You need to answer 3 basic questions:
How many people do you want it to sit?
What function will the dining table hold?
What is the size of the room?
How many people do you want to sit?
Are you feeding your family of four on a regular basis or do you need to sit more like 6 or 8 on a regular basis? The average family of four has a table that can sit at least 6 people. Sometimes a friend comes over or the grandparents drop in for a quick dinner. If your family is larger you are going to need a larger table that will seat more people. You may also want to consider how you eat your meals.
How much space do you have to place a dining table?
You need to consider a few factors. You need to fit dining chairs and have space to walk around when you put the table in the room. Are there other pieces of furniture that you need to fit? Is there other furniture in the room? You need a minimum of 36 inches around the table and your nearest object. Otherwise, it will be a tight squeeze if someone needs to get up and go to the bathroom during dinner. To have the space look more proportional to the space available you should consider 48 inches around the table and the closest objects. This creates a comfortable space to move around when people are seated and doesn’t make the space look overcrowded.
How much space is too much space?? There is nothing worse than furniture that is oversized for the space but an undersized table can look just as awkward. You should have no more than 72 inches between your walls/objects and the table.
What’s the table function?
Is your dining space meant to be an intimate gathering or are you looking for a large harvest table that will host the entire family including Uncle Bob and Aunt Sue that come in from Up North for the Thanksgiving dinner? To have comfortable conversation you need to be no further than 7 feet apart to be heard without raising your voice. If you are considering a round table or a square table you need to maybe one that is 8 feet wide might fit everyone what if you want them all the bit part of the conversation this might be a bit much. A longer table will allow for intimate conversation with more than just people to your left and right.
Does your table have the ability to expand in a space? You may want to consider getting a duo-function table. This type of table can expand for family occasions or dinner parties when you want to but also provides the more intimate everyday family dinners. This can be the best of both worlds when you have space to expand but don’t want it all the time. There is more than one type of expansion table. The classic leaves that are added to the centre of the table are great as the leaves can often be stored in the table itself so you don’t need to find another space to hide them or drag them up from the basement every time you have the need for a larger dinner party. A newer mechanism to the expansion is the butterfly leaf. This allows for table expansion with an easier mechanism for hiding the leaf and placing the leaf in the table. Another option to consider is the dining table with leaves that are added to the end. This is great for those rare occasions when you need more table but most of the time your regular table size is just fine. This type of table creates a smooth clean look all the time and just when you have extra guests you get a break in the table where the leaves the table connect.
Adding a rug?
Make sure your rug fits the type of table you have, round, square, or rectangular. In general, follow the same shape as the table you have although a round table on a square rug can look proportionate, just as an oval table look great with a rectangular table but not so much with a square one. In general, your rug should be 30 inches longer than your table to allow comfortable movement of your chairs without being on uneven ground.
What about a bench?
A bench provided extra seating for the events when you want to expand your table but can be used in other parts of the house when you don’t need the extra seating. It also is great to tuck up under the table when you have limited space for seating but can be pulled out when you have a few extra guests that pop by with pizza and beer.
