Bespoke joinery company in London. Drawn by us and made by Cochrane Bespoke, our joinery partner.
A drawing shows a room with straight walls and level floors.
Older London houses seldom have either.
Bespoke joinery has to fit the room that is actually there.
Whether it does is decided by how and when the room is measured.
Get that right and the piece looks as if it grew there. Get it wrong and the gaps show.
The drawing is not the room
Sales plans are useful background. They are not accurate enough for fabrication.
A measured survey gives the design team reliable dimensions and levels.
That survey is the shared starting point for every drawing that follows.
But it is not the final number for a fitted piece.
Final dimensions depend on the finished interfaces in the room.
Plaster, skirtings, flooring and door linings all change what the joinery meets.
Design early, measure late
Wardrobes and fitted storage should be designed early.
Sockets, lighting, ventilation, skirtings and doors all need coordinating with them.
Joinery dimensions can even affect door positions and early structural work.
So approve the internal arrangement, not only the outside appearance.
Final fabrication sizes come later, from an agreed site check.
Both halves matter. Early design protects the services. Late measurement protects the fit.
Set the measurement hold point
Agree who checks site dimensions before manufacture, and when.
Name the finishes that must be complete before that check happens.
Then put the hold point in the programme, not in a phone call.
Lead times are long for good reasons.
Design, samples, approvals, materials, making and finishing all take time.
Site readiness can shape that sequence as much as workshop capacity.
Hold a visible allowance until it is chosen
Joinery is often priced before the specification is complete.
That is fine if the allowance is clearly described and kept visible.
Update it as each selection is approved.
An assumed finish level is not a final specification. Treat it as a placeholder.
Changes after the order
Once a piece is ordered, a change costs more than a line on paper.
It may need revised drawings, new materials or remade work.
Ask what has already been committed before you approve anything.
Then approve the change in writing, with the cost and time shown.
Services hidden in the cabinetry
Lighting, drivers and smart controls are often hidden inside joinery.
Each needs a way for heat to escape and a route for wiring.
Each also needs a practical way to be replaced later.
So check the joinery drawings against the electrical and lighting designs.
Late lighting changes are a common cause of rework. Why your lighting plan changes at first fix explains how to keep it steady.
Fitting and protecting the finished piece
Installation needs good access, the right conditions and finished interfaces.
After that, later trades must not damage the completed work.
Agree the installation sequence and who protects the joinery until handover.
Measuring is one half of building as drawn. Shop drawings for bespoke joinery covers the other half.
How NU runs joinery
Our kitchens, joinery and furniture are made by Cochrane Bespoke.
Survey, site check, making and fitting sit in one programme with the build.
So each piece is made for the room as built.
Planning fitted joinery for a period home in prime London?Fill out the contact form or call 020 7731 6841 and let’s get you booked in for a free call with Nick.
This is the work we do. Bespoke joinery company in London, or ask for a cost estimate.
Published 13 November 2026. Written by the NU Projects studio, edited since for house style and accuracy.
