How to measure for a sofa- 5 experts share their top tips It’s an invest piece that’s important to get right, so knowing how to measure for a sofa is essential to avoid that classic ‘Ross from Friends’ moment…PIVOT! A new sofa can totally transform a room and with so many stylish designs on the market, it can be a bit of minefield to whittle down what the best sofa for your home is, before you’ve even thought about the size! Not only does your sofa have to fit your desired space perfectly, but it’s also got to get through the door- and possibly up stairs and round tight corners first. We’ve probably all fallen fail to online shopping and bought something that has turned up far bigger or smaller than we expected. While this can make for an amusing anecdote, it can also cause a lot of stress and cost us some hard-earned money when it comes to pieces of furniture. How to measure for a sofa Charlie Marshall, Founder of Loaf says, ‘Having your new sofa delivered should be fuss-free and relaxed, so we always suggest measuring up and checking dimensions of your room before placing any orders. That way, our delivery crews can ensure that sofas will be able to fit in through doors, around tight hallways and up or down stairs.’ Kellie Wyles, Head of Upholstery and Brand at DFS says, ‘Measuring for your sofa is an important step in the sofa decision making process. It’s not a case of simply getting the tape measure out, but also about considering what works best for a space, how it will look visually and work logistically.’ Luckily, if you follow our handy guide, ordering your new sofa should go without a hitch, and you’ll be sat down with your feet up in no time. 1. Think about how you use the room Image credit: Future Plc/Simon Whitmore First things first, you need to choose a sofa that is right for you, so it helps to know how you currently use the space, or how you plan to use the space. There are plenty of living room sofa ideas out there, so this should help to streamline your choices. ‘Start by thinking about what your living room is going to be used for. Some people have separate living rooms from the rest of the house and a lot of us have knock throughs where it’s off the kitchen/diner, but whatever size of space it’s important to understand whether it’s a social place or if it’s a place for watching TV, or both, says Charlie. ‘Symmetry in a social or formal space will look great and the balance between sofas facing each other, or even a sofa and two armchairs, will be visually appealing. Introduce a large footstool or coffee table in the centre and some ambient lighting for an intimate feel. If it’s a family room then it’s likely that the sofa will be a main feature, and this could even be a large corner or chaise style. Create balance with a coffee table or a storage footstool in front of the sofa and add a large armchair or love seat to one side. The armchair or love seat will create a visually even weight to the room which will keep it feeling balanced. The trick is to not group too much furniture in one part or at one side of the room.’ Kellie advises to make sure you’ll be giving your new sofa the space it deserves. ‘Your first step should be to look at the room where you plan to put your sofa and consider what’s needed for the space. Do you need a sofa that will fit into a snug corner or are you looking for a statement piece for the middle of an open plan room? Perhaps you would prefer a big, comfy, corner option for movie nights with the whole family! Once you’ve established this you can start to search for a sofa style that works with your space.’ 2. Scope out the space Image credit: DFS Buy now: Swoon Rene 4 seater sofa in in teal velvet, from £999, DFS Next you need to get a feel for the space and take into consideration how much of the room will be left once the sofa is in. ‘It’s always helpful to walk around the space where the sofa will be to check you can move around it comfortably,’ says Kellie. ‘This will help you ensure that you’ll still be able to open windows and doors when the sofa is in situ and move past any coffee or side tables. Similarly, take note of any nearby shelves or radiators to ensure the sofa height isn’t a problem.’ Charlies goes on to suggest, ‘Always keep in mind how people will be coming in and out of the room and arrange the furniture accordingly as traffic flow is key. You don’t want any knocks or bumps and you don’t want any awkward weaving through the room. Aim to keep paths fuss-free and clear! Generally, you want lots of space! I’d say that walkways should be a minimum of 900mm and if it’s less than this then you’ll feel it. Image credit: Future Plc/Maxwell Attenborough Patricia Gibbons from the Design Team at Sofa.com adds, ‘The scale of your sofa is important. Too big and it can feel like it engulfs the whole room, too small you’ll be fighting over the best seat in the house. Finding that sweet spot is key. Smaller rooms benefit from selecting sofas with slimmer proportions and sleek, clean silhouettes. Choose a model with elegant, tapered legs which raise the frame from the floor to give the illusion of more floor space. These larger scale pieces feel more statement and create an anchor to design around without overpowering a large living room. They also help zone, effectively acting as a room divider.’ 3. Measure, measure and measure again! Image credit: Snug Buy…

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