How to Measure Your Room for a Corner Sofa
How to Measure Your Room for a Corner Sofa
Buying a corner sofa is an exciting investment – but there’s nothing more frustrating than falling in love with a sofa only to discover it doesn’t fit your room. Getting the measurements right before you buy is straightforward when you know what to measure. Follow this guide from S2 Sofas and you’ll walk into our Rotherham showroom – or browse our website – with the confidence of knowing exactly what will work in your space.
What You’ll Need
- A tape measure (5 metres or longer)
- A notepad and pen – or your phone’s notes app
- A helper (useful for longer measurements)
- Your room’s floor plan if you have one
Step 1: Measure the Total Available Space
Start by measuring the two walls that will form the corner of the room where you plan to place the sofa. Measure from the corner outward along each wall – note both measurements separately, as they’ll correspond to the two arms of the L-shape. For example, you might have 2.8m of wall running left-to-right and 1.8m running front-to-back.
When measuring, account for any features along those walls: radiators, windowsills, plug sockets, or built-in storage that might interfere with sofa placement. You’ll want at least 10–15cm between the back of the sofa and any radiators for heat circulation.
Step 2: Consider Walkway Space
One of the most common measuring mistakes is forgetting to allow for walkways. You’ll need at least 60–70cm of clear space between the front of your sofa and any other furniture or wall opposite. If the sofa is placed in the middle of the room rather than against a wall, allow for walkways on both exposed sides.
Also consider traffic flow – how do people move through the room? Is there a doorway that people regularly walk past? A corner sofa that blocks natural traffic flow will quickly become a source of daily frustration.
Step 3: Measure Your Doorways
This is the step most people forget – and the one that causes the most problems. Before you fall in love with a large corner sofa, measure the width and height of every doorway, staircase, and hallway the sofa will need to pass through during delivery. Standard UK doorways are 76cm wide, but older homes can be narrower.
Corner sofas are typically delivered in two sections and reassembled in the room, which makes access much easier. However, it’s still worth confirming the dimensions with us before ordering, so our delivery team can plan the best approach.
Step 4: Understand Left-Hand vs Right-Hand Facing
When browsing corner sofas, you’ll see them described as ‘right-hand facing’ (RHF) or ‘left-hand facing’ (LHF). This refers to which side the long section (chaise or extended arm) sits on when you’re standing facing the sofa. If you want the chaise-end on the right side of the sofa as you sit in it, you need a left-hand facing model – and vice versa. Sketch your room layout and mark where you want the long end to sit before shopping.
Step 5: Check the Sofa Dimensions
All corner sofas in our range at S2 Sofas are listed with their full dimensions: overall width, overall depth, height to seat, and height to back. Compare these carefully against your room measurements, including your walkway allowances. If in doubt, use masking tape on your floor to mark out the sofa’s footprint before buying – this gives you a realistic sense of how much space it will take up.
Ready to Buy?
Once you have your measurements, browse our full corner sofa range online or visit our showroom at 103 Canklow Road, Rotherham – open 7 days a week. Our team can help you find the right size and configuration for your room, and can confirm delivery dimensions and access requirements before you commit to a purchase.
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