A Swanage loft bedroom, shelved right down into the eaves

By Thomas Matthew

The roof of this Swanage loft comes down almost to the floor, and nothing from a shop would have fitted. So every cupboard, drawer and shelf was made in our Poole workshop to follow it.

What we made

Pale grey cupboards and drawers run the length of the low wall, with bookshelves above them stepping up with the roofline. Where the ceiling rises to full height, a tall cupboard closes the run. At the corner, a column of open shelves with rounded ends turns towards the door, so the joinery finishes softly rather than on a hard edge.

The run carries on past the dormer window and leaves room for a desk beneath it, so one room works as a bedroom and a study. The fronts are flat and painted, with chrome knobs and nothing more.

Look at the far end of the shelves. Where they run out of height under the slope, the last narrow triangle is still deep enough for a row of books.