We know how excited our customers are for their deliveries, so ensuring that delivery happens smoothly with minimal stress is really important. And that the furniture fits perfectly in the room once delivered. One of the most common issues our delivery team face are tight doorframes, hallways and stair cases. While our lovely white-gloved delivery men will take away your order no questions asked if it doesn't fit, the fact is this scenario is easily avoidable. Simply follow our advice and do some mindful measuring up before placing your order.
Here's how to make sure your furniture measuring is perfect every time…
Sofas, Sofa Beds & Armchairs
A sofa or sofa bed is the anchor of your living room. It's likely to be the biggest piece of furniture in the room. So it's important to check it fits comfortably. And not just when the room is empty. When measuring up you need to take into account the other pieces of furniture that will also need to fit in too. Such as armchairs, coffee tables, sideboards and bookcases, for example.
A good way to judge the size of any furniture you're thinking about purchasing is to mask out its dimensions using newspaper or tape. If it's a sofa bed don't forget to also take into consideration the area the bed will occupy once it's fully extended too! Or you could find yourself caught short when the time comes to use it.
When measuring up it's also crucial to take into account the journey your sofa bed will need to take. From the point it enters your home to the moment it reaches your living room or bedroom. Including any narrow corridors, turns or doorframes it will need to fit through. If space is looking to be an issue it can be a good idea to select a design that has removable arms and feet. Or a modular design, that fits together in units. And can be assembled on arrival in the room of your choice.
Love seat sofa beds, which are slightly smaller than a standard two-seater are also ideal for space-strapped living rooms. Because they have more bijou proportions make them easier to accommodate in smaller spaces.
Bedsteads, Divans & Ottomans
As with sofas it can be a good idea, when measuring up a bedroom, to mask out the space your bed will occupy using newspaper or similar. This will give you a realistic sense of the scale of the bed. Not only in proportion to the rest of the room but also in relation to your wardrobes and other bedroom furniture. All of which need to fit into place. While still allowing you plenty of space to walk around comfortably.
If you're opting for an ottoman or divan bed base remember to factor in the space you'll need to access them. If it looks likely that the drawers will take up too much room or be inaccessible, switch to an ottoman design where the base lifts up vertically instead. This will still give you much needed storage underneath the mattress. But you'll save on floor space at the same time.
If your bed base doesn't come with a headboard but you're thinking of including one remember to account for this in your furniture measuring too. It may not seem like much but a headboard can occupy inches worth of space. Which could make a key difference between being able to open a wardrobe door comfortably. Or even accommodate another piece of furniture in the room.
Measuring up accurately is the key to making sure your furniture doesn't dominate a room. Or look out of proportion when it's in place. So don't be tempted to skip this step. There's nothing worse than discovering your furniture is too big for its intended space when it turns up on delivery day.
For more advice on measuring up for your furniture see our dimensions guide on our website. Or speak to one of our experts on 020 8939 3800.