Must I have built in units in my chimney alcoves???
KXD
8 years ago
I am a bit reluctant to spend thousands on built in alcove units for my living room unless it is really necessary or will make a huge difference.. I have Ikea shelves in my bedroom alcoves and although they don't fit perfectly i.e there are gaps between the shelf and the wall I don't think they look bad at all.... Would it be a faux pas if I didn't he same for my living room? Then I could get some free standing units for the bottom of the shelves? Many thanks for your time.
By the way my living room is in F&b Joas White, and ceiling Wimborne white.. Any ideas for colours for shelving units for the alcoves? I am leaning towards Wimborne white.
By the way my living room is in F&b Joas White, and ceiling Wimborne white.. Any ideas for colours for shelving units for the alcoves? I am leaning towards Wimborne white.
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Comments (28)
PROOnePlan
8 years ago
PROFine Finish Furniture net
8 years agoRelated Discussions
What should I do with the alcoves?
Comments (10)We had the same look in our last house which was Victorian. On the left alcove we had built a contemporary shelving unit that was staggered ie so it was lower near the chimney and got higher at the end. Was great for displaying artwork, vases, CDs etc without being too boring. On the right, I had a simple hall table with a huge vase of flowers on it - which also doubled as a laptop desk....See MoreDo alcoves have to be matching?
Comments (4)I agree that if your alcoves are the same width, ie symmetrical, then treating both the same retains the symmetry. However, if you want to spark it up a bit go for 'balance' instead. This means you treat the alcoves differently, aim to make them work together visually. A suggestion: Decide if you want all your shelves in one alcove or could you have some in one and some in the other at different heights? Then add something else to go with them. For instance, a painting to compliment shelves at a lower level.... a small chest to compliment shelves at a higher level. This solution will hopefully please you both!...See Moreventing cooker extractor through chimney breast
Comments (29)Hi @J Lo no we haven’t bothered (yet). Generally its been fine. There’s no escaping the fact the long feed does create a bit of unavoidable condensation but it’s nothing major and easily manageable with some workaround measures. I got some cooker hood filters and cut them to size to lay on top of the cooker hood to trap the grease and smells more. i also fold a piece of kitchen paper into a square and put that underneath the motor of the fan so if there are any drips through where the motor unit is screwed together (that is the main culprit!) its well absorbed. The filter lasts about 3 months before I change it. The kitchen paper I change every couple of weeks and just to stress its a tiny greasy drip each time that dries up. I just change it for cleanliness when I check it and wipe the side of the fans, as I would anyway even without that issue. The way I see it is it’s still a much better set up than relying on a recirculating hood that doesn’t take the smells or grease outside at all. So the very minor condensation issue is a small price to pay. I was a bit obsessed with it when I posted on here but don’t give it too much thought now… until you posted and reminded me haha! I would suggest though if you have the option you may as well do what you can now while the dirty work is going on for peace of mind. Whatever your builder says there will defnitely be a little condensation whatever the set up, unless you have a really powerful fan or the extra fan on the chimney - its just physics and gravity that can’t be avoided. Either way you want to get it sorted now in my view rather than later as you probably won’t get round to it, as has been the case with us. That said, like I say it’s not a major issue if you have the same results as us. Only thing a few people have said is that over time it will cause the fan to fail but I haven’t noticed any problems yet so all good so far touch wood...See MoreAlcove built-ins or shelves at window?
Comments (7)Wumi is exactly right: build a chimney breast 300mm deep and alcove cupboards and shelving 280mm deep. The chimney breast should protrude slightly further than the cupboard to make a feature. The fire surround should then be fixed to the chimney breast. If it's a gas fire, you need to take advice on materials to build the breast, as a softwood frame covered with plasterboard may not be legal as a fire hazard. May need two layers of fire proof plasterboard (fireline board)....See More
PROEmpatika Bespoke Fitted Furniture
8 years agolast modified: 8 years ago
minnie101
8 years agoKXD
8 years agoalyper
8 years agoalyper
8 years agoKXD
8 years agoAMB
8 years agoKXD
8 years agoKXD
8 years agosilyab53
8 years agolast modified: 8 years ago
PROThe London Craftsman
8 years agoHow about using a material such as Birch ply and doubled up to make chunky shelves.
Or even something completely different and unusual such as Osb board/sterling board.
This would certainly make a feature and a talking point of your alcoves at a very low cost, especially if Osb board is used.
I have used it many times to make one off display units and also used it to clad a large wall and make it a large feature wall.
I think it's a very under rated material and looks amazing with a few coats of clear varnish.
- PRO
PROAdam Gibbons
8 years ago
PROSolid Furniture Design
8 years agonicola_cox6
5 years ago- PRO
Fine Finish Furniture net
5 years ago - PRO
sam irwin
5 years agoI’ve attached a few ideas for your alcoves. I think it depends on the style you are going for in this room. My friend has the traditional cabinets in her living room as the rest of her furniture is quite traditional.
nicola_cox6
5 years ago
Sandy Slade