How to choose a dining table: size, shape and seating

Buying guide

How to choose a dining table

Dining tables are bought by the number of seats and regretted by the clearance. Work out how much room the chairs need before you decide how big the table can be, and the rest follows easily.

1. Start with the clearance, not the table

A chair needs roughly 36 inches behind it to pull out and sit down comfortably, and closer to 44 inches if somebody has to walk behind a seated guest. Subtract that from each side of your room, and what is left is the largest table the room can actually hold.

Do this before anything else. A table that fills the room looks generous in a photograph and makes dinner unpleasant.

2. Allow enough table per person

Each person needs about 24 inches of table edge, and 26–30 inches if you entertain properly and want serving dishes down the middle.

Seats	Rectangular	Round
4	48 × 36 in	42–48 in diameter
6	72 × 36–40 in	54–60 in diameter
8	84–96 × 40 in	60–72 in diameter
10	108–120 × 42 in	Not practical — go rectangular or oval

Table width matters more than people expect. Under 36 inches there is no room for serving dishes; 40 inches is comfortable; beyond 48 inches conversation across the table gets difficult.

3. Shape follows the room

• Rectangular suits a long room and seats the most people per square foot. The default for a reason.
• Round is the most sociable shape — everyone can see everyone — and it is far kinder in a tight room because there are no corners to walk into. Above about 60 inches across it starts to feel remote.
• Oval gives you the sociability of a round table with the capacity of a rectangular one, and is the right answer in a narrow room more often than people realise.
• Square works for four and is awkward for anything else.

Check the base as well as the top. A pedestal or trestle base lets you squeeze an extra chair in at the ends; four corner legs do not, and a leg landing exactly where a guest wants to sit is a permanent small irritation.

4. Height and chairs

Standard dining height is 29–30 inches. You want about 10–12 inches between the seat of the chair and the underside of the tabletop — which is why an apron or a drawer under the top needs checking against the chairs you intend to use. Armchairs at the table look wonderful and need the arms to clear the apron, or they will not push in.

5. Material, honestly

Solid wood ages well, takes a mark, and can be refinished decades later — the marks are part of the appeal or they are not, and it is worth knowing which sort of person you are before you buy. Marble is beautiful and porous; it wants sealing and it will stain from turmeric, wine and lemon. Glass shows every fingerprint but keeps a small room visually open.

If the table is made to order, the length is yours to set, which is the cleanest way to get a table that leaves exactly the clearance your room needs. Ours take about six weeks.

Questions

What size dining table seats six?

A rectangular table of about 72 × 36 to 40 inches, or a round table of 54 to 60 inches in diameter. Allow roughly 24 inches of table edge per person, and more if you serve from the middle of the table.

How much space do you need around a dining table?

About 36 inches from the table edge to the nearest wall or furniture so chairs can pull out, and around 44 inches where someone has to walk behind a seated guest. Work this out before choosing the table size.

Round or rectangular dining table?

Rectangular seats the most people per square foot and suits a long room. Round is more sociable and easier in a tight room because there are no corners, but becomes remote above about 60 inches across. Oval combines both and often suits a narrow room best.

What is the standard dining table height?

29 to 30 inches. Leave 10 to 12 inches between the chair seat and the underside of the tabletop, and check that any apron or drawer clears the chairs, especially if you are using armchairs.

Is a marble dining table practical?

It is beautiful but porous. Marble needs sealing and will stain from turmeric, wine, oil and lemon if spills sit. Solid wood is more forgiving, marks with use and can be refinished years later.