How to Measure a Piece of Furniture?

How It Is Done

Measure a piece of furniture at its widest, deepest and tallest points, always including anything that projects such as handles, feet, arms or a headboard. Record three figures in the order width, depth, height, then add a fourth: the diagonal, measured corner to corner across the largest face. The diagonal is the number that tells you whether an item will turn through a doorway, and it is the one most people miss.

Use a retractable metal tape rather than a fabric one, keep the tape flat and level, and write every figure down in the same unit. Centimetres are standard for furniture in the UK, and mixing units is the most common source of ordering mistakes.

The Four Measurements That Matter

Width. Measured left to right across the front, at the widest point. On a sofa that means arm to arm, not the seat cushions. On a chest of drawers it means the outer edge of the top, which often overhangs the body by a centimetre or two on each side.

Depth. Measured front to back, from the furthest forward point to the back panel. Handles count. On upholstery, a cushion that sits proud of the frame counts. On a wardrobe, remember that doors add depth when open, which is a separate figure worth noting.

Height. Measured from the floor to the highest point, including feet, castors and any raised back or headboard. For a dining chair, note both the seat height and the overall height, because seat height determines whether it fits under your table.

Diagonal. Hold the tape from one bottom corner to the opposite top corner across the largest flat face. This is the figure to compare against doorway openings when a piece needs to be tilted to pass through.

Measuring Specific Types of Furniture

Sofas and armchairs. Take overall width arm to arm, overall depth including cushions, and overall height to the top of the back. Then add seat width between the arms, seat depth from front edge to back cushion, and seat height from floor to cushion top. Seat depth and height are what determine comfort, and they are the figures worth comparing when choosing between similar looking pieces. Across our modern fabric sofas UK range, those internal seat figures explain why two sofas of the same length can feel completely different to sit on.

Beds. Measure the external frame, not the mattress size. A double mattress is one hundred and thirty five by one hundred and ninety centimetres, but the frame around it can add fifteen centimetres or more on each side, plus a headboard that projects further. Also measure the under bed clearance if you plan to use storage boxes, and note the height of the top of the mattress from the floor, since a very high bed can be awkward beneath a sloping ceiling.

Wardrobes. Take overall width, depth with doors closed, and height. Then note the door swing depth, which is roughly equal to the width of a single door for hinged designs. Also check the diagonal against your ceiling height, because a tall wardrobe delivered assembled must be tilted upright in the room and needs headroom to do so. Sliding designs avoid the swing problem entirely, which is why many people choose from the sliding wardrobes UK sale range in tighter bedrooms.

Dining tables. Measure length, width and height, and note the apron depth, which is the distance from the underside of the top to the top of any frame beneath. That figure decides whether your chairs slide under. For extending tables, record both the closed and fully extended lengths, and check the extended figure against the walkway behind the chairs.

Chests and sideboards. Overall width including any top overhang, depth including handles, and height. Add the drawer extension depth, which is how far a drawer projects when fully open. In a narrow room this figure matters more than the depth of the unit itself.

Media units. Measure the unit, then measure your television’s width and stand footprint separately. Television screen sizes are quoted diagonally, so a set described by its screen size tells you nothing useful about how much shelf it needs. Compare the actual physical width against the unit’s usable top surface when browsing modern TV stands UK options.

Measuring the Space, Not Just the Piece

A correct furniture measurement is only half the job. The room needs the same treatment.

• Measure wall length at skirting height and again at waist height. Older British walls are rarely square, and the difference can be several centimetres.
• Note the position and depth of radiators, sockets, light switches and pipe boxing. Furniture pushed against a socket cannot sit flush.
• Measure window sill height if a piece will sit beneath it.
• Record ceiling height, and if the ceiling slopes, measure at the lowest and highest points and note the distance between them.
• Mark the door swing on the floor. A door open to ninety degrees consumes a quarter circle of floor space that cannot hold furniture.

Once you have both sets of numbers, mark the furniture footprint on the floor with masking tape. It takes minutes and reveals problems that arithmetic alone hides, such as a drawer that cannot open fully or a chair that cannot be pulled out.

Measuring the Delivery Route

This is where measurement genuinely saves money. Work from the street inwards and record the narrowest point at every stage.

1. Any gate, path or communal entrance, including height restrictions.
2. The front door opening, measured with the door fully open, not the frame.
3. The hallway width at its tightest point, allowing for radiators and coat hooks.
4. Each turn, where you need the diagonal clearance rather than the width.
5. Stairs: width between wall and banister, headroom above the middle step, and the size of any landing where a turn is required.
6. The room doorway itself.

Compare the smallest figure in that list against the furniture’s smallest dimension, usually its depth or height. If the piece is narrower in one direction than the tightest gap, it can normally be manoeuvred through. If not, look for flat packed or sectional alternatives, or check whether feet and arms detach.

Tools and Technique

A five metre retractable metal tape covers nearly everything. Add a pencil, a notepad, a roll of masking tape and a spirit level or a phone level app. A laser measure speeds up wall lengths and ceiling heights, and is genuinely useful in larger rooms, though it is not essential.

Good technique reduces errors more than good tools:

• Hook the tape properly on an edge, or press it firmly into a corner. A loose hook adds a few millimetres each time.
• Keep the tape level. A tape that sags reads long, sometimes by more than a centimetre over two metres.
• Measure twice and record immediately. Relying on memory between rooms is where mistakes creep in.
• Read from the number, not from the space between. When a measurement falls between marks, round up rather than down.
• For upholstery, measure the piece as delivered, not compressed. Cushions relax and gain depth after unpacking.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

• Forgetting projections. Handles, feet, castors and mouldings all add real dimensions. Measure to the outermost point every time.
• Measuring the mattress instead of the bed frame. The frame is always larger, sometimes considerably.
• Ignoring the diagonal. A piece can fit a room perfectly and still be impossible to get into it.
• Assuming walls are straight. In period properties they rarely are. Always measure at more than one height.
• Overlooking door swing and drawer extension. Both consume floor space that is easy to forget when planning on paper.
• Mixing units. Choose centimetres and stay with them from start to finish.
• Measuring only the largest piece. The gaps between items decide whether a room works. Plan the whole layout, not one purchase.

Recording Your Measurements Usefully

Keep a single note on your phone with the room dimensions, the delivery route figures and the required maximums for each planned purchase. Written in the format width by depth by height, with the diagonal alongside, it turns shopping from guesswork into checking. If you are furnishing more than one room, a note per room prevents figures being confused.

Every product across our ranges at Furniture in Fashion lists full dimensions so you can compare against your own figures before ordering, and delivery is free to most UK mainland postcodes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I measure in centimetres or inches?

Centimetres, since almost all furniture sold in the UK is listed that way. Converting between units introduces rounding errors, so pick one and use it for the room, the furniture and the delivery route.

Do I include handles and feet in the measurement?

Always. The measurement that matters is the outermost point of the piece in each direction. A handle projecting four centimetres can be the difference between a chest fitting an alcove and not.

How do I measure for a sofa that has to come upstairs?

Compare the sofa’s height and depth against the narrowest point on the stairs and the headroom above the middle step. Note the landing dimensions at any turn, and check whether the feet or arms detach, since removing them often provides the few centimetres needed.

What is the diagonal measurement for?

It tells you whether a piece can be tilted and turned through an opening. Compare the diagonal of the furniture’s largest face against the diagonal of the doorway. If the furniture figure is smaller, the piece will usually pass.

How much space should I leave around furniture?

Around sixty centimetres for main walkways, forty centimetres between a sofa and coffee table, and seventy five centimetres behind dining chairs so they can be pulled out. In tight rooms these can be reduced slightly, but the main route through the space should stay clear.