How to Choose a Sofa That Fits Your Room and Doorway

Shopping for couches or lounge suites in Rotorua? Start with two sets of measurements: the space where the sofa will sit and the route it has to travel from the door to that spot. A sofa can fit the room and still be difficult to carry around a corner.

1. Measure the room before choosing a sofa

Write down your maximum sofa width and depth. Use painter’s tape to mark the footprint on the floor, then walk around it and open nearby doors and drawers. Leave room for the coffee table and the paths you use every day.

• Two- or three-seater: Compare overall width, not just seat count. Wide arms can make two sofas with the same seat count very different sizes.
• Corner sofa or chaise: Measure both sides of the layout and check the chaise side against the product photos. Make sure the extension won’t block a doorway or walkway.
• Recliner or sofa bed: Check the footprint with the footrest extended or the bed fully open, not just when it’s closed.

2. Measure the whole route, not just the front door

Measure the usable width and height of each opening with the door open. Include tight turns, hallways, stair landings and lift doors, and note fixed obstructions such as handrails. Photograph any tight spot so the store can see what you’re working with.

Ask for the dimensions of the largest piece or carton for the exact model, and check whether it arrives in separate sections or with removable legs. The listed sofa dimensions describe the furniture, not necessarily the package, and they do not guarantee it will fit through a doorway.

3. Compare furniture using actual dimensions

• Archi armless two-seater: 1600 mm wide × 800 mm deep × 920 mm high. Tape out the 1600 × 800 mm footprint to see what a compact sofa leaves around your coffee table.
• Moy fabric recliner chair: 1040 mm wide × 1010 mm deep × 1030 mm high as listed. Ask for its fully reclined depth before using it in a tight layout.

What to bring when you shop

Have your maximum sofa width and depth, the narrowest door opening, a photo of any difficult turn and your preferred chaise side. Browse our Lounge furniture in Rotorua, compare armchairs and two- and three-seater sofas, or look through our corner sofas and chaise lounges. If you’re between two options, contact Furniture 88 in Rotorua with your measurements and the product links.