Designed to Fit: Custom Furniture for Challenging Spaces
February 2026
At Thor’s Hammer, we believe great furniture should work with your space, not fight against it. Every piece we make can be customised to suit your requirements, ensuring it feels considered, cohesive and uniquely yours.
Canberra Local Ash entertainment unit with shelving.
One of the most common challenges our clients face is space, sometimes the lack of it and sometimes simply how to use it well. Apartments, townhouses and architect-designed homes often come with tight clearances, unusual layouts or fixed architectural features that standard furniture cannot accommodate. At the other end of the spectrum, large open-plan homes can present a different challenge, how to anchor a room, work with generous proportions and create storage that feels integrated rather than lost within the scale of the space. In both cases, thoughtful custom design makes all the difference.
When you share your space considerations with our design and sales team, we develop solutions that feel intentional and seamless, whether you are working within compact dimensions or furnishing a substantial open area. A recent project for Mark at Anzac Park East apartments is a perfect example of how we turn spatial constraints, large or small, into carefully resolved design outcomes.
Design solutions to fit the space.
A Custom Entertainment Unit Designed Around the Room
Mark approached us to create a new entertainment unit / record cabinet for his apartment. The brief was clear: it needed to house his record player and equipment, maximise storage, and work within the existing layout of his living space. We were asked to design additional wine racks too.
There were several spatial constraints to consider.
The height of the cabinet needed to sit comfortably beneath a wall-mounted television, while still allowing room for audio equipment on top without crowding the viewing area. To the right of the television, there was a narrow section of vertical wall space that presented an opportunity for additional storage if designed correctly.
Our solution was a combined entertainment unit and record cabinet with integrated shelving. The shelving was constructed as a separate piece and then attached on site, allowing for precise installation and a perfect fit within the room.
The overall length of the unit was carefully adjusted to accommodate the turntable and components on top, while also supporting the additional shelving.
Within the cabinet itself, we incorporated four distinct storage solutions:
Two sliding door compartments
A row of three sliding drawers
An open display section with a drawer beneath
Above, four custom shelves were positioned to work around the apartment’s existing lighting, which sat just above the top shelf. Every millimetre was considered to ensure the unit felt balanced rather than crowded.
Shelving and in-built storage.
Wine racks that fit seamlessly under the existing benchtop.
Wine Storage Without Losing Floor Space
Apartment living often means being selective about what occupies valuable floor area. Mark wanted generous wine storage, but without cluttering the floor space.
We designed two custom wine racks providing storage for 96 bottles, all integrated into the existing layout. The height of the racks was calculated to fit snugly beneath the apartment’s existing benchtop, with the front edge aligned perfectly with the benchtop ledge.
The result is substantial storage that feels built-in rather than added on. The racks maximise otherwise underutilised space while maintaining clear walkways and preserving the apartment’s open feel.
Turning Constraints Into Considered Design
Projects like this demonstrate how thoughtful design can transform spatial challenges into refined, functional features. Whether it is working beneath wall-mounted televisions, around existing lighting, within alcoves or under benchtops, our team is experienced in creating furniture that integrates seamlessly into your home.
If you are considering a custom piece, we encourage you to share as much information as possible. Photos of the space, measurements and details about existing features all help us understand how the furniture needs to perform within the room.
When we know where your Thor’s Hammer piece will live, we can design it to belong there.
Contact our design and sales team to discuss your project and discover how we can create a solution tailored precisely to your space.
SPECIFICATIONS (as pictured):
TIMBER SPECIES: Canberra Local Ash, sourced from Canberra home demolitions.
DIMENSIONS:
Record Cabinet & Shelving 3250 x 1600 x 475 mm
Wine Cabinets x 2 @ 885 x 650 x 325 mm with steel mesh grid for bottle storage
FINISH: Clean dressed finish, coated in Osmo Polyx Oil Matt
