There are two ways to make joinery. The fast way is what most of the high street does: stock cabinet carcasses, off-the-shelf finishes, fitted by someone who's never seen the design.
We make the other kind. Every piece is measured, drawn, built and fitted by the same small team. Painted doors, wood effects, mirrors, lighting and textured panels are chosen around the room rather than forced from a catalogue. Hardware that's quiet for a decade. Doors that close like a car door, not a kitchen cupboard.
We work mostly across Greater Manchester — Salford, Stockport, Cheshire, Bolton, Wigan — on jobs from a single alcove unit to a full kitchen with island. Each one is drawn within a week of the measure, built in our UK factory, and fitted by the hands that made it.
This brochure is a way to see what that looks like. The photos are real projects in real homes. If something here feels close to what you're imagining, the next step is a site visit. There's no charge for that, and no obligation.
Every project, from a single alcove unit to a full kitchen, follows the same four stages — measure, draw, build, fit. The programme depends on size, specification and site readiness.
A site visit, by appointment. Measurements taken against the finished walls — not the plasterboard — so nothing moves between drawing and fit. No charge, no obligation.
1–2 daysDrawings, materials and finishes back to you within the week. We refine together over a call or a second visit until it's right — including hardware, lighting and interior fit-out.
3–7 daysMade-to-measure in our UK factory by the team that drew it. Smaller storage jobs are usually quicker on the bench, while kitchens, bedrooms and larger runs need more build time. You see progress photos.
Project dependentInstalled by the hands that built it. Floors and surfaces are protected end-to-end, and any snagging is handled promptly. The 10-year guarantee starts the day we leave.
Planned around the workA core palette we know intimately — woods, lacquers, hardware and stone we've used long enough to know how they wear. Anything outside this can be sampled and matched before any commitment.
Warm, figured grain. Our most-asked wardrobe finish.
Deep, matt — the dark architecture of media walls.
Matt sprayed lacquer. Our most popular kitchen finish.
Soft, chalky. Sits well against oak floors and brass.
A quiet off-white for alcoves and period rooms.
Handles, hairlines, plinth detail and shelf trim.
A worktop that ages gracefully — wears soft, not glossy.
Island tops, display shelving — quiet, never showy.
No. 01
Full wall runs, alcove wardrobes, open sections and internal drawers, all measured around the room and the way the storage will be used day to day.
No. 02
Built around the TV, the fire, the wall width and the amount of hidden or display storage needed, with options for recessed screens, shelves, base cabinets and cable routes.
No. 03
Under-stair spaces can be turned into doors, pull-outs, cubbies and angled shelves for shoes, coats, bags, cleaning equipment and household overflow.
No. 04
Integrated bed frames, wardrobes, bedside storage, over-bed units, dressing areas and drawer runs can all be designed together so the room feels planned rather than pieced together.
No. 05
Kitchen layouts can include islands, oven stacks, tall storage, cabinet runs, lighting, worktops and integrated appliances, planned around cooking, storage and movement through the room.
No. 06
Alcove units can combine closed cabinets, open shelving, lighting and cable management around fireplaces, chimney breasts and uneven living-room walls.
The finished furniture should feel settled into the house: measured properly, easy to live with, quiet to use, and planned around the things that need to be stored, displayed or hidden.
A1 Joinery Studio · Design approach
It depends on size, finish and site readiness. Smaller alcove or under-stairs work is usually quicker; kitchens, fitted bedrooms and larger wall runs need more planning, build and fitting time.
Yes — common on renovations. We time our measure and fit around theirs so cabinets sit flush to finished floors and walls.
Most of the time, yes. We sample stains, paints and veneers against the existing material before committing to anything.
Quote on request — we'll give a fixed figure with the drawings, never a vague range. Each project is priced to the specification, not the postcode.
A photo on WhatsApp is a perfectly fine way to start. A site visit follows within the week. There's no charge for that — and no obligation to go any further.