
One of the most common challenges when buying new furniture is ensuring that it fits properly in your home. There’s nothing worse than falling in love with a beautiful sofa or dining table, only to realize it won’t fit through your doorway or dominate your living space. Proper planning and measuring are crucial to avoid these headaches. In this blog, we'll walk you through the key steps to determine if the furniture you’re eyeing will fit seamlessly into your home.
1. Measure Your Space
The first step in making sure your new furniture fits is accurately measuring the space where you plan to place it. Grab a tape measure and take note of the dimensions of the room—length, width, and height. Additionally, measure the wall space, especially if you're planning to place large pieces like sofas or bookshelves against a wall.
Tips:
Consider traffic flow: Leave enough space around the furniture for people to walk comfortably. For example, in a living room, allow at least 18 inches between the coffee table and sofa for easy movement.
Think vertically: If you’re considering tall furniture like cabinets or armoires, make sure there is ample ceiling height. Low ceilings might make large furniture feel cramped.
2. Account for Doorways, Hallways, and Elevators
Before you even get to placing the furniture in a room, it has to make it through your home’s entry points. Measure the width and height of all doorways, hallways, staircases, and elevators that the furniture will need to pass through.
Tips:
Measure at the narrowest point: If you have narrow stairwells or tight turns, account for these when planning the delivery route.
Don’t forget building regulations: For apartment buildings or condos, check if there are any rules or size limitations for moving large items through shared spaces like hallways or elevators.
3. Use Painter’s Tape or a Furniture Template
Once you have your room’s dimensions, a great way to visualize how the furniture will fit is by marking out the space. You can use painter’s tape on the floor to create a mock-up of where the furniture will sit. Alternatively, cut out cardboard templates in the exact size of the furniture and lay them on the floor.
Benefits:
Helps with spatial planning: It gives you a clearer sense of how much space the furniture will occupy and whether it will feel too large or too small for the room.
Test traffic flow: With the template in place, you can see if there’s enough room to walk around comfortably.
4. Check Furniture Dimensions Carefully
When shopping online or in-store, always double-check the dimensions provided by the manufacturer or retailer. Furniture is often styled and displayed in a way that can make it look larger or smaller than it is in person. Having the exact dimensions helps you avoid surprises when the furniture arrives.
Key Measurements to Look For:
Length: This is especially important for larger pieces like sofas or dining tables.
Depth: For items like chairs or benches, depth ensures they won’t stick out too far into walkways.
Height: Make sure taller furniture pieces won’t overwhelm your space or block windows or artwork.
5. Consider the Scale of the Furniture
Beyond simply fitting the furniture into a room, you need to consider its scale. Large furniture can dominate small rooms, while small furniture might get lost in larger spaces. Ideally, the furniture should be proportionate to the room size and other items in the space.
Tips:
Group furniture of similar scale: Avoid pairing oversized furniture with tiny pieces as it can look unbalanced. A large sectional sofa, for example, might need a substantial coffee table and side chairs to match its scale.
Use rugs to define spaces: A rug can help anchor furniture and create zones in open-plan areas, giving even large furniture a more balanced look.
6. Account for Windows, Radiators, and Other Fixtures
While planning where to place your new furniture, don’t forget to consider windows, radiators, and other permanent fixtures in the room. For example, placing a tall piece of furniture in front of a window could block natural light, or putting a sofa too close to a radiator might make it uncomfortable to sit in during colder months.
Tips:
Keep furniture away from radiators: Leave a gap between heat sources and furniture to avoid damage to the upholstery or wood.
Mind the windows: Make sure that furniture won’t block light or access to windows, especially if they’re used for ventilation.
7. Use Room Planning Tools
Many furniture retailers and interior design apps now offer room-planning tools that let you visualize furniture in your space. These tools allow you to input your room’s dimensions and “place” furniture pieces virtually to see how everything will fit together.
Benefits:
Virtual visualization: It gives you a clear idea of how the furniture will look and fit without having to physically rearrange anything.
Experiment with layouts: You can easily swap pieces in and out and move them around to find the perfect arrangement for your space.
Conclusion: Measure Twice, Buy Once
When buying new furniture, taking the time to measure and plan ensures that you avoid the disappointment of ill-fitting pieces. By carefully considering the room’s dimensions, doorways, and the scale of the furniture, you can confidently invest in pieces that not only fit physically but also enhance the overall aesthetic and comfort of your home. Whether you’re furnishing a small apartment or a spacious house, proper planning is key to creating a functional and beautiful space.
By following these steps, you can make your furniture buying experience smoother and more satisfying.
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