and bedroom furniture at Furniture in Fashion....

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How to Arrange Wooden Beds in Rooms with a Chimney Breast
October 15, 2026

How to Arrange Wooden Beds in Rooms with a Chimney Breast

A chimney breast can feel like an obstacle when planning a bedroom, but it often gives you the strongest layout in the room. There are three dependable options. The first is to centre the bed on the chimney breast itself, using the alcoves on either side for bedside tables, lighting or storage. The second is to place the bed on the opposite wall so the fireplace becomes a view from the pillow. The third is to set the bed on a side wall with the chimney breast to one side, which can suit narrow rooms. The right choice depends on the width of the breast compared with the bed, the depth of the alcoves, the position of the door and window, and whether the fireplace is still in use. This guide works through each option, explains how to make the alcoves earn their keep, and covers the safety points that matter when a wooden bed sits near a working fire....

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Where to Place Computer Desks in Alcoves
October 14, 2026

Where to Place Computer Desks in Alcoves

Alcoves are one of the most useful spaces in British homes, particularly in Victorian and Edwardian terraces and interwar houses where chimney breasts create a recess on either side. A computer desk set into an alcove uses space that would otherwise hold little more than a plant or a stack of books, and it creates a defined, tucked away workspace without taking over the room. In this guide we explain how to decide which alcove to use, from light and power to sightlines and the position of the TV. We cover how to measure an alcove accurately when walls are not quite straight, what desk depth and width to choose, and how to deal with skirting, radiators and the heat from a working fireplace. We also look at shelving and lighting above the desk, ideas for balancing the opposite alcove, and alcoves in bedrooms, landings and cupboards that could become a compact home office....

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How to Arrange Bunk Beds in Rooms with a Chimney Breast
October 13, 2026

How to Arrange Bunk Beds in Rooms with a Chimney Breast

Chimney breasts are a defining feature of many Victorian and Edwardian homes, and they often appear in bedrooms that need to sleep two children. This guide explains how to arrange a bunk bed around one. We start by working out what the chimney breast is doing, whether it hides a working fireplace, a decorative surround or a blocked opening, as that affects where the bed can safely go. We then look at three layouts: tucking the bed into an alcove, placing it on the wall opposite, or running it along a side wall. You will find detailed advice on measuring uneven alcoves at several heights, and ideas for using the second alcove for shelving, drawers, hanging space or a small desk. We also cover styling the chimney breast as a focal point, ceiling heights in older properties, lighting shadowy recesses and the safety checks that matter most in older period homes across the UK....

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Best TV Units for UK Living Rooms With Chimney Breasts
June 17, 2026

Best TV Units for UK Living Rooms With Chimney Breasts

A chimney breast gives a UK living room character, but it also creates a tricky layout for a television unit, with a protruding centre wall and a recess on each side. This guide explains how to read the space and make the most of it, from centring the screen on the breast to filling the alcoves with coordinated storage. We look at when a low unit works best, how to keep proportions balanced so the screen does not look lost, and when a corner unit is the smarter choice. With practical measuring advice and a short FAQ, you can turn an awkward period feature into a tidy, well planned focal wall....

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How to Choose a TV Unit for a UK Living Room With Alcoves
June 17, 2026

How to Choose a TV Unit for a UK Living Room With Alcoves

Alcoves either side of a chimney breast are a familiar feature in UK homes, and they shape where the television and its unit should sit. This guide explains how to work with recesses rather than against them, from measuring carefully for walls that are rarely square to deciding whether the screen belongs on the breast or inside an alcove. It covers balanced layouts with low cabinets in each recess, slim units for shallow spaces, and the proportion choices that keep the wall feeling open. You will also find practical storage ideas that hide clutter while keeping a few shelves styled simply, plus tips on colour and lighting that help the alcoves frame the scheme. The aim is a chimney breast wall that feels considered and calm, with a unit that fits properly and complements the rest of your living room without crowding the space or unbalancing the room....

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