There’s nothing quite like falling in love with a new piece of furniture. When it’s just the right style, shape, and color for your space, suits your lifestyle needs, and has been expertly built to last, you know you’ve found the one. 

Now all that’s left is measuring to make sure it fits through every doorway, elevator, stairway, and hall to arrive scuff-free and perfectly arranged in your home; if that sounds daunting, it doesn’t have to be. Since measuring these crucial entry points, in addition to your new piece, and the space itself isn’t always top of mind when shopping for furniture, we’ve put together this helpful guide to make sure all your bases are covered and accounted for:

1. Make Sure It Works For Your Space

Let’s start with the space in your home where we’re hoping this new piece of furniture will comfortably fit. Try to imagine the piece there; where will it sit in relation to any windows, doors, or other built-in features? Consider the movable elements around it too; will there be enough space to walk between a new sofa and the coffee table, for example, or will a new accent chair in one corner require you to move the bookshelf to another? You might try using a roll of painter’s tape to outline the ideal area your new piece will reside in, and make sure it won’t block the natural flow of traffic. Then measure this allotted space so you can compare it with the measurements you’ll soon be taking of the furniture piece itself. 

2. Plan And Measure Your Travel Route

You know where you’d like to put your new furniture, but have you thought about how it’s going to get there? Consider the route a new piece will have to travel, into and throughout the rest of your home, before finally reaching its destination. Then use your measuring tape, and take down the height (A) and width (B) dimensions of every doorway, hallway, elevator, and staircase the furniture needs to fit through along its path of travel. Don’t forget to be precise, because the difference of even a centimeter could be a dealbreaker. For doorways, be sure to measure inside the door frame too, not the frame itself, and always measure any clearance distance (C) between walls if your new piece is larger like a long sofa. If the furniture needs to enter through one door, for example, and then make a turn before reaching its final place, is there enough distance between the wall outside the doorway, and the wall opposite it to clear the length of your piece? Finally, take note of any permanent fixtures like staircase railings, or lighting fixtures on the ceiling that might hinder certain points on your travel route. Include these in your measurements as well, since they likely can’t be adjusted to accommodate your path on move day. 

Pro Tip: Be creative, because you might have more options at hand than you think! Is there a garage door that’s an easier entry than the front door, for example, or does your building have a larger service elevator you can arrange to use on delivery day? Think outside the box to make the most of your possibilities. 

3. Properly Measure Your Furniture Piece

Now that you know the dimensions of your desired space, and of your home’s various entry points, it’s time to check the measurements of the new furniture piece to ensure it can be delivered safely into its new place. With your measuring tape, take precise measurements of the height, width, and depth, as well as the diagonal depth and diagonal height of any larger pieces like a bookshelf, dining table, or sleeper sofa. The goal is to determine whether the furniture will be able to turn on an angle to clear a sharper corner, or pass through a tighter door frame if necessary. A good rule of thumb is to tack on a few extra inches for each dimension to ensure you’re not having to scrape, shove, or scuff up your new heirloom to get it where it needs to go.

Pro Tip: Remember that in many cases, the legs of a chair, sofa, or table can be removed for easier transport, and a sectional sofa can be separated into its individual pieces too. Sleeper sofas can also often be disassembled for easier delivery. Take these things into account as you do your measurements, as they could make the delivery of your piece that much smoother.

4. Prepare Your Home For Delivery

Delivery day is finally here, and soon you’ll be enjoying that beautiful new table, chair, bed, or sofa in the comfort of your own home! Your last step in making sure the transition is as seamless as possible is to clear the path of all movable items, and/or tripping hazards. Do a walk-through of the intended delivery route in your home, and move as much as you can out of the way ahead of time. This will prevent unnecessary bumping or breaking of valuable items, and your movers will thank you for providing them with swift, hurdle-free passage too! If you have any rugs, consider rolling them to one side too, or taping down the corners to keep them from catching on the furniture, or someone’s shoe. These pre-move adjustments can speed up the transportation process, and make a big difference on delivery day.

At Urban Natural, we always strive to provide you with the very best in sustainable, ethically responsible, handcrafted, organic, and USA made furniture. Our team of experts is also happy to help you choose the piece that best fits your home, so don’t hesitate to reach out to us anytime, or schedule a complimentary design consultation today. After all, we’re confident that the right piece for you and your family is usually closer than you think, and always made with what matters.