How to Measure Your Room for a New Sofa
Buying a new sofa is exciting, but before choosing your favourite style, fabric or colour, there's one important job to do: make sure it will fit.
A sofa can look perfectly proportioned in a showroom or online but feel very different once it's inside your living room. Taking a few simple measurements beforehand can help you choose the right-sized sofa for your space and avoid problems with access when it comes to delivery.
In this guide, we'll explain how to measure your room for a new sofa, including doorways and access routes.
1. Measure the Space Available
Start by measuring the area where you would like your new sofa to sit.
You'll need three main measurements:
Width – the total space available from side to side.
Depth – how far the sofa can project into the room.
Height – particularly important if the sofa will sit underneath a window, shelf or other feature, such as wall art.
Don't simply measure wall-to-wall. Think about how much space you actually want the sofa to occupy. Allow room for side tables, lamps, radiators, doors and other furniture, as well as enough space to comfortably walk around the room.
Also consider where the plug sockets are located in the room. If you're looking to purchase an electric recliner, then positioning the sofa close to a power outlet is essential. However, for a regular sofa or manual recliner, you might not want to block the sockets, leaving them accessible for easy use.
A useful measuring tip
Use masking tape to mark the proposed sofa dimensions on your floor.
For example, if you're considering a sofa that's 200cm wide and 95cm deep, mark out a 200cm × 95cm rectangle.
This visual cue gives you a much better idea of how much floor space the sofa will actually occupy.
2. Check the Sofa Dimensions
When looking at a sofa online or in-store, check its full dimensions.
These will usually be shown as:
Width × Depth × Height
It's easy to concentrate on width, but depth is just as important.
A deeper sofa may be extremely comfortable, but it can project much further into the room than expected. This can be particularly noticeable in smaller living rooms, reducing available space to move around and even blocking entranceways.
Remember that most recliner sofas require additional space when they're fully reclined, both in front of the sofa and behind, so factor that in when measuring up.
3. Think About the Rest of the Room
Your sofa shouldn't just fit; the room should still work once it's in place. If you have to squeeze between the sofa and coffee table every time you walk through the room, you may be better choosing a slightly smaller model.
Consider the position of:
Coffee tables
Side tables
TV units
Radiators
Doorways
Windows
Fireplaces
Cabinets
Chairs and armchairs
Plug sockets and switches
Avoid blocking radiators
Blocking radiators is another common issue that people encounter when trying to fit large furniture items into their homes, especially in smaller rooms. This can greatly reduce their effectiveness, leading to a colder home, higher energy bills and even gradual damage to your furniture.
4. Measure the Entire Access Route
Finding the perfect sofa is no good if you can't get it into the house, so consider the complete journey from the delivery vehicle to the room where the sofa will be positioned.
Measure the width and height of every doorway the sofa will need to pass through.
Don't forget that the usable opening can sometimes be smaller than the dimensions of the door frame because of the door itself, handles or other fittings. If necessary, check whether the door can be removed temporarily to create additional space.
In addition to measuring doorways, check the space in all areas the sofa will travel through:
Hallway widths
Staircase widths
Staircase height
Landings
Bannisters
Tight corners
Low ceilings
One of the most commonly overlooked measurements is turning space.
A hallway may technically be wider than the sofa, but the delivery team still needs enough room to turn the sofa around corners. This is particularly important with long 3-seater sofas.
Find out if your sofa is modular
Some sofas are modular, meaning they come in several pieces that connect easily once in place. This can be a great solution to navigating tight corners and doorways where a whole sofa would struggle to squeeze through.
5. Measuring for a Corner Sofa
Corner sofas take up a considerable amount of space in any room, and require a little more planning to ensure they'll fit comfortably.
You'll need to check:
Overall width
Overall depth
Length of each section
Position of the corner
Walking space around the sofa
It's also important to check whether the sofa is left- or right-hand facing, as this will have a huge impact on your room's layout.
Before ordering, compare the manufacturer's diagram carefully with the layout of your room. Again, marking the complete corner sofa footprint on the floor with masking tape can be particularly helpful.
6. Measuring for a Recliner Sofa
If you're buying a recliner sofa or recliner chair, don't just measure it in the upright position. Check how much space it requires when fully reclined.
Some recliners need more clearance behind them than others, while certain models are designed to operate relatively close to a wall. You should also make sure there's enough space in front of the sofa for the footrest to extend comfortably.
If you're not sure how far a recliner extends, speak with a member of staff in either of our stores, and they'll be happy to help.
Remember, electric recliners often need access to a power outlet, so consider placing them near an available plug socket in your living room.
7. Consider How the Sofa Will Look in the Room
Measurements aren't only about whether a sofa physically fits; proportion matters too.
A large 3-seater or corner sofa can look fantastic in a spacious living room but may dominate a smaller room. Equally, choosing furniture that's too small for a large room can make the space feel empty.
Consider whether a traditional 3-seater and 2-seater combination, a corner sofa, or perhaps a sofa with one or two armchairs would make the best use of your available space.
8. Double-Check Everything Before Ordering
Before placing your order, measure everything again.
It's worth checking:
Room width
Available sofa width
Available depth
Sofa dimensions
Door widths and heights
Hallways
Stairs
Corners and turning space
Reclining clearance, if applicable
Remember the old saying: measure twice, buy once!
Looking for a New Sofa in the North East?
At Furniture Warehouse North East, we stock a wide selection of sofas, chairs, recliners and living room furniture in different sizes and styles.
Whether you're looking for a compact 2 seater, a traditional 3 seater, a spacious corner sofa or a comfortable recliner, checking your measurements before buying will help you find the right furniture for your home.
You can browse our sofa ranges online or visit us in-store at our Sunderland or Chester-le-Street furniture stores.
If you're unsure about measurements or whether a particular sofa will work in your room, speak to our team before ordering and we'll be happy to help.
