Will My Furniture Fit Through the Doorway?
What to measure, which side of the furniture matters and where it usually gets stuck.
Furniture fits through a doorway if its smallest side, usually its depth or height, is narrower than the narrowest opening on the way in. Measure the doorway between the frame and the open door, leave about 5 cm (2 in) to spare, and check the hall, stairs and turns as well as the door.
What to Measure
- The doorway. Measure the clear width between the frame and the door when it is open as far as it goes. The door leaf and its hinges usually take 2 to 4 cm (1 to 1.5 in), so the opening is narrower than the door is wide. Taking the door off its hinges gets that back.
- The height. An ordinary doorway is about 200 cm (79 in) high. A wardrobe, bookcase or tall fridge is often close to that.
- The route. Measure the front door, the hall, any corner and the stairs. The tightest point on the whole route is the one that counts.
- Stairs and turns. On a turn, the piece has to pivot, so length matters as well as width. Check the headroom on the stairs and above the landing.
Which Side of the Furniture Matters
Compare the opening with the piece's smallest side, not its width. A sofa is often 90 cm (35 in) deep and 85 cm (33 in) high but 220 cm (87 in) wide, so it goes in on its end and the depth or the height decides.
If the smallest side is within about 5 cm (2 in) of the opening, it is too close to rely on. A sofa with arms that stick out can also catch on the frame, so measure it at its widest point.
When It Does Not Fit
Many sofas have legs or arms that come off, and many wardrobes and beds arrive flat-packed and are built in the room. The product page usually says which. Taking the doors off a wardrobe or the legs off a sofa can gain several centimeters.
If a piece truly cannot go through, you can have it brought in by a window or over a balcony, or choose a modular design built in pieces. Check this before buying.
What Nooked Does and Does Not Check
Nooked checks that a piece fits in the room once it is there: it keeps the walkways, the space around the piece and the swing of the doors clear. It does not check the route into the room, so measure that part yourself with a tape measure.
Once you have a piece that fits through the door, paste its link into Nooked and see it at real size on your floor plan.
Common questions
- How do I know if furniture will fit through a doorway?
- Measure the narrowest opening on the way in, and compare it with the furniture's smallest side. Leave about 5 cm (2 in) to spare.
- How wide is a standard doorway?
- Interior doors are commonly about 76 to 83 cm (30 to 33 in) wide, and front doors often 90 cm (35 in) or more. The clear opening is a few centimeters narrower than the door itself, so always measure yours.
- Does taking the door off its hinges help?
- Yes. The open door leaf and its hinges use 2 to 4 cm (1 to 1.5 in) of the opening, which you get back when it is off.
- Does Nooked check if furniture fits through my door?
- No. Nooked checks that furniture in the room does not block a door's swing, but it does not check the route in. Measure the doorway, hall and stairs yourself.
Check the piece in Nooked
Nooked is a furniture fit checker and decision tool that lets shoppers place real furniture at real scale before buying. Compare finds from different stores and build a moodboard of pieces that fit together in size and style.