Dining Room Furniture - How Tall, How Wide, How Long?
Furnishing a dining room is an expensive task when decorating. Make sure you buy the right furniture that will serve you and your meals for years to come. Here are the ABC’s and 123’s to help make fit your furniture to your dining room:
Tips for Tables
Standards for dining room tables, or kitchen tables for that matter, are:
Each person will need 24-30 inches of length for the table. To seat four people on each side, you’ll need at least an eight foot table, preferably 10 feet to allow for extra elbow room.
Standards for sizes for each shape are:
Round
36-inch diameter seats 2
40-inch diameter seats 4
56-inch diameter seats 8
Square
38-inch square seats 4
60-inch square seats 8
Rectangular and Oval
36 x 60 seats up to 6
36 x 72 seats 6 to 8
36 x 84 seats 6 to 8
48 x 96 seats 8 to 10
48 x 132 seats 12
Tables should measure 29-30 inches in height. Antique tables are gorgeous in the dining room, but remember, people were generally shorter way back when and table legs can be reduced due to damage through the years. If you’ve found a table that works in every which way but height, try adding casters (small brass wheels) to add inches.
The width of the table should be at least 30 inches.
Check placement of the table legs to make sure they fit with your seating arrangements. Don’t be afraid to play with the seating for the table in the store. They’d rather you try it out there than have to return the table!
If buying a second hand table, make sure it doesn’t wobble. If it does, fix the wobble, it’s a dining disaster waiting to happen.
The Science of Seating
Seats should be the right height for the table, obviously. The standard seat height is 20 inches from the floor.
Make sure the chair fits properly under the table, many dining room tables have an apron around the edge of the table that can interfere with leg room.
Watch those arms – although we love armchairs for dining for the comfort factor, the arms don’t always fit under the tabletop. If you choose armchairs – check the fit.
Antique seating in the dining room always lends a warm and classic look, but make sure they are nice and sturdy. Antique chairs were often constructed of dowels and tongue and groove construction, which can wear down through the years. Make sure they’re nice and safe for your guests, if not, make sure your homeowner’s policy is up to date!
Now that you know the basics, focus on the fun part, choosing the shape, style and color.