Shopping for furniture and homeware in London

Katerina Galkina · EN · 07/10/2026

Measure before visiting

Measure the intended space, passages, doors, stairs and lift. For sofas, consider depth, door movement and the delivery route as well as wall width. An item may fit the room but fail to pass through the entrance.

IKEA lists London stores ↗, and Heal's describes its Tottenham Court Road showroom ↗. Compare specific products and budgets rather than entire brands. A city-format shop may have different stock and collection arrangements from a large store.

Inspect in person

Sit normally on a sofa and assess seat height and depth. Check legroom beneath a table and support from chair backs. For tableware, consider capacity, weight and care suitability.

Ask about structure, surface materials, replacement covers, spare parts and repairs. Screen colours can differ from a home sample. For expensive orders, view fabric or finish swatches under your own lighting.

Calculate the complete price

Add delivery, stairs, assembly, fittings and old-furniture removal where required. Establish whether delivery reaches the room or only the entrance, what happens with inadequate access and who pays for a repeat attempt. Delivery does not automatically mean installation.

For made-to-order goods, check production time and amendment or cancellation conditions. Retain the approved size, fabric, colour, legs and included parts. A similar-looking model may have different construction and cost.

Receiving and using the item

Check packaging, parts, finishes and mechanisms before discarding documents. Photograph damage and report it through the seller's process. Avoid replacing missing parts with arbitrary fixings without agreement.

Follow anti-tip and load instructions. Obtain necessary drilling permission in rented property. Cleaning, pets, children and future moves can matter more than a showroom photograph when choosing practical furniture.