Alcove Units – Best Solution?

paperclap

These are quite a good representation as to what we’re after. Shaker style doors. White finish. Wood top. Plinth recessed back. Filler strips left and right (so skirting board can butt into it). Doors closing flush together (no strip in the middle).

However, we don’t want the unit proud of the chimney breast… otherwise it may further close the room in.

Plus, as I say, ours are a whopping 1.6 metres wide!

ThisIsWeird

Thanks - that really helps.

Q - each will be 1.6m wide, x how deep?

First observation - if you are going for a solid timber top, then I guess it'll be at least 35mm thick? In which case, I doubt you'll have any issues at all with it in terms of sag, unless it's stupidly deep. A kitchen worktop has to cope with 'only' 1m max spans, but they're 600mm deep.

When you open your unit doors, is it ok to have a central vertical stile immediately behind the doors?

And I presume you'll be using standard kitchen-type self-closing hinges?

paperclap

It will be 30cm deep.

It would be nice to have either solid wood or plywood on top. If it were plywood, I was thinking 18mm. Not sure if that would be thick enough? Could of course go thicker, but plywood is damn expensive right now!

I hadn’t originally planned / wanted a vertical stile behind the centre of the doors, but I think the unit needs it, doesn’t it? For structural support.

Yep, those hinges. Have heard good things about Blum hinges!

ThisIsWeird

I think 18mm would look too thin. And, if using plywood, you'd have the issue of having to source a nice looking outer ply or veneer first, and then the bigger issue of having to successfully lip the front edges - these are significant tasks. Personally, I'd either go for 'timberboard' - which you'd then have to stain and/or varnish to your chosen finish - or else surf your Facebook Marketplace for 'timber/oak/beech/whatevs worktop'.

An example of the former: https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-General-Purpose-Spruce-Timberboard---28mm-x-600mm-x-2050mm/p/110159 Slice this in half to make 2 tops - £35 each.

For the latter, I bet there's a good chance you'll find a suitable length of worktop either now, or appearing soon; you are looking for around 2m of 600mm wide worktop, again for you to cut in half.

Yes, I'd strongly suggest a central vertical rail - it'll be out of sight with the doors closed, provide a huge amount of support to the whole thing, and even give the doors something solid to clunk shut against.

You don't need anything like the construction you've sketched up before - this can be a lot simpler. Q - do you even need to have sides and a back to this unit, or can you use the existing wall surfaces for the insides? Q - how deep are the recesses?

MikeJXE

30cm deep could be adequately supported by wall brackets 

paperclap

I’ve never worked with plywood before, and only recently learned there are different grades. And yeah, whenever I’ve seen plywood in the flesh (say, at B&Q or Wickes), the quality is pretty awful. Splits, missing layers, little glue, etc.

I think they’re all very good and valid points to include the central rail. I’m sold!

There wouldn’t be a back. The back would be the existing wall, as it makes life so much easier with the socket there.

As for the sides, I’d only really included side boards, as it would cover the vertical battens in the four corners (back left, back right, front left, front right).

The recesses are 30cm deep too. The idea being that the face of these units (including the doors), will sit flush to the face of the chimney breast

ThisIsWeird

You don't even need the side boards, as you don't need any timber framing. This can be built much more easily than that.

If you look at most units, including kitchen units, you will usually find that the worktop slightly overlaps the front of the units or doors. It might only be by 5mm, but you may find it an aesthetic plus. Having said that, the example you've shown us above looks to be dead flush! Your personal choice.

You can buy ply with a nice finish, but you'll pay for it... And then you'll still have to 'lip' the front - a messy job. I am sure you can get solid timber - and thicker - for the same money if you look. Fb Marketplace for 'tops as said before, and 'kitchens'. Also eBay - 'nearest first'.

I'll try and sketch a way of tackling this tomorrow. Entirely your call whether to follow it. Do you have a 'bench'/'table' saw - ie that will slice sheets into strips?

paperclap

May have a look on FB Marketplace right now! I don’t know why, but I hadn’t even thought to look for second hand sheets of timber.

Re your sketch, that would be so helpful, thank you.

I don’t have a bench or table saw… but have had relative success in cutting thing strips with my circular saw (and fence)

ThisIsWeird

Any chance of a pic of the actual alcove to be fitted out? Cheers.

paperclap

Here they are, in all their glory!

Excuse the mess right now!