Bespoke Joinery
Library shelving and bookcases built to the wall
Shelves that stay straight, in a run that fits the wall exactly.
What this is
Shelves bend when the span is too long for the material. We work the other way round: measure the wall, decide the spans, then choose the thickness and lipping that will hold books without a dip in the middle.
- Sized for the load — Thickness and lipping chosen for the span, not a standard board.
- Cupboards below — Closed storage at the bottom for the things you do not want on show.
- Adjustable if you like — System holes so shelf heights can change later.
- Lit — Slim LED to the shelf fronts, warm white, dimmable.
On the floor
How bookcases runs here
Shelves that stay straight, in a run that fits the wall exactly. Every wall is out somewhere. Units are made oversize and scribed in so the joint disappears.
- Shelf spans
- Up to 1,000mm without a support
- Materials
- MDF, oak, walnut, birch ply
- Finish
- Sprayed colour or clear lacquered timber
Why this matters
Why people use us for bookcases
What you actually get out of putting bookcases through us, rather than a price list.
- 01
Straight under a full load
Span and thickness are worked out for books, so shelves do not bow in the second year.
- 02
Built around the chimney breast
Alcoves are surveyed and the run is made to them, including out-of-square returns.
- 03
Lighting and power planned
Sockets, switches and shelf lighting are agreed on the drawing before the joinery is made.
- 04
Painted to match the room
Sprayed in the same colour as the woodwork, or a contrast, in our booths before it is fitted.
How it goes
Scribed into the alcove
Every wall is out somewhere. Units are made oversize and scribed in so the joint disappears.
In our own workshop
Made here, start to finish
Nothing is sent out to another workshop. Every stage below happens under one roof in Croydon, which is why the dates hold and the finish matches.
Board cutting
Your boards are squared and cut to the tenth of a millimetre on the beam saw, not on a hand saw on site, so doors line up and gaps stay even.
How we do itEdge banding
Every exposed edge is machine-banded with a glue line you cannot feel, so it does not lift in a warm kitchen or a steamy bathroom.
How we do itCNC machining
Hinge cups, shelf holes and jointing are cut by the router from the drawing you approved, so what is built matches what you signed off.
How we do itVeneer pressing
Real wood veneers are bonded flat in our own press, so a veneered island or wardrobe front stays flat for years.
How we do itBench assembly
Cabinetmakers build and dry-fit the run on the bench here, so problems are found in the workshop and not in your house.
How we do itSpray finishing
Everything is sprayed in our own booths before it travels, which gives a flat factory finish you cannot get with a brush on site.
How we do itHow it fits our process
One programme, start to finish
Where bookcases sits in the run, and what happens either side of it in the same building.
- Stage 1
Survey and design
We measure the room, agree the layout and send drawings to approve.
- Stage 2
Cut and machined
Your parts cut and machined from the approved drawings.
- Stage 3
Built on the bench
Carcases and doors assembled and dry-fitted here before any paint.
- Stage 4
Sprayed in our booths
Primed, denibbed and topcoated in your colour.
- Stage 5
Delivered and fitted
Wrapped, labelled by room, fitted by our own joiners.
Questions we are asked
Can you build around a chimney breast?
Yes — a pair of alcove units with a run over the breast is one of the most common jobs we do.
Do you fit them?
Yes, and we scribe them to the wall on site so there is no gap.
How much does a run of bookcases cost?
A pair of alcove units with shelving and cupboards below usually starts around £4,500 plus VAT, sprayed and fitted.
Can you build around a chimney breast?
That is most of what we make. Both alcoves are surveyed separately, because they are almost never the same size.
Often ordered with this
What it costs
Prices and dates for bookcases
A pair of alcove bookcases with cupboards below, sprayed and fitted. That is a guide taken from work we have actually run — your own price for bookcases is confirmed in writing once we have the sizes or the drawings, and the date we give you is the date we hold.
- Rough price
- From about £4,200 plus VAT
- How long
- 4 to 5 weeks from survey
- Invoiced by
- Painted Bespoke Joinery Ltd
Proof
Recent work of this kind
Next step
Tell us what you need
Send drawings, sizes or photographs and we will price it in writing, usually within two working days. If it is quicker to talk it through, call 020 8944 2817 and you will get someone who knows the machines.
What we need, what you get
Send sizes, materials and the finish you want — drawings in any form, or photos and a few measurements. Back you get a fixed written price, a date we hold to, and the work delivered to site on our own vans from our workshop in Croydon.
Machining, finishing and assembly all happen in the same building, so nothing waits on another supplier and nothing gets damaged being moved between them.
See the machinery