Grasmere · Fitted Furniture
Grasmere's cottages weren't built with storage in mind. Low ceilings, deep stone reveals, sloping floors and chimney breasts that are never quite where you'd expect them to be — none of that suits a piece of furniture you bring in through the front door. Fitted work, drawn around the room as it actually is, gives you both the storage and the feeling that the house has always looked this way.
Before we draw anything we measure the room in three dimensions — and we measure the floor too, because almost no Grasmere floor is flat. Those tolerances are what make the difference between cabinetry that scribes neatly into the building and cabinetry that leaves a visible gap along the skirting.
The most useful piece of fitted furniture in most Grasmere cottages is a pair of alcove cabinets either side of the fireplace, with bookshelves above. We mould the cornice into the existing room, finish the doors to match the existing joinery, and paint everything as part of the wider scheme.
Deep stone reveals are an opportunity, not a problem. A built-in window seat with hinged storage gives you somewhere to sit with a book, hides the wet-weather kit underneath, and reads as part of the original architecture once painted in.
We work in muted, period-appropriate palettes by default — chalky whites, soft greens, deep heritage blues — but we'll happily build to any colour your decorator or stylist has specified. The finish goes on the cabinetry in situ so it ties cleanly into the surrounding walls and woodwork.
From this project
Frequently asked
No — we fix into studs and timber grounds rather than directly into original plaster wherever possible, and any fixings are reversible.
Yes — we can replicate moulding profiles, door styles and ironmongery so new and old read as one continuous scheme.
More from the journal
Kendal · Interior Painting & Decorating
Kendal's stone-built townhouses demand patience, the right primers and a respect for original detail. Here's how we approach interior work in the South Lakes' historic capital.
Windermere · Exterior Painting
Lakeside properties take a battering from wind, rain and sun reflected off the water. Here's what good exterior painting looks like in Windermere.
Ambleside · Wallpaper Hanging
Ambleside's slate-clad cottages and boutique interiors are made for considered wallpaper. Here's how we approach hanging in older Lakeland walls.
A Final Thought
Honest advice, careful preparation and beautiful results across Cumbria and Lancashire.
