Nothing off a shelf
Flat-pack works fine in a new build where every wall is straight and every corner is ninety degrees. In an Edwardian house in Clontarf or a 1930s semi in Glasnevin, it doesn't. Chimney breasts aren't centred, alcoves aren't the same width as each other, floors slope and skirting has been painted over eleven times. A bought unit leaves you with a two-centimetre gap you'll notice every day for a decade.
Custom carpentry solves that by starting from the room instead of a catalogue. Everything is measured on site, scribed to the walls and floor, and built to the millimetre for the space it's going into.
What we make
- Alcove units and shelving. The classic pair either side of a chimney breast, with cupboards below and open shelving above, painted or in natural timber.
- Fitted wardrobes. Floor-to-ceiling, using the full depth and height of the room, with interiors laid out around what you actually own.
- Media walls and TV units. Cable management designed in, so nothing trails down the wall.
- Tables and benches. Solid timber dining tables, desks, window seats and hall benches.
- Understairs storage. Usually the most wasted space in an Irish house, and one of the most satisfying to fix.
- Home office joinery. Built-in desks and shelving, in the house or in a garden room.
Materials and finishes
Solid oak and ash for pieces where the grain is the point. Walnut where you want something darker and richer. Birch ply with neat exposed edges for a more contemporary look. Painted MDF where crisp, flat colour matters more than visible timber. In-frame shaker doors in a muted green or clay look right at home in a period room and cost less than solid hardwood.
Finishes are hand-applied: hard-wax oil for timber you want to feel, spray or brush-finished paint for cabinetry. Handles and hinges are your choice, and we'll happily fit hardware you've sourced yourself.
Why people choose bespoke
- It uses the full height and depth of the room, so you get noticeably more storage from the same footprint.
- It fits walls that aren't straight, which in most Irish houses is all of them.
- You choose the timber, the finish, the handles and the internal layout.
- It's built once, properly, from solid material, not chipboard that swells the first time something spills.
- Good fitted joinery adds to what a house is worth. A wardrobe from a flat-pack shop doesn't.
How a custom job runs
- We come and measure. Bring us photos or a rough sketch of what you have in mind. Even a screenshot from Instagram is a useful starting point.
- Drawing and quote. We draw it up so you can see it before it's built, with a fixed written price.
- Workshop build. Most of the work happens in the workshop, which keeps dust and disruption in your house to a minimum.
- Fitting and finishing. Fitted on site, scribed in, and finished so it looks like it was always there.
Custom carpentry across Dublin and Leinster
We work throughout Dublin and across Kildare, Meath and Wicklow, in everything from period houses to new builds. If you want the rest of the room to match, we also handle doors, floors, skirting and stairs as part of the same job. It's cheaper and tidier than bringing in two different trades.
Why choose ABM Carpentry for custom furniture
- Measured on site, built in the workshop, scribed in on fitting, so it fits walls that aren't straight.
- You choose the timber, the finish, the hardware and the internal layout.
- Solid materials throughout, not chipboard that swells the first time something spills.
- Drawn up before it's built, so you see it before you commit.
Fitted furniture is the work where the difference between a good carpenter and an average one is most visible, because it sits at eye level in a room you use every day. A two-millimetre gap along a wall is invisible on a drawing and impossible to ignore once you live with it.
Get a quote for custom furniture
Tell us what you have in mind and we'll come back within one working day. Quotes and call-outs are free, and there's no obligation. We cover Swords, Malahide, Portmarnock, Donabate, Blanchardstown, Clontarf, Raheny, Santry and Glasnevin, along with Kildare, Meath and Wicklow. See every area we serve.
Ring 089 458 5501, or send us a few photos. They often tell us more than a description can.