The dimensions of a dining table are essential to ensure that the table is suitable for your dining room as well as the number of guests you want to accommodate. These two parameters are essential to know the ideal size of a table. However, it is not always so easy to choose the right length, because it also depends on its shape (square, rectangular or round). In all cases, the tray must be long and deep enough to have space and place the cutlery, dishes and bottles without any particular constraints. In this guide, we offer some advice on dimensions.
The right table for your dining room
One of the first thoughts to have is the shape of the dining table. The most classic is of course the rectangular one, which has the advantage of feeling good in most living rooms. Some living rooms and dining rooms lend themselves particularly well to round and square tables, to respond to a problem of circulation in the room and/or the search for conviviality.
For example, you have to plan an empty space between the edge of the table and the wall or the sideboard or dresser. Why this distance? Because it will allow you to place the chairs and allow the different users to sit on them without difficulty. When you sit down or get up, you logically pull the chair backwards to be able to stand in front or go out. A setback space of at least 70 cm is therefore recommended to settle in comfortably. If it is not, your guests could accidentally knock the chair against the wall or the furniture with the risk of shocks.
Choosing a table with suitable dimensions and proportional to the room is therefore a first prerequisite.
Dimensions according to the number of guests
Another essential point is to evaluate the number of places that the table will be able to accommodate. Of course, the dining table is used for everyday use. These are the meals of everyday life such as dinner or breakfast, in the home, with or without the children and in small groups. But the table is also used for slightly more special and occasional occasions such as evenings with friends and Sunday lunches with the whole family. This is why we try to anticipate the number of place settings we need so that the dining table is also suitable for these episodic receptions.
As such, an extendable table can be a good solution for those who have a variety of needs, both for meals in small numbers and for those with a maximum of guests. There are several types of extension systems (butterfly, folding, detachable). All these extensions allow you to extend the length of the table to gain centimeters and therefore more cutlery. For example, you can very well opt for a 4-person table that can be extended to 8 places.
In all cases, a large space is provided between each guest. A good method of calculation is to consider that each guest takes up 60 cm of space, which takes into account the chair + a few cm between each chair for more comfort and to feel less cramped. By multiplying these 60 cm by the number of guests, you get the ideal length. Of course, this may also depend on the dimensions of the seats, but this can be a starting point for estimating your needs.
Dimensions of a square table
The square dining table is mainly used for small formats, which is why it is often found in kitchens. Check for more now on https://www.homary.com/category/dining-tables-34.html. However, there are large format versions that allow you to receive many guests around the set. It requires a bulky room. For square tables, the placement of the base is very important, because the feet can indeed be awkward when several people are seated. A central foot is in this case a good solution to avoid this inconvenience. Below is an indicative table of dimensions according to the number of places.
2 persons | 4 people | 6 persons | 8 people | 10 people | |
Side length | 60x60cm 70x70cm 80x80cm | 90 x 90 cm 100 x 100 cm 110 x 110 cm 120 x 120 cm | 120 x 120 cm 130 x 130 cm 140 x 140 cm 150 x 150 cm | 150 x 150cm 160 x 160cm | 160 x 160cm 170 x 170cm 180 x 180cm 190 x 190cm |
Dimensions of a round table
The round table is the convivial table par excellence because all the guests are evenly distributed, without anyone being far away at the end of the table. It can also be practical for those who are used to eating in odd numbers. The dimensions of its tray are expressed here in diameter. Here are indicative sizes depending on the number of guests to receive.
2 persons | 4 people | 6 persons | 8 people | 10 people and + | |
Diameter | 80cm | 90cm 100cm | 120cm 130cm | 150cm 160cm | 180cm 190cm 200cm |
Dimensions of a rectangular table
For the rectangular table, it is a little different because different configurations are possible. Indeed, the guests can first be arranged face to face in a conventional manner. In this case, we count 60 cm per person. Here, for a table of 6 people, for example, a table length of 180 cm is provided. Another configuration would be to have two people seated at the end of the table, at each end of the board. The length should therefore not be as important here, but there is however sufficient depth to benefit from a comfortable surface.
Note that for large tables, rectangular tables are the most suitable. The largest tables can accommodate 12 or 14 people.
Here is a table giving indications on the dimensions of a rectangular table.
4 people | 6 persons | 8 people | 10 people | |
Length | 110cm 120cm 140cm | 160cm 170cm 180cm | 200cm 220cm 240cm | 240cm 260cm 280cm |
Width | 80cm 90cm | 90cm 100cm | 90cm 100cm | 100cm |