To measure up for a storage cabinet, record the width, height and depth of the space at several points, then subtract clearance for skirting boards, door swings, radiators and sockets. Check the route from your front door to the room as well. A cabinet that is a few centimetres narrower and shallower than the space, with room for doors to open fully, will fit comfortably and look intentional.
It sounds simple, yet measuring is where most furniture mistakes begin. Walls are rarely straight, floors are often uneven and the space you picture is not always the space you have. Whether you are choosing from our modern storage furniture UK sale range or elsewhere, this step by step guide will help you get it right first time. The same method works whether the cabinet is for a hallway, a bedroom or part of a new set of modern living room furniture UK pieces.
You do not need specialist equipment. A few basics will do.
Write every measurement down as you go, and always note which dimension is which. It is surprisingly easy to confuse width and depth when you come back to the figures later.
Measure the width of the space at three heights: near the floor, at waist height and near the top of where the cabinet will reach. In older British homes, alcoves and walls are rarely perfectly square, and the width can vary by a centimetre or more from bottom to top. Use the smallest figure.
Next, look at the skirting board. A cabinet that sits flush against the wall above the skirting will actually be held a little away from the wall at floor level. If the cabinet has a solid plinth, subtract the skirting depth from your available depth, not your width. If you are fitting the cabinet between two walls, both skirting boards will reduce the width at floor level.
Leave a little breathing room. A gap of around one to two centimetres on each side makes the cabinet easier to position and stops it looking forced into the space.
Measure from the floor to the lowest obstruction above. This might be the ceiling, a window sill, a shelf, a light switch or the underside of a wall mounted television. Measure at both ends of the space, because floors in older properties often slope.
Remember that tall cabinets are assembled lying down and then stood upright. When a cabinet is tilted up, its diagonal is longer than its height. If your cabinet is close to ceiling height, it may not be possible to stand it up. As a rule, allow at least a few centimetres of extra clearance above a very tall cabinet, or check the diagonal measurement with the product details.
Depth is about how far the cabinet projects into the room, and it affects how comfortable the space feels as much as whether the piece fits. Measure from the wall to the point where the cabinet would start to obstruct something: a door frame, a walkway, the edge of a sofa or a radiator.
Typical depths vary by type and room:
Hallways deserve special attention because depth directly affects how easy it is to walk through. Measure the narrowest point of the corridor, not the widest, and remember that radiators and door frames reduce the usable width. For narrower entrances, slim hallway storage furniture UK sale designs are made with these constraints in mind.
This is the step most people forget. A cabinet with hinged doors needs space in front for those doors to open fully. Measure the width of each door and make sure nothing sits within that arc: a bed, a chair, a radiator or the opening of another door.
Drawers need even more space, because you have to stand in front of them while they are open. Allow the full drawer depth plus room for your body. If space is tight, sliding doors or a shallower cabinet may be a better choice.
Walk around the space and note anything that could interfere.
A cabinet that fits the room is no use if it cannot get there. Many cabinets arrive flat packed, which helps, but large boxes and fully assembled pieces still need a clear route.
Measure the width and height of your front door, any internal doors on the way, and the hallway. If the cabinet is going upstairs, check the stair width, the turn at the top or bottom, and the headroom on the staircase. Tight turns are a common problem in terraced houses and converted flats.
Once you have a shortlist, use painter’s tape to mark the footprint of the cabinet on the floor. For tall pieces, mark the height on the wall too. Live with the tape for a day or two. Walk past it, open nearby doors and sit in the room. You will quickly see whether the size feels right or whether it crowds the space.
This simple step often changes people’s minds about depth. A cabinet that seemed slim on paper can feel bulky once you see its outline in the room.
Measuring tells you what fits. Proportion tells you what looks right. A few guidelines help.
Low cabinets generally look best when they are noticeably wider than they are tall. A sideboard that is roughly two thirds the width of the wall, or the width of the sofa it faces, usually feels balanced. Our modern sideboards UK sale collection includes a range of widths for this reason.
Tall cabinets look more settled when they leave some wall visible above, rather than stopping just short of the ceiling. In alcoves, matching the cabinet width closely to the alcove creates a fitted look.
If the cabinet is going alongside other furniture, think about height relationships. A cabinet slightly lower than an adjacent window sill, or aligned with the top of a sofa back, looks deliberate.
Hallway cabinets need one extra check: the walking space left once the cabinet is in place. Our article on hallway furniture depth and corridor clearance in UK homes explains how much room to leave for comfortable passage, prams and deliveries.
Display cabinets add a different consideration: the internal shelf spacing. If you are displaying tall vases, glassware or collectables, measure the tallest item and check it will fit between shelves. Our guide to display cabinet heights, depths and shelf spacing in the UK covers typical internal dimensions in more detail.
When you have your figures, you can compare them against the dimensions listed for every cabinet and storage piece at Furniture in Fashion.
Around one to two centimetres on each side is usually enough for a cabinet fitted between walls. It makes positioning easier and allows for walls that are not perfectly straight.
Measure from the wall, then subtract the skirting depth if the cabinet base will sit against it. Many cabinets have a recessed plinth that clears the skirting, so check the product details.
Measure the height at both ends of the space and use the lower figure. Cabinets with adjustable feet are easier to level, and thin packers can correct small slopes.
Check the diagonal of the cabinet side, which is longer than its height. If that diagonal exceeds your ceiling height, the cabinet may not tilt upright once assembled.
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