No matter the dining space you have available, your choice of table will come down to the dimensions that will fit comfortably into the area. The fun part of the project is the selection, and the variety of materials and styles on the marketplace today are limitless.

First, let’s review the most common shapes and sizes of dining room tables available to decide which type is a perfect fit for your dining room.

Table Shape

There are four basic shapes of dining table types and standard heights, each of which has its strong points and limitations.

  • Round: Excellent use of space in like a small or open area, that’s adjacent to a living room. Easily sits many while providing plenty of room for place settings and serving dishes.
  • Rectangle: Highly adaptable table with a broad assortment of widths. Some are available with leaf extensions to maximize the surface to accommodate additional guests attending your dinner gatherings.
  • Oval: Has the best characteristics of both a rectangle and round shape, this elongated rectangle does not as big a footprint as a rectangle does, lacking the hard edges with no corners. But does have the surface space, and you can easily add seats when necessary.
  • Square: A neat space-saving shape that can fit in a corner area of an open space or kitchen. Usually seats four, but if it is larger than 42 inches, can typically hold more people.
  • Standard table height is 28 to 30 inches.
  • Counter table heights range from 34 to 40 inches

Size Table

The perfect table size should comfortably fit and accommodate the required number of guests in the space with room to spare for movement. The minimum width of a place setting is determined by the average width of a person's shoulder. The average depth of a place setting is determined by the width of a full set with plate, flatware, and glassware.

These are the ideal widths for tables:

  • Basic with only place settings is 30 inches.
  • With serving pieces, the width is 36 inches.
  • A formal dining setting, place settings should be 40 inches.
  • If you want to reach across the table, it should maximize at 48 inches.
  • If you need to squeeze an extra chair, allow the bare minimum 24 inches

Seating Requirements

When shopping for dining tables, you can find their seating capacity listed in their product description. They normally increase in size by intervals of two, starting with a two-person square or round table and running upward to the larger sizes of expansive dining room tables.

Chair Size

Chairs must fit under a table and allow comfortable room for the dining car. The ideal leg room is seven inches of vertical space between the chair and table top. Retailers also offer coordinated tables and chairs as dining room sets which include the right number of chairs for the table size.

Now, with your dining area measured and furniture requirements determined, it's time to get the perfect table and chairs for your dining room.