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Design Dilemma Dining Rooms Storage

Alcove units design ideas please

4 years ago

Ive asked a local carpenter to build a low level alcove unit either side of the chimney breast in the dining room. The chimney breast is only 12cm deep - too narrow for floating shelves above. A friend has suggested a bookcase in front of the chimney breast which in effect joins the 2 alcove units together. I can’t find any pictures online, it seems a good idea as that space will be wasted anyway. Any opinions please? Thanks

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Rozanne K
Original Author

4 years ago

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Comments (21)

rinked
4 years ago
I'd simply use two similar low cabinets (either open or closed), because the space is not deep enough for bookshelves. But, is the chimney breast functional or closed off? Because if closed off, you could add shelves from one side to the other, with the breast neatly cut away. Or integrate it to make it look like a bookcase with three sections.
Rozanne K
Original Author
4 years ago
Chimney breast not functional at all. I assume previous owners filled it in
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rinked
4 years ago
Then 26-28cm deep in the middle, 38-40cm on the sides, flush front?

What kind of bookcase were you thinking about?
Rozanne K thanked rinked
Rozanne K
Original Author
4 years ago

I can't tell whether these floating shelves are slightly deeper than the alcove or not ??? What's a good shelf depth!?
minnie101
4 years ago
They're shallower than the chimney breast :( It really depends on what you want to display, books obviously aren't going to fit unless displayed like this :) if that's the style you're after (your last post) have you considered building the chimney breast out? It shouldn't take the joiner too long. Only issue may be skirting board (can't see them though) and the picture rail. If the profile no longer exists for the picture rail, I had one made for £90 (i had to buy a 4/5m length as they wouldn't do it smaller as they had to make the profile). It may be worth considering anyway
Rozanne K
Original Author
4 years ago
There’s coving as well as a picture rail :(

do want the shelves for books . I can’t help but think that just having units at the bottom will give it an unfinished look :(
minnie101
4 years ago
Coving isnt that dear tbh. I would ask the joiner to quote for both extending the chimney breast and the bookcase, I suspect extending would be cheaper but may be wrong. Wardrobes in front of chimney breasts are common so have found a couple of pics which may help (hopefully!). Did you only intend to build up to a certain height so the coving remained intact?

In terms of just having units at the bottom it won't look unfinished with art, lamps etc.
Rozanne K
Original Author
4 years ago
minnie101 - this is our dining room at the front of the house but the intention is put a small tv on one of the alcove cupboards and all the xbox accessories hidden underneath (I won't let my son have his xbox in his bedroom yet!). There are plug sockets in both alcoves so it will be easy to hide the cables. I guess i'll just need some artwork for the fireplace wall and just forget the shelves.
Jules Mc
4 years ago
Could you have your joiner build floating shelves that are proud of the alcoves but evened up by a shallower ones across the chimney breast? So like one continuous shelf (not sure how many you want) across the whole wall when caulked and painted up (the ones on the chimney would probably only be the depth of something like the IKEA picture ledges but could be a solution to bring able to have the alcove shelving and it not look to incongruous - big word Tuesday!!)
minnie101
4 years ago
I would keep the Xbox that way :) I don't know what styles you like (and you may want to move the sockets up) but I like these floating ones.
minnie101
4 years ago
Or with narrow shelves. They won't fit paperbacks but you could use small accessories, propped art etc
Rozanne K
Original Author
4 years ago
Thank you Jules Mc and minnie101. I could ask the carpenter to block up the sockets so the Xbox doesn’t work :)
minnie101
4 years ago
Lol!
Jules Mc
4 years ago
Roxanne if you can achieve that you're a braver woman than me. Or as the kids say, savage :-)
Rozanne K
Original Author
4 years ago

These photos give you a better idea of the room space - i want to get rid of the unit in picture 2 and hide the devices in the alcove cupboards plus associated essentials that go with it. The rest is school stuff but we also use that room to do homework anyway. You can also see how shallow the alcoves are.
rinked
4 years ago
Floating shelves will hold about 3kg per 100cm, depending on the 'brackets' and wall material. For books you'll need something more sturdy.
Rozanne K thanked rinked
Jules Mc
4 years ago
Just seen this which reminded me of your dilemma. I'm not sure what I think? They've made it work here and it's a lovely feature. But I think the shelves protruding from the alcove might annoy me?
Rozanne K thanked Jules Mc
PRO
At No 19
4 years ago
You could consider linking both alcoves with a variation of this.. The log storage could be replaced by (shallower) low cabinets.....

Winchester room with a view · More Info

Winchester room with a view · More Info
Rozanne K thanked At No 19
Rozanne K
Original Author
4 years ago
At No 19 - do you mean joining 2 alcove units together with a shallower unit across the length of the wall?
PRO
At No 19
4 years ago
You could do, my main aim would be to link the alcoves with asymmetric shelving. it wouldn’t be a problem to have low storage just on one side and consider something different in the other. in my example it was a TV but a tall statement plant could also look good.
Rozanne K thanked At No 19

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