Will It Fit? Measuring for Doorways, Stairs and Tight Turns
Every piece we make is solid wood, handcrafted, and built to be lived with for a long time. Which is exactly why the question we hear most often isn't about finish or fabric — it's simpler than that. Will it actually get through my front door?
It's a fair question. A sideboard that looks perfectly at home in a photo still has to travel through a doorway, along a hallway, possibly up a stairwell, and around at least one corner before it ever reaches the wall you've pictured it against. Solid wood furniture doesn't flex or fold the way flat-pack pieces do, so the measuring has to happen before you order, not after the truck arrives.
Here's how to check properly, so ordering is a formality rather than a gamble.
Start with the piece, not the room
Product pages list overall dimensions, but delivery access is about more than length and width. Two numbers matter most:
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Depth or diagonal measurement — a sofa or cabinet often has to be tilted or turned on its side to get through a doorway. The number that matters at that point isn't the width, it's the diagonal across the piece.
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Box or crate dimensions, where available — our furniture is delivered fully assembled, so the item itself is the size it will be in your room. There's no flat-pack margin for error.
If a spec isn't listed clearly enough for you to compare against your own measurements, contact us at support@mercerandgray.com before ordering. We'd rather answer the question now than sort out a delivery problem later.
Measure every point of access, in order
Walk the exact route the piece will travel, from the delivery vehicle to its final spot, and measure each of these:
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Front door or entry point — width and height, including the door frame itself, not just the open door gap.
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Any interior doorways the piece will pass through — hallway to living room, landing to bedroom.
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Hallways and corridors — particularly where they narrow, jog, or meet a stairwell.
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Stairways — width, ceiling height above the stairs, and the turning space at any landing or bend. Tight stairwell turns are the single most common place a large piece gets stuck.
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Elevators, if applicable — interior dimensions and door width, not just the stated weight capacity.
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The room itself — confirm there's enough clear floor space to bring the item in, stand it upright, and manoeuvre it into position.
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Ceiling height, where relevant — for tall cabinets, bookcases or beds that need to be tilted to get around a corner.
For anything with a tight 90-degree turn — a stairwell landing, a narrow hallway corner — add a diagonal check. Hold a tape measure or a length of string corner to corner across the doorway or landing, and compare it to the diagonal measurement of the piece. This single check catches the fit problems a straight width-and-height comparison misses.
What our delivery includes — and what it doesn't
We deliver fully assembled, so there's no unpacking a flat-pack box in your hallway. But unless it's stated on your product page or order confirmation, delivery does not include assembly beyond what's already done, carrying items upstairs, carrying items to a specific room, or removing an old piece of furniture. Delivery may also be curbside, doorstep, threshold or room-of-choice depending on the item and your location, so it's worth knowing which service level applies to your order before delivery day.
Measuring beforehand isn't just about avoiding disappointment — it's a practical requirement. If an item can't be delivered or placed because it doesn't fit through an access point or into the intended space, we're not able to cover the cost of return shipping, storage, handling or restocking. That's not us being difficult; it's simply how large, solid furniture works once it's left the workshop. Taking ten minutes with a tape measure protects you from a cost, and it protects the piece from a rushed, risky delivery.
A short checklist before you order
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Widest and diagonal dimensions of the piece
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Front door and every interior doorway on the route
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Hallway width, especially at corners
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Stairwell width, ceiling height, and landing turning space
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Elevator interior dimensions, if used
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Clear floor space in the final room
If any of these come up tight, get in touch before you order. We can talk through the piece's exact dimensions, and in many cases suggest whether a different size within the same collection, or a different delivery approach, would work better for your space. It's a five-minute conversation that saves everyone a difficult delivery day.
