SOFA MEASUREMENTS: HOW TO ENSURE A SOFA WILL FIT YOUR SPACE

So, you’ve found or designed the perfect sofa and are finally ready to make the investment. If you haven’t already, now is the time to get out your tape measure to ensure your chosen suite is going to suit your desired space, and that it will fit through all of the necessary doors and hallways during the delivery process.

Of course, this can be easier said than done so, if you’re not sure where to start, we’ve put together this guide to help you out. We’ll explain which sofa dimensions you’ll need, how to measure your space, and how to collect all of the necessary measurements for delivery. Here’s everything you’ll need to know.

Find the dimensions of your chosen sofa

To ensure your chosen sofa is going to work with your space, you’re going to need the dimensions. Make sure you jot down all of the essentials: the width (W), the height (H), and the depth (D).

Depending on what kind of sofa you’re buying, there may be some other measurements you need to take into account. For example, corner sofas have two lengths (W1 and W2) that you’ll need to measure, and you’ll have to consider the depth of each section, too (D1 and D2).

Sofa beds also come with their own set of challenges when it comes to measuring them. This is because, not only do you have to work out the dimensions of the sofa component, but you’ll need to account for the depth once the bed section has been extended (ED), as you’ll want to ensure there’s enough space in front of your sofa once it’s positioned how you want it.

Here at Sofas by Saxon, we include all of our sofas’ dimensions on the corresponding product page, so you’ll always be able to find the information you need. We can also create fully bespoke sofas that are made to measure, which you’ll find helpful if you’re struggling to find one that’s the perfect size for your space. And, if there’s anything you’re unsure about, don’t hesitate to get in touch, as our experts will be happy to help.

Measure the space

As well as working out the dimensions of your sofa, you’ll have to measure where you’re going to put it in order to ensure it’s going to fit the way you want it to. Again, depending on the type of sofa you’re looking to buy, there are a few things you’ll need to consider, and we’re going to take you through those here.

You might find it helpful to map out exactly where your new piece of furniture is going with masking tape or newspaper, as this will help you to envision exactly what it’s going to look like and how much space it’ll take up. As a result, you’ll be able to check that you’ll still have plenty of room to move around your space and that you’ll have no issues when it comes to opening doors and drawers once your furniture is in place.

How to measure for a sofa

If you’re looking to buy a traditional style of sofa, such one from our Chesterfield, Lounge, Evoke, or Cherished collections, the process of measuring your space should be quite simple.

As you should already have the width (W), depth (D), and height (H) dimensions noted down, it’ll simply be a case of deciding exactly where you want to place your new piece of furniture and measuring everything out to make sure you’ll be able to achieve the look you’re going for.

Using your tape measure and some tape or newspaper, measure and mark out the size of your chosen sofa on the floor using the width and depth dimensions. Then, if you’re worried about there being any obstructions behind it, you can measure and mark out the height, too. If you’re happy with the way everything looks, you’ll be one step closer to making your purchase.

How to measure for a corner sofa

If you’re looking to invest in one of our corner sofas and want to get an accurate idea of how much space it’s going to take up, measure out its two widths (W1 and W2). Then, measure out the depth of each section (D1 and D2) before completing the footprint as shown in the diagram above.

If you’re planning to push your corner sofa against the walls of your living room, you might also want to mark out the height to ensure there aren’t any obstructions in the way. This will help to give you a much clearer idea of how much space your new piece of furniture is going to take up, and what it’s going to look like.

How to measure for a sofa bed

Because a sofa bed has two components, you’ll want to measure how it’s going to fit in your space both when it’s set up for sitting and sleeping. Of course, the process of measuring it before it’s been converted into a bed is identical so how a regular sofa is measured, which we’ve already explained above. So, we’re going to outline how to work out how it’s going to fit in your space when it’s being used as a bed.

Mark out the width of your sofa (W) and then the extended depth (ED) when it’s converted into a bed. You might also want to measure the height if you’re planning to push it against a wall and are worried that there might be some obstructions. By outlining how much space your sofa is going to take up, you should be able to work out whether it’s going to be easy enough to transform from sofa to bed when necessary, as well as decide whether your space is big enough to accommodate whichever of our sofa beds you’re interested in.

Measure for delivery

It’s not just how your sofa’s going to fit into your space once it’s arrived that you need to worry about: you also need to think about how easy it’s going to be to manoeuvre it into your home. Depending on what kind of home you have and which room you want to put your new furniture in, there might be a range of things you need to think about, from the width of your doorways to how you’re going to get it up a flight of stairs or two.

You’ll also need to consider factors that might affect the size of your sofa. For example, here at Sofas by Saxon, a lot of our sofas have removable feet, and taking these off may help to improve manoeuvrability as they can lower the height by 5cm (2 inches).

Measure your front door

When the delivery team arrives with your new sofa, the first obstacle they’re going to encounter is your front door, so it’s important that you check it’s going to fit through ahead of time. Measure the width of your front door frame (A) and, if this exceeds the height of your chosen sofa, it should fit through without any trouble.

It’s worth noting that, if there’s an obstruction behind your front door that prevents it from opening fully, you’ll need to open it as widely as it goes and then measure the space at its narrowest point. Again, if this measurement is larger than your sofa’s height, you shouldn’t encounter any problems.

However, if this isn’t going to work, Plan B will be to carry your sofa through the front door upright. To ensure this will be possible, you need to measure the height (B) of your door frame and check that it’s big enough to accommodate the width of your sofa (W). You’ll also want to have some wiggle room, so your furniture can be manoeuvred through as easily as possible.

If you’ve taken all your measurements and aren’t satisfied that your sofa is going to fit through the front door, you might have to look for another solution. For example, do you have a large window or another entrance that it might fit through? At Sofa by Saxon, our delivery teams will always try their best to deliver and position your sofa exactly where you want it so, as long as it’s safe to do so, we’ll be happy to take an alternative route if necessary.

Measure your hallways and internal doors

If your front door doesn’t lead directly into your living room, your new sofa might also need to be manoeuvred through your home. This means you’ll want to measure the width of any hallways (C) and internal doors (D) that it will pass through at their narrowest points. You’ll also need to keep an eye out for any obstructions that might get in the way, such as radiators, shelving, and other pieces of furniture that can’t be moved.

If all of your measurements exceed the height of your sofa, it should be easy enough to transport through your home.

Measure your stairway

Whether you live above the ground floor in a block of flats or you’ve decided that you want to put your new sofa upstairs in your home, you’re going to have to check that it will fit up the stairway(s). Much like you have with your doorways, measure the width of any relevant staircases at their narrowest point. If there are any landings, you’ll also want to measure the depth (E), width (F), and height (G) to check that they won’t cause any problems.

Additionally, if your sofa will need to be lifted over a bannister, you’ll want to check that there’s enough space between the rail and your ceiling.

Here at Sofas by Saxon, we’ll do everything we can to ensure you receive a settee that you absolutely love, but you won’t want it to be delivered, only to find that it doesn’t fit your space how you envisioned or — worse yet — that you can’t even get it through the door.

Unlike many other furniture companies that outsource the process, we’ve always done all of our own deliveries, which means we have plenty of experience with handling situations that aren’t totally straight-forward. But, it’s still vital that you measure everything up ahead of time using the steps we’ve provided here to ensure we don’t encounter any avoidable problems.

If you would like to know more about how your Sofas by Saxon furniture will arrive, you can also check out our delivery and payments page. Or, if you’ve measured everything up and still have any concerns, get in touch to speak to our Transport Manager who can help. If necessary, we will also undertake an access viewing prior to delivery (UK mainland only) to double check that we can deliver your furniture safely.