How wide is a dining room table?

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When choosing your dining room table, one thing to consider is the right width. There are several factors that can help determine what your ideal width would be. In this article, we try to elaborate on the things to keep in mind.

  • Consider the available free space in your dining room
  • Consider how your guests will be seated
  • Different shapes call for different usages

Consider the available free space in your dining room
The free space we consider in this case can be the distance between walls. Or remaining space when you take other furniture into account, like the fireplace or dresser. In the perfect world, you should have at least one meter between the table and the wall or other items. This way you have enough space to walk through when people are seated at the table. If you have a smaller area, consider placing the table off-center, so you can still create enough space for one side of the table to pass.

Consider how your guests will be seated
86 cm is the minimum amount of table widths if you would like to place plates on the table. This way there will remain 25 cm in between the plates to place glasses and food. However, the sitters will be crammed up underneath the tabletop, so only consider this minimum if you host dinner parties a few times a year.

Different shapes call for different usages
Dining tables are often in a few different shapes: round, oval, or rectangular. A round table is cozy, it is easy to see everyone at the table. However, it can be hard to host a larger number of people. An oval-shaped table can give you some flexibility if you can extend it. It is also perfect for smaller spaces because nothing is sticking out. Rectangular tables are often an easier fit in most rooms and allow more chairs.