Plywood alcoves in a grown-up living room

Plywood cupboards and shelves add a contemporary touch to a Victorian house

I love a good alcove - so much potential for storage and interest in the design. The brief here was to create furniture for an adult living room; with two young kids the clients wanted a space that could be free from toys and crayons.

It wasn’t all plain sailing - good old victorian plastering and patch-ups left the alcoves somewhat uneven - we designed around this with the inset cupboard boxes. I think it’s to the benefit of the room - the space gets broken up a little more, and gives them something more than a conventional bookcase, all without sacrificing space.

A glass shelf-top has been routed in to avoid stains from bottles and glasses. Booze is strangely absent here though….

The left side cupboard was designated a drinks cabinet - inside there’s a shelf, and on top there’s a glass shelf top to better prevent stains, stickiness and scuffs from bottles and glasses. There’s also a cutout for cables, to allow for a lamp balanced on a book.

Books, a television and all the wires neatly hidden away.

The right hand unit is the TV corner - often the ugliest part of a living room - so we’ve done our best to keep it stylish. Wires are hidden away neatly, and in the cupboard there’s a slide-out printer shelf.

Interior design was by the fantastic Amanda from alldesignstudio.co.uk. I think it’s a wonderful showcase of contemporary design in Victorian architecture - and an enhancement to both.