Your Upholstered Bed Has Arrived: What to Check Before You Set It Up
, by RSB Furniture,
7 min reading time
A practical post-delivery inspection sequence for an upholstered bed: compare the order with the size, upholstery, configuration and components before following the supplied assembly guidance.
The bed is here, but the first job is not to put it together. A short, orderly check while the delivery is fresh makes it easier to compare what has arrived with what you actually ordered. Keep your order confirmation to hand, make space for the packages and work through the bed from the outside in: labels and packaging, visible upholstery, chosen configuration, then the components needed for your particular model.
This is a post-delivery check, not a universal parts list or an assembly manual. Beds and selected options differ. Use the instructions supplied with your product and RSB Furniture’s current retailer guidance for anything specific to your order.
1. Put the order record beside the delivery
Find the order confirmation or another written record of the agreed specification before moving parts into their final positions. Check the product name, selected bed size, fabric and colour, base or storage configuration, and any extras you selected. If there was a later agreed change, use the final written confirmation rather than an earlier basket screenshot. A current product page can help you recognise a design, but it does not replace the options recorded for your individual order.
For example, the Catriona Wingback Bed offers choices of size, fabric and base or storage option. The Plush Paradise Divan Storage Bed offers size, finish and configuration choices, including base, drawer or storage options. Neither product name alone tells you which combination was ordered. Write down the exact choices shown on your own paperwork before inspecting the delivered pieces.
2. Check packages before discarding anything
Count the packages physically present and look for labels that identify the product or sections. Compare any packing information supplied with the delivery and note whether a separately ordered item is recorded as a separate item. Do not assume that every upholstered bed arrives in the same number of pieces: packaging and components may differ by model and configuration. If a carton count looks unfamiliar, consult the relevant packing or assembly guidance rather than treating the count alone as proof of something missing.
Look around each outer package for crushed corners, punctures, tears or damp-looking patches before opening it. Photograph any concerning area with the label visible, then photograph the contents as you uncover them. Keep protective wrapping and small bags together until you know what is needed for assembly. A quick photograph of where a fitting was packed can save confusion later, especially when more than one box has been opened.
3. Confirm the bed size without guessing from one panel
Start with the selected size on the order, then check the size marking on the delivery labels and any supplied instructions. Match identifiable parts to the bed described there. A headboard may extend beyond the mattress area, and a base section is not necessarily the full length or width of the assembled bed, so measuring one loose piece against the mattress size can give a misleading result. If you need to measure, record which part you measured and compare it with the relevant product or assembly guidance.
Before assembly, also check that the chosen location still suits the delivered design. Leave enough working space to inspect parts without leaning an upholstered surface against a rough wall or dragging it over the floor. This is a practical arrival check, not a repeat of the room-measuring decisions you made before ordering. If the label, confirmed size and supplied pieces do not appear to agree, pause and ask RSB Furniture for clarification with those details to hand.
4. Inspect upholstery in clear, even light
Uncover each upholstered surface carefully and compare its fabric, colour and visible finish with the final order details. Inspect the headboard face and edges, winged sides if your design has them, side sections and foot end where applicable. Look at seams, corners and trim for obvious marks, tears, loose-looking sections or transit scuffs. Photograph a concern close up and again from far enough away to show its position on the component.
Lighting and fabric texture can change how a colour looks, so compare under consistent room light rather than making a decision from one shadowed corner or a flash photograph. If you kept a swatch, view it near the bed, while recognising that a small sample and a large upholstered surface may look different in the room. Record what you can see without trying to diagnose its cause. Avoid using cleaners or rubbing a mark while you are still checking the condition on arrival.
Once you have documented its initial condition, the separate upholstered-bed fabric-care guide is a useful starting point for routine care. For an issue noticed at delivery, check the product guidance and speak to the retailer before attempting any treatment.
5. Compare the configuration, not just the colour
Use the selected options on the order to identify what the bed is meant to do. Is the headboard style the one specified? Does the delivered base correspond to the ordered version? If storage was chosen, is its type and placement consistent with the confirmation? Do not infer an error simply because a showroom photograph shows a different option: made-to-order ranges may be pictured in more than one finish or configuration.
The distinction matters particularly when comparing a wingback bed with base or storage choices against a divan with drawer or storage choices. Check the actual order for the Catriona’s selected configuration or the Plush Paradise’s selected drawer or storage arrangement; do not assume that a feature listed as an available option comes with every version. If you cannot identify a component or option while it is still unassembled, note the label and ask rather than trying to force an interpretation.
6. Lay out the components against the supplied instructions
Only once the visible bed and configuration have been checked should you prepare for assembly. Open the product-specific instructions and identify the named components and fixings they show. Group loose fittings without mixing bags from different packages, and check for any small parts tucked into labelled compartments or protective packing. If an illustrated part looks different from yours, compare its label or orientation before deciding it is absent.
Do not use a generic internet diagram as a substitute for your bed’s guidance. Models, options and assembly arrangements differ, and an unfamiliar bracket or panel can have a specific purpose. If instructions are missing or unclear, ask the retailer for the correct guidance for your order before proceeding. Likewise, check the service recorded on your order rather than assuming assembly is included or excluded for every customer.
7. Document a discrepancy, then pause the affected step
Useful notes are specific: the order number, product name, selected options, package labels, a short description of the concern and clear photographs. For a suspected missing piece, say which item the supplied instructions name and which packages you have checked. For upholstery, show both the detail and the whole part. For a size or configuration question, include the wording from the final order confirmation. Keep a copy of relevant correspondence and avoid throwing away labels or packaging until the question has been resolved.
Contact RSB Furniture using the contact details provided with your order or on its website and ask how to proceed. Do not assemble past a point that depends on a disputed component, and do not modify a part to make it fit. The appropriate next step depends on the facts and the applicable retailer guidance; an inspection checklist cannot promise a particular remedy or outcome.
A simple arrival record to keep with your order
Order checked: final product name, size, fabric, colour, configuration and selected extras.
Delivery checked: package labels, supplied paperwork and any visible packaging concerns.
Bed checked: identifiable sections, upholstery surfaces and chosen base or storage details.
Assembly checked: the instructions for this model, listed components and fittings, and the ordered service scope.
Questions recorded: photographs, package labels, relevant order wording and the retailer response.
If you are still at the planning stage rather than receiving a bed today, the separate made-to-order bed pre-order checklist covers decisions to settle before purchase. On delivery day, however, keep your focus narrower: compare the bed in front of you with the order you placed, follow its own assembly information and raise any uncertainty before it becomes harder to describe.
