Alcove Shelving Ideas + Prices

A Smarter Alternative to Fitted Joinery

ON&ON’s made-to-measure alcove shelving combines the tailored fit of bespoke joinery with the flexibility of a modular system. Designed and manufactured in Britain, it brings shelves, cabinets and desks together in a simple, contemporary design, supplied finished and ready to install.

Unlike permanently fitted joinery, you can adjust your shelving layout as your needs change, reconfigure the system for another room or take it with you when you move. 

Ideas · Desks · Cupboards · Lighting · Prices · Free design

Alcove Shelving Ideas - Not Just for Books

Try transforming any spare alcove space into extra clothes storage, a compact home office, study spot or new home for your TV and audio systems.

Every ON&ON alcove system is:

• Cut to fit your alcove, with shelves up to 5m long
• Strong on plasterboard, cavity or solid walls
• Fitted in hours, with no painting or mess
• Customisable with cabinets, lighting, hangers and wall desks
• Planned around your sockets, cables and wiring
  
  

Made to Measure, Strong Enough for Books

Our aluminium shelves are designed to hold heavy loads, even on plasterboard or cavity walls. Available in two shelf depths—25.5cm and 34.5cm—and in black or white finishes, you can also choose solid wood fronts for a warmer aesthetic.

White floating alcove shelves

Alcove Desk with Shelves

Try adding a made to measure desk to create the perfect work or study space, with cable management concealed below the desk and shelves above for all your books and files.

Black & walnut desk and shelves

Alcove Cupboards and Cabinets

Combine your shelves with made-to-measure wall cabinets, ideal for hiding clutter or storing multimedia equipment. Cabinets are load-bearing and designed to support heavy items like large books, vinyl or files

Alcove Cabinets with Wood Fronts

Try combining our black or white cabinets with oak or walnut wood fronts. Both drawer units and fold-down door cabinets can be finished with oak or walnut fronts. You can also match the shelves above with the same wood finish or create a contrast using our standard black or white shelves.

Alcove Shelving with Lighting

Make the most of your shelving with concealed under-shelf lighting. Compatible with a standard plug socket, and fully integrated to hide cables within the system.

We recommend:

1. Connecting with Philips Hue Bluetooth smart plugs for extra control
2. App or switch-controlled lighting
3. Timer and routine settings via mobile or tablet
   
   

You can turn your alcove lighting on or off from the wall socket, alternatively we recommend using a smart plug. 

We have tried a few systems and would recommend Philips Hue bluetooth switches and plugs really because the interface is so simple. See below the Hue smart plug working with our Alcove shelving. 

 

Alcove Shelving Examples with Prices

 

Free Design & Planning Service

Our in-house planners will design your alcove shelving free of charge. Get expert advice and multiple design revisions until you’re 100% happy. Our planners do this via phone, email or site visit.

How to get started:

1. Measure the height and width of your alcoves
2. Take a photo of each wall (so we can see any sockets or switches)
3. Send us an idea of what you are looking for and we’ll do the rest

 

 

Fitted in Hours, No Painting

ON&ON’s alcove shelving is designed for simple fitting by any competent DIYer or handyman. All systems come with:

1. Setting out drawings
2. All fixings included
3. Step-by-step installation guide

Need help? See our installation article or see our technical downloads page.

Alcove Shelving Options Compared

Before we started ON&ON, we tried to create our own alcoves. Here's how the options compared.

Option	Fit	Time in your home	Painting	Changing it later
Freestanding bookcase	Leaves gaps around it	Assembly only	None	Moves easily, can't be resized
Flat-pack shelves on brackets	Fixed sizes	Quick for one or two shelves	None	Hard to fit or adjust many shelves
Joiner or carpenter	Exact	Usually several days	Primer plus one or two coats	Fixed in place
DIY build	Exact, if you're handy	Several days	Primer and paint	Fixed in place
ON&ON	Exact, made to measure	Hours	None: arrives finished	Adjust, extend or take it with you

 

This is how ON&ON started: building shelves for our own homes, in London flats where every centimetre counted. If you'd rather build your own, we like Practical DIY's alcove guide and Metro's 10 steps.

Alcove Shelving FAQs

Will the shelving fit if my walls aren’t straight? Yes. We leave a 10–15 mm gap at the end of every shelf, cabinet and desk. The parts don’t touch the side walls, so they float in the alcove and allow for walls that aren’t square, straight or plumb.

How do I measure my alcoves? Measure the height and width of each alcove, and take a photo of each wall so we can see sockets and switches. Our measurement guide shows where to measure. If you’re in our site-visit area, we can measure for you.

How much weight can alcove shelves hold? Our aluminium shelves are designed for heavy books. Each bracket on our 25.5 cm-deep shelves holds 20–25 kg, so a shelf on two brackets takes 40–50 kg. Brackets for 34.5 cm-deep shelves hold 25–30 kg each, and our desks and cabinets are stronger still.

How wide can alcove shelves be? Our seamless aluminium shelves come in lengths up to 5 m and are cut to the width of your alcove, so even a wide alcove gets one continuous shelf.

Can alcove shelves go on plasterboard? Yes. The system holds heavy loads on plasterboard, cavity and solid walls, with fixings for your walls included.

How much does alcove shelving cost? Most of our alcove systems cost £700 to £2,000, depending on the size of your alcove, your finishes and whether you add cabinets, desks or lighting. Our planners design your system and quote for free.

Can I fit alcove shelving myself?  It’s designed for any competent DIYer or handyman, and comes with setting-out drawings, all the fixings and a step-by-step guide. Most systems go up in hours, with no painting.

If you would like a free design and quote try our planning service and send us an enquiry. All we need to start is the height and width of your wall. Try our free design and planning service here.

Many thanks ON&ON