Lofts and alcoves
Loft, alcove and sloping-ceiling wardrobes in Manchester
Yes, a fitted wardrobe can follow a sloping ceiling, and it can fill an alcove with no gap at the sides or the top. IKEA PAX cannot follow a roof line, because its frames are rectangular. A room where the ceiling slopes across the wardrobe wall needs a wardrobe made to its shape.
Where PAX is the better answer, such as a straight alcove or a loft walk-in with high enough walls, we say so and fit that instead: see IKEA PAX wardrobe fitting. We will tell you which suits your room and budget, even when the answer is not PAX. We cover Manchester and the towns around it: see areas we cover.
Send photos of the room, the ceiling height at its highest and lowest points, the alcove width and your postcode.
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What to send for a price
The more you send on WhatsApp, the closer the first price is to the final one.
- Wide and close-up photos of the wall, alcove or eaves
- Ceiling height at the highest point and the low wall under the slope
- Alcove or wall width at floor and ceiling height, and depth
- Velux or dormer windows, radiators, sockets and doors close by
- What goes inside: hanging, shelves, drawers, shoes
- Your postcode
Wardrobes that follow the roof line
In a loft the ceiling drops towards the eaves, and a rectangular cabinet leaves awkward triangles beside it. A wardrobe made to the room follows the roof line instead, as the wardrobes at the top of this page do around two Velux windows.
Hanging rails need height, so the layout puts them where the ceiling is highest. The low space under the slope takes cupboards and drawers: the photo shows drawers inside a low eaves cupboard with its doors open.
- Wardrobes that follow the roof line around Velux windows
- Eaves cupboards with drawers inside
- Tall shelf cupboards beside low eaves cupboards
- Mirrored sliding doors, or plain, gloss and panelled doors
Alcoves and chimney breasts
Alcove walls are seldom straight or square. A gap down one side or along the top is what makes a wardrobe look added on, not built in. So the alcove is measured and the wardrobe is made to fit it, with the top and sides meeting the walls and ceiling.
The photo shows wardrobes shaped to an arched alcove on a landing. Others show a panelled wardrobe in a hallway alcove and a four-door wardrobe filling a bedroom alcove. Either side of a chimney breast is the same job, measured separately because the two recesses are not always the same size.
- Arched alcoves and square recesses either side of a chimney breast
- Hallway and landing alcoves, with panelled doors
- Over-bed units and dressing-table nooks, with drawers and overhead cupboards
- Under-stairs cupboards that follow the staircase
When IKEA PAX is the better answer
PAX frames are rectangular and come in 201 cm and 236 cm heights. IKEA's UK page for the 236 cm frame gives a minimum ceiling height of 237 cm to build it upright, and 240 cm if you want sliding doors. Where a roof line cuts across the wall, a PAX wardrobe cannot follow it.
That leaves two options: a wardrobe made to the room's shape, or a walk-in layout that keeps the PAX frames on the walls where the ceiling is high enough. We have fitted loft walk-ins from PAX frames. One has two columns of drawers with hanging rails and shelves above. Another is a narrow walk-in with LED strip lighting and a stack of drawers.
A straight alcove under a flat ceiling is a different case. PAX suits it, and as a rule it costs less than a made-to-measure wardrobe. Our guide IKEA PAX or bespoke fitted wardrobes: how to choose sets out the comparison. If you are on the line, send photos and we will say which way we would go.
How a fitted wardrobe job runs
Send the room
Photos, rough measurements and your postcode on WhatsApp. If the roof slopes, add the highest and lowest ceiling heights.
We visit and measure
For a full run of wardrobes we visit first, at no charge and with no obligation. We tell you whether the room suits PAX or needs a wardrobe made to its shape.
Agree the layout
We settle where the hanging space, drawers, shelves and eaves storage go, and which doors and handles suit the room. Then we give you the price.
Fit and check
We fit the wardrobe on the agreed day, clear up, and check the doors and drawers with you before we leave.
Loft and alcove wardrobes we have fitted
Bespoke loft wardrobes that follow the roof line Bespoke wardrobes shaped to an arched alcove Bespoke eaves cupboards with drawers inside 
Bespoke panelled alcove wardrobe 
Bespoke tall shelf cupboards beside low eaves cupboards 
Bespoke four-door alcove wardrobe 
Built-in sliding mirror wardrobe 
Bespoke shaker-style wardrobes, floor to ceiling 
Bespoke wardrobes framing a bed recess 
Bespoke wardrobes with a dressing-table nook 
Loft walk-in wardrobe 
Bespoke under-stairs storage
Questions we are often asked
Can fitted wardrobes go under a sloping ceiling?
Yes. A wardrobe made to the room follows the roof line, as the loft wardrobes in our photos do around two Velux windows. IKEA PAX cannot, because its frames are rectangular. Send photos and the ceiling height at its highest and lowest points, and we will tell you what the room needs.
Can IKEA PAX work under a sloping ceiling?
Only where the ceiling is high enough. A PAX frame is rectangular and comes in 201 cm or 236 cm heights, so the ceiling has to be above that height along the frame's whole depth. A walk-in with the frames on the high walls can work. A wardrobe that has to follow the slope cannot be PAX. We will tell you honestly which your room is.
What can go in the eaves?
Low cupboards and deep drawer units. One of our loft photos shows drawers inside an open eaves cupboard, and another shows low eaves cupboards beside tall shelf cupboards. Hanging rails need height, so they go where the ceiling is highest and the low space is kept for drawers and cupboards.
How do you fill an alcove without gaps?
We measure the alcove, because the walls are rarely straight or square, and the wardrobe is made to those measurements so the top and sides meet the walls and ceiling. In a straight alcove a PAX run can work too: we scribe the trims to the wall so no gap shows. The guide how to make IKEA PAX look built in explains how.
Do you measure first?
Yes. For a full run of wardrobes we visit to measure first, at no charge and with no obligation. Before that, photos and rough measurements on WhatsApp are enough for us to say whether your room points to PAX or to a wardrobe made to its shape.
Can the doors match my other furniture?
Doors and handles are chosen to suit the room. Our photos show plain white, shaker-style and gloss white doors, panelled doors, mirrored sliding doors, and long bar and slim handles. Tell us what you want to match and send a photo of it. We confirm what is possible after seeing it, not before.
Can you fit wardrobes over the bed or around a dressing table?
Yes. Our photos include wardrobes framing a bed recess with overhead cupboards and tall side units, and a layout with a dressing-table nook, drawers and overhead cupboards. Send a photo of the wall and say where the bed sits.
How soon can you start?
It depends on our diary. Message us with the date you need and we will tell you what is possible.
Send us the job, get a price
Message photos, rough measurements and your postcode. We aim to reply with a price the same day.
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A guide to read before you book
IKEA PAX or bespoke fitted wardrobes: how to choose
Where the money goes, which rooms suit which, and the questions to ask before you pay anyone.
Read the guide