Size guides by project

Most size questions come in groups. Furnishing a nursery or planning a kitchen means checking a dozen dimensions that depend on each other. Each reading path below lists the guides to open, in a sensible order, and what to check in each one.

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Setting up a home office

Start with the chair and desk height, then the screen, because the screen position depends on where your eyes end up. A standard desk is 29 to 30 in (74 to 76 cm) tall, which suits most adults only with an adjustable chair. Keep the monitor about an arm's length away, with the top of the screen at or slightly below eye level, and leave at least 36 in (91 cm) behind the desk to roll the chair back.

Moving house

The items that cause trouble on moving day are the large ones: sofas, mattresses, wardrobes and appliances that must pass through doors, stairwells and hallways. Measure each doorway's clear opening (the gap with the door open, not the door itself), the stair width and any tight turn, and compare them with the depth and height of the furniture. A standard interior door is 80 in (203 cm) tall and often only 30 or 32 in (76 or 81 cm) wide.

  • Door sizes: standard interior and exterior widths, so you know the opening before you measure the sofa.
  • Sofa dimensions: depth, height and diagonal depth, the figures that decide whether a sofa tilts through a doorway.
  • Mattress sizes: queen and king footprints, and whether a box spring will bend around a stair landing.
  • Storage unit sizes: what fits in a 5 × 10, 10 × 10 or 10 × 20 ft unit if the move has a gap.
  • Truck bed sizes: bed length with the tailgate up and down, and the width between wheel wells for flat-packed furniture.
  • Refrigerator dimensions and washing machine sizes: the new home's cutouts and hookup space, and door widths for delivery.

Furnishing a nursery

Crib dimensions in the US are fixed by federal safety rules (16 CFR 1219), so a full-size crib mattress always fits a full-size crib without dangerous gaps: slats no more than 2 3/8 in (6 cm) apart, and a mattress no more than 6 in thick. Plan the room around the crib's outside footprint, keep it away from windows and blind cords, and leave space for a changing area and a chair for night feeds.

Building a home theater

Pick the screen from the seating distance, not the other way round. For a 16:9 screen, a common guideline is a seating distance of about 1.2 times the diagonal for an immersive (40-degree) view and about 1.6 times the diagonal for a 30-degree view, so a 65-inch TV suits seats from about 6.5 to 9 ft (2 to 2.7 m) away. Then check the furniture under and around it.

  • TV sizes: screen width and height for every common diagonal, and how to choose by distance.
  • 65-inch TV dimensions: the most-bought large size, with stand footprint, wall-mount and VESA details.
  • TV stand sizes: a stand at least as wide as the TV, and the feet spread on wide sets.
  • Soundbar dimensions: whether it blocks the bottom of the screen on a low stand.
  • Projector screen sizes and aspect ratios: when a screen above 100 in makes more sense than a TV, and how 16:9 and 2.35:1 content fills it.
  • Recliner dimensions: wall clearance when reclined, which changes how far back the seats sit.

Shipping a parcel

Carriers bill the larger of the actual weight and the dimensional weight, so the box matters as much as what is inside. In the US, UPS, FedEx and USPS divide length × width × height in inches by 139. Pick the smallest box that fits the item with padding, and measure the outside of the box once it is packed.

Packing for a flight

Carry-on rules are set by each airline, not by a standard. Most large US airlines allow 22 × 14 × 9 in (56 × 36 × 23 cm) including wheels and handles, while many airlines elsewhere use about 55 × 40 × 23 cm with a weight limit. Check the specific airline, then measure the bag fully packed, because expandable sections and front pockets count.

Remodeling a kitchen

Kitchens run on a fixed grid: US base cabinets are 34.5 in (87.6 cm) tall and 24 in (61 cm) deep, and the countertop brings the work surface to 36 in (91 cm). Appliances are built to fit standard openings, so confirm the cutout for each one before choosing cabinets. Leave at least 42 in (107 cm) of aisle for one cook and 48 in (122 cm) for two, as the National Kitchen and Bath Association recommends.

Building a deck

Decide the deck size from what goes on it: a table for four with chairs pulled out needs about 10 × 10 ft (3 × 3 m). Lumber is sold by nominal size, so a 2 × 10 joist is actually 1.5 × 9.25 in, and spans and fastener schedules come from your local building code. Under the International Residential Code, a deck surface more than 30 in (76 cm) above grade needs a guard at least 36 in (91 cm) high.

Starting a home gym

Ceiling height and floor area decide what you can fit. A full power rack is typically 80 to 93 in (203 to 236 cm) tall, an Olympic barbell is 7.2 ft (2.2 m) long and needs clear space at both ends, and overhead presses need your standing reach plus the bar. ASTM F2115 asks for a clear zone of 2 m (79 in) behind a treadmill and 0.5 m (20 in) on each side.

Setting up a bedroom

Choose the bed from the room, not the other way round. Plan for a walkway of about 24 to 30 in (61 to 76 cm) on each side of the bed you need to reach, and more in front of a dresser so the drawers can open. A queen mattress is 60 × 80 in (152 × 203 cm) and a US king is 76 × 80 in (193 × 203 cm); the frame adds a few inches to both.

Laying out a dining room

Each diner needs 24 to 30 in (61 to 76 cm) of table edge, and the room needs about 36 in (91 cm) between the table edge and the wall so chairs can be pushed back and people can pass. A rug under the table should extend far enough that chair legs stay on it when pulled out.

Printing, framing and posting artwork

Design at the final print size and resolution: 300 pixels per inch is the usual target for prints viewed up close. Check whether the print uses an ISO size (A4, A3) or a US size (Letter, 11 × 17, 18 × 24 in), because frames and mats are made for one system or the other.

Planning a backyard

Outdoor items need more clearance than indoor ones: grills and fire pits need distance from walls and railings, and play equipment needs a fall zone around it. Check the manufacturer's clearance figures and local rules before you fix positions.