Will a Tall Cabinet Fit? A Measuring Guide for Small Apartments

Short answer: for a cabinet 31.5 in wide, 15.75 in deep and about 71 in tall, plan on a wall at least 32.5 in wide, about 16 in of open floor in front so the doors can swing, and a ceiling of at least 73 in if you build it on the floor and tilt it upright. Then anchor it to the wall.

1. Width: measure the wall at three heights

Measure where the cabinet will stand near the floor, at waist height and near the top. Baseboards, outlet covers, light switches, radiators and door trim all take space that a tape measure at eye level misses. Leave about half an inch on each side so you can slide the cabinet into place without scraping the wall.

The Little Arch 71 and both Arch Wardrobes are 31.5 in wide. Pantry 72 is 27.6 in wide.

2. Depth and door swing

Depth is on every spec sheet; door swing usually isn't. On a two-door cabinet each door is roughly half the cabinet's width, and it sweeps an arc about that wide as it opens. That's the clear floor you need in front of the cabinet, before you add room to stand.

The door widths are estimates from the cabinet width. In a hallway, check that an open door won't block a doorway or the path through.

3. Height, and the tilt-up rule

Tall cabinets are usually assembled lying on their back and then tilted upright. Partway up, it's the cabinet's diagonal that has to clear the ceiling, and the diagonal is longer than the height: the square root of (height² + depth²).

A standard 8-foot (96 in) ceiling clears all of these with room to spare. Measure first if the spot is under a sloped ceiling, a soffit, a basement beam or a staircase, and tilt the cabinet up away from ceiling lights and smoke alarms. If the diagonal won't clear, choose a shorter piece: the Arch Wardrobe 60 is 60.16 in tall.

4. Getting it inside

Our cabinets arrive flat-packed, so you carry boxes of panels rather than a finished six-foot cabinet. It's still worth measuring the narrowest turn on the way in, and checking whether your building asks you to book the elevator for deliveries.

Plan on two people: assembled, they weigh from 60.4 lb (Arch Wardrobe 60) to 75.2 lb (Arch Wardrobe 71).

5. Anchor it to the wall

Tall, narrow furniture can tip, especially if a child climbs it or heavy things sit on the top shelves. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission counted 581 deaths from furniture, TV and appliance tip-overs since 2000, 81% of them children, and an average of about 22,500 emergency-room visits a year for tip-over injuries in 2018–2020.

• Fasten the anti-tip strap or bracket into a wall stud, or use anchors rated for your wall (drywall, plaster or brick).
• Pantry 72 comes with a wall anchor kit. If a piece doesn't include one, the CPSC says most anti-tip kits cost less than $20.
• Keep the heaviest things on the lowest shelves.
• Renting? Ask your landlord before you drill.

Which piece fits which spot

Checklist

1. Wall width at three heights, minus trim and outlets, plus half an inch on each side.
2. Depth, plus door swing, plus room to stand.
3. Ceiling height at least the tilt-up figure above.
4. The narrowest point on the way in.
5. A stud or suitable anchors for the anti-tip hardware.

Not sure about a spot? Send us your measurements and we'll help you check.

Sources

• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: tip-over injury and fatality report (February 2022)