How to use your alcoves

Fit staggered shelves

You’ll be lucky to find a ready-made floating shelf that fits your alcove perfectly, so try this quirky trick instead. It makes a feature of shorter shelves, creating areas for storage and display without making the space look cluttered.

Create a kids' craft corner

Set aside an alcove in the kitchen where your kids can do their homework and get creative under your watchful eye. Kit out your space out with funky red shelves, cork tiles for pinning up pictures and a drop-leaf desk that can be lowered when not in use. Cut a hole in the desk big enough to hold a beaker, to avoid spills when painting. A trolley is ideal for stashing art supplies and tucks away when the desk is down.

Go for modular storage

Living rooms accumulate so much clutter, but a clever mix of units and shelves can conceal it all. This monochrome scheme is so easy to achieve and is perfect for a cool, contemporary feel. It also allows your TV to blend in seamlessly with the scheme rather than dominating your space. Choose key pieces then adapt them to suit your scheme.

Store your books

Hide less-than-lovely airport novels behind chic coffee-table books. Fix a fascia to the front of a floating shelf to create a lip so you can lean display-worthy books against your paperbacks

Keep linens to hand

Bedlinen and cushions take up so much space and it’s a shame to hide your pretty things away. This neat solution lets you store and display at the same time, plus the cubes keep everything organised.

Plan a vanity corner

This is a great dressing table alternative that will give a chic hotel feel to any space. It’s really simple and you can fit it into even the narrowest alcove. Complete the luxurious look with a shimmering feature wallpaper, show-stopping mirror and comfy stool.

Get a working wardrobe

Fitted wardrobes can be pricey, so try this Elfa system instead. You can mix and match shelves, drawers, rails and racks to suit your needs and space.

Organise your kitchen

Believe it or not, a utility cupboard can actually be a thing of beauty — properly organised with dedicated places for all your essentials, it’ll make household tasks much less of a chore.

Create a kids' craft corner

Create a multimedia zone

Keep media in check with bespoke cubes. Build in simple MDF units to fit the space. Paint them in a contrasting tone to your wall colour and finish with magnetic closures.