Danetti Lifestyle

What Size Round Dining Table Should I Go For?

The most important factor in buying a new round dining table has to be the size. After all when you think about it, the dining table is the largest single piece of furniture in most homes.

The Dining Room:

Whether you have a traditional dining room that is a separate room of its own dedicated to entertaining or you plan to put your round dining table in a kitchen or open plan kitchen/ breakfast room it is crucial that you measure the room and place a dining table in there that is in proportion to the rest of the room.

The problem lies not so much in buying a table that is relatively small for the space- It is your own personal taste and circumstances that will decide this. Rather the problem instead lies with buying a round dining table that is too large for the room. If this happens people will struggle to move around the room and table comfortably and will feel enclosed.

The widely accepted rule is that there should be a 900mm minimum gap between the edge of your table and the wall, not only to stop people feeling like sardines but also so that when the dining chairs are pulled out by diners, the chairs do not brush up against the walls.

The Dining Table Itself: Large Vs Small

The general consensus is that at a round dining table 762mm should be allowed per person, this is because the shape of the table means that a person’s allotted space will narrow nearer the centre of the table.
The size of the table you require will vary according to how many people you plan to seat at it. If you want six people to be able to sit at the table then go for a table that has a 1524mm diameter. Really this is the smallest you can opt for as far as six diners are concerned, any smaller and people will start to feel cramped and there maybe some elbow overlap when it comes to eating!
A round table that is 1016mm in diameter is about the right size for a party of four. Some designers concede that at a squeeze you can fit six at a table of this size but only if there is no alternative.

The Effect:

Allowing different amounts of space per person can even allow you to create different dining experiences. For example, the Regina round dining table is big enough to seat six to eight people but if it is used to seat four and placed in a room where there is ample space for its 1300mm diameter a luxurious, spacious and slightly regal feel will be created.

Alternatively if you want an intimate, casual and friendly atmosphere for a group of six then allowing a large amount of space for each diner won’t work. You’ll need to get something like the Cross Round Extending Dining Table which is 1200mm in diameter and can be extended to fit eight people around it.

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Social and Commercial Dining - The Rules

You’ve found the perfect dining table and chairs, the dining room table looks every inch an extract from one of those good home magazines, and the candles add the final touch, creating the right mood for your dinner party. Guests arrive and are met by a canapé and wine reception, when everyone is gathered; you guide your guests to the dining table…..from then on in it all goes horribly wrong. There is not enough space around the table for guests to pull out and get under it, eventually they manage but your guests now resemble sardines rather then the magazine extract you had planned. This could have been avoided if we had just followed the “Rules of Dining”.

Now obviously these are not strict guidelines, they bare room for a little flexibility, for instance to squeeze in that extra person who didn’t RSVP, so you had no idea they were coming, but they are guidelines all the same, to help you achieve the most from your dining experience.

Choosing the Right table: - The table should be 750mm in height, allowing room from the slightest to the most robust guest. So chairs should be around 450mm high at the seat.

Choose Numbers: - Each diner requires 600 mm to eat comfortably, whilst leaving 100mm between each person to avoid any stray elbows landing in soups.

For four persons dining, a square/circular dining table is ideal for creating the right level of dining intimacy and gives enough room for all. For six plus , you should look at rectangular tables, the standard length of these dining tables is 1200 mm, many come with folding leaves so are easily extending to fit all guests comfortably. We suggest the Innocence Dining Table for four diners and the Lenda Classic Dining Table for six diners or more.

Choose the Area: - You will need to keep at least 600mm free space around your dining room table to allow easy access in and out. So for a square dining table measuring 1200mm x 1200mm, a space of 3600 mm sq is required.

Commercial Dining

Every restaurateur knows the importance of a restaurant layout and you only get one chance to get it right. There are many important factors to consider but top of the list is - layout. It is crucial to get the right spacing, leaving enough room for your waitress to manoeuvre comfortably for both them and diners, around the dining tables and to and from the kitchen.

The space needed around the tables is slightly more than standard dining, this is to allow for the flow of traffic between the tables and give each tables its own level of privacy. The distance around each table should be 900mm for comfortable dining.

Which Table to serve what? : - Dependant on which cuisine style your restaurant is serving, will be a deciding factor on the different level of space required by individual diners, a diner in a coffee shop requires less room than someone in a restaurant having a three course meal.

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