Basement Storage and Airing Cupboard with Vented Doors Bristol
This basement room in a Bristol home had great potential but wasn’t being used well. It was dark, uneven, and home to a boiler, with an odd little opening to a small cellar behind.
Our clients wanted to make it practical, somewhere with proper storage, but without losing the character of the house.
The space needed to work hard, feel part of the home, and keep its original features.
We designed a full wall of bespoke fitted cupboards, painted in Farrow & Ball ‘Hay’, to bring function and balance to the room.
At one end sits a slatted airing cupboard, built around the boiler and fitted with open birch-ply shelving for good airflow and neatly stacked towels and bedding.
The central doors conceal a hidden entrance to the cellar. From the outside, it reads as one seamless run of cabinetry; when opened, it reveals solid birch-ply steps and easy access below.
Every line, panel, and hinge was planned to fit precisely, even the ceiling’s not so gentle curve was scribed so the furniture follows it perfectly.
Location: Kingsdown, Bristol.
Materials: Birch plywood, ash
Colour: Farrow and Ball Hay
Features: Vented holes in the doors, hidden door to steps and cellar, cornice, spray finished.
Jim and Jo are an amazing duo. Over the last year they’ve designed and built almost all the storage and shelving in our house – including a book room with wall-to-ceiling shelves. Their professionalism and craftsmanship are a pleasure to behold and benefit from! Top quality materials are a hallmark. Utterly reliable, no mess, and lovely people to work with. I can’t recommend them highly enough.
The Before:
The Making
Everything was made and finished in our Hambrook workshop, using birch-ply interiors and solid timber detailing.
The cupboards were pre-finished and painted before delivery, allowing for a clean, simple installation with minimal disruption in the house.
Airing cupboard with vented doors Bristol
The room now feels complete. What was once an awkward space has become genuinely useful, calm, ordered, and beautifully made.
It’s one of those projects where the transformation is simple but striking. When it looks simple it usually involved a lot of planning!
Made-to-measure fitted storage for period homes
We’re used to working in older period homes where the walls aren’t straight and access can be tricky. Our fitted wardrobes and airing cupbaords are scribed to the walls for a neat finish, with materials and colours chosen to suit your style.