Have you ever started rearranging furniture, and oh no, the couch doesn’t fit where you wanted it to, or the dining table is too long for this side of the room? Measuring your furniture is one simple step that can save you a lot of headaches and frustration when moving, buying new pieces, or simply rearranging your furniture. It’s quick, easy, and we’ll walk you through the process.
This guide will teach you how to measure furniture for moving, for delivery, to fit furniture down stairs, and much more. Remember, whenever measuring furniture or appliances, be sure to measure the furniture at it’s widest point and the door or stairs at their most narrow points for best results. When in doubt, take three separate measurements at different points and use the widest or narrowest measurements, respectively.
What You’ll Need
Before measuring anything, you will need a few simple tools.
- Paper and pencil – work best for taking quick notes.
- Tailor’s measuring tape – you will also need two different measuring tapes. A tailor’s measuring tape is easy to manipulate into soft, upholstered furniture. You can find a tailor’s measuring tape at craft stores.
- Tape measurer – for most of the measurements you will need to take, a standard tape measure is ideal. Keep your tape measure in your home tool box for future projects. Let’s get started with some of the most popular furniture pieces.
How to Measure a Sofa
When moving into a new home, measure your existing furniture and the room you intend to place it in. This will also let you know if the sofa needs to be taken apart before it’s brought inside.
- Room – the first measurement you want to take on a sofa, is actually of the room the sofa sits in, including all the door frame sizes.
- Width – Next, measure the width of the sofa from arm to arm—the widest part of the sofa. If your sofa has rolled arms, measure from the outside of the arms.
- Height – The height of the sofa is measured at the back in the center of the sofa. Measure from the tallest point in the center of the sofa to the floor.
- Depth – To measure the depth, measure from the outside edge of the seat all the way to the back. This is one of the most important measurements for a sofa.
Diagonal depth – the last measurement to take is the diagonal depth. Place your measuring tape from the top back of the frame to bottom front. For a sectional sofa, repeat these steps for each part of the sofa.
How to Measure an Arm Chair
Armchair measurements are similar to sofas, on a smaller scale. It’s important to take careful measurements, since armchairs tend to be more stylized.
- Height – first, measure the height from the center of the chair back to the floor.
- Depth – Measure the depth from the outside edge of the seat to the seat back.
- Width – Before moving your new armchair into a room, make sure it will fit into the space by measuring the width from arm to arm. Knowing the width will help prevent scratches or uneven placement. Some armchairs have extra tall cushions, so measure tall cushions separately with your tailor’s measuring tape.
How to Measure the Dimensions of a Dining Table
Whether you prefer a bar height table or a farmhouse style table, measuring a dining table before purchasing will determine how large a table will suit your space. Your dining table needs about 3 feet of space around the perimeter to allow chairs to be pulled out comfortably.
- Length, width, and height – to measure a rectangular table, measure length and width of the table first, then measure from the floor to the apron. The apron is the piece beneath the table’s top edge.
- How to measure a circular table – measure a circular table down the center, then from floor to the apron. You can use the table’s height as a guide for chairs.
Measuring a Dresser to Move It
Your dresser , or chest of drawers, is one of the most used furniture pieces in your home, but if it’s too tall it’s just a hassle to use.
- Height – measure from the floor to the top of the dresser for the height.
- Depth – next, determine how deep the drawers are by measuring the side width of the unit. This can also be referred to as the width of the dresser.
- Length – the length of the dresser is measured from one side of the dresser to the other.
Measuring a Bed the Right Way
Beds come in standardized measurements for King, Queen, Full, and Twin, but the frames can range in dimension. To measure a bed frame, you will first need to strip off the mattress and bedding.
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Length – first, measure from the top center to the bottom center of the mattress area for the length.
Width – then, measure from center left to center right. These measurements should match up to your mattress size. - Measuring headboards and footboards – head and footboards should be measured from the top center for height, then from side to side for width.
Tips for Measuring Unique Uniquely Shaped Furniture
Extra features, like shelving, drawers, and decorative carving can add a lot of height and bulk onto the bed frame. Take care when measuring kid’s theme beds or canopy beds. Since the highest point of a furniture piece is usually in the center, measure from center.
To measure how much space you have under your bed, measure from the bottom of the frame to floor. Platform beds need to be measured from the platform itself to get an accurate measurement of how tall the bed is.
Tying it All Together
Measuring tape in hand, you now know how to measure just about every furniture piece in your home. Taking the time to properly measure everything helps make your home feel more welcoming and cozy. With your new skills, you’re ready to get creative!
More décor tips:
- How to Estimate Home Furniture Cost
- Counter Height vs. Bar Height Stools
- Are High End Appliances Worth the Money?
- 5 Tips for Finding Furniture on a Budget
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