Made-to-measure furniture or a ready-made fit? Check first, then order

The niche next to the fridge, the short wall in the hallway, the space under the stairs: when you need furniture for spots like these, made-to-measure quickly comes to mind. Yet for many of them there is already a ready-made piece that fits exactly. It is just hard to find, because shops sort by category, not by centimetres.

Why ready-made is often enough

Furniture doesn't have to fit a niche to the millimetre. Ideally it is 1 to 3 cm narrower: then it slides in without scraping the wall and still looks built in. Within that margin there is a surprisingly wide choice at many widths, from narrow shoe cabinets to wide shelves.

What speaks for ready-made furniture

Price: made-to-measure usually costs several times as much.
Delivery: ready-made furniture often arrives within days, made-to-measure usually takes weeks.
Moving: a ready-made piece fits your next flat too, a built-in often stays behind. That matters especially for renters.
Returns: online purchases usually come with a right of withdrawal, made-to-measure pieces usually don't.

When made-to-measure makes sense

For sloped ceilings with an angle, very wide niches over 2 metres, furniture that has to reach from wall to wall without a gap, or complete built-ins such as a kitchen. Then a carpenter is the right choice.

How to find ready-made furniture that fits

Measure the width, depth and height of your niche or wall. Our guide to measuring explains exactly how.
Enter the measurements on Sizely. You only see furniture from many online shops that really fits, best fit first.
Nothing there? Set up a search alert and get an email as soon as matching furniture is added.

Frequently asked questions

Do I really need made-to-measure furniture for a niche?

Often not. For many niches between 20 and 200 cm wide there are ready-made cabinets, shelves and sideboards that are only 1 to 3 cm narrower than the niche. That is enough for the furniture to fit and slide in easily.

How does a ready-made piece compare in price?

Furniture made to measure by a carpenter or an online configurator usually costs several times as much as a ready-made piece and takes weeks to deliver. Ready-made furniture from a shop often arrives within days.

When is made-to-measure worth it?

For sloped ceilings with an angle, for very wide niches over 2 metres, when the furniture has to reach from wall to wall without a gap, or for built-ins such as a whole kitchen.

What if Sizely finds nothing that fits?

Set up a search alert. Sizely emails you as soon as a shop offers furniture in your size. Only if nothing turns up is a carpenter the right choice.

Find furniture that fits

Enter your measurements on the home page, or browse furniture for common widths: