The heart of the dining room, the kitchen and sometimes the living room has always been the table. It serves as a support point for carrying out most of our daily activities.
Often, however, table and chairs are the type of furniture on which you don’t have very clear ideas. Over time, homes have decreased the square footage available and the way we furnish our home has changed, moving more and more towards a philosophy of maximum optimisation of the available space.
The dimensions of the table and chairs has therefore become something to keep in mind when we plan to furnish the house or when we decide to bring a breath of fresh air into our dining room.
So let’s see in this article everything we need to know to better organize our spaces, considering the types and sizes of the tables as well as the features that the chairs you will choose must respect.
The size of the table
The first thing to consider when choosing a table, even before its actual size, is the number of seats we need.
Once we have identified the number of diners that our table will have to accommodate, we must consider that each guest needs at least 50 – 60 cm of space in width and 40 cm in depth to be able to comfortably sit at the table.
Therefore, the measurements of a table for six people should be approximately 120-140 cm by 80 cm. If, on the other hand, we opted for a table that can accommodate 8 people, we would need one of 160-200 cm by 80 cm.
As for a square table, 120 cm per side would be sufficient to accommodate 8 people without any problems.
Many believe that the round shape of the table is the best for making use of the space on the top. In fact, a 120 cm diameter table can comfortably accommodate 4 to 5 people.
In general, considering the dimensions of a rectangular table for 6 people (120×80 cm) and the space occupied by the chairs with seated diners, i.e. about 50 cm on each side, the overall size of the table and chairs is about 220×180 cm.
How much legroom do you need under the table?
In addition to the size of the table top, it is also essential to consider the size of the legs.
As for comfort, the ideal is a table featuring a central support that gives diners greater freedom in terms of seating. On the other hand, a table with a single central base might be a little less stable if someone leans on one end of the top.
For this reason, there is often a tendency to prefer the classic table with the legs placed at the corners of the top, even if the comfort level might decrease when a higher number of people sit at the table.
How much distance between the table and the wall
Before understanding how much distance we need between the table and the wall, we need to understand if the space along the wall is a passage area or not.
If it is not a passage area, then it will be sufficient to leave a distance of 50 cm for the chairs which allows you to comfortably sit down at the table.
If, on the other hand, it is a passage area, in addition to the 50 cm of space given by the chair, we will have to consider at least another 30 cm to allow passage around the table and to be able to easily serve all the guests.
The size of the table and chairs must therefore be carefully calculated according to the space we have available in order to keep any passageways clear. Furthermore, in the case of a room with small dimensions, a large table would literally risk suffocating the environment, creating an unnecessary and very impractical space to use.
How much distance between the table and a piece of furniture
If the piece of furniture near the table faces the side without doors or drawers, the distance to consider will be 50 cm. This will allow easy seating for the diners.
If the piece of furniture is instead positioned on the opening side, it is necessary to consider the opening space of the door and drawers, approximately 40 – 60 cm, to which we’ll have to add the space of 50 cm occupied by the chair.
Even in this case you will have to calculate the precise size of the table and chairs so that you can open doors and drawers if you need something, but without having to ask your guests to get up.
Rectangular table or Round table?
Often, it’s just a matter of taste, but let’s try to clarify the different strengths of rectangular tables and round tables.
Round Table
The dining table is synonymous with conviviality and the more compact a table is and keeps people close, the better it performs its function in terms of socializing.
From this point of view, a round table performs its function perfectly, eliminating the edges and reducing the distances between the diners.
The Emma extendable round table measures 120 cm in diameter and extends up to 160 cm. It can accommodate 4 people when closed and 6 once it has been extended. Emma features crossed iron central legs that facilitate the seating and accommodate one more person compared to a rectangular table of the same surface.
However, it should be kept in mind that the overall dimensions of a round table are greater than a rectangular table. In fact, the rounded and pot-bellied shape of the top could create space problems if the table is placed near a wall, making it difficult to move around it.
Rectangular Table
The rectangular table is certainly the easiest to contextualise in an environment. For example, rectangular-shaped tables fit much better into long and/or narrow spaces than round ones.
Our selection of rectangular extendable tables is studied in the name of functionality and design. Their dimensions when closed are particularly small and can be placed both in the living room and in the kitchen.
The Emma table is also available in a rectangular shape in two different sizes to better adapt to your environments and can accommodate up to 10 people when extended.
Discover our selection of extendable tables and optimise the overall dimensions of the table and chairs!
How to choose the right chairs
If 60 cm in width and 40 cm in depth are required for each diner, there must be about 30 cm of space between the table top and the seat to ensure that everyone can sit comfortably at the table.
The table tops are 70 to 75 cm high on average, which means that the height of the seat must be about 42 cm from the ground. All diners must have enough space to be able to move their legs and at the same time the table top must not be too high or too low to make those using it assume unnatural postures.
It is also necessary to consider the space occupied by the leg support band placed under the table top. There must be at least 20 centimeters between this and the seat to allow each diner to be comfortable.
Let’s also remember that to calculate the size of the table and chairs we must consider 50 cm of seat depth, plus another 30-50 cm from the wall.
If you find yourself having to deal with limited spaces, also read our article on how to furnish a small house and discover all the tricks to optimise the space occupied by the table and chairs in your living area, as well as the mistakes not to be made to make the most of every space.
