Round Dining Table
Buy the dining table that’s right for your lifestyle
We all go through different stages in life, and different pieces of furniture will be more appropriate at different times. Take a little celebrity inspiration to decide which style table is best for you right now …
1. The single girl
Role model: Carrie Bradshaw
The brief: You’re living on your own, but you like to have the girls over for cocktails and dinner parties. You want a dining table that’s fashionable, modern and fits in with your feminine apartment. It can’t be too big because you’re short on space.
The solution: The Naro round white table is very feminine, just right for about four of you to have drinks and dinner around, and the relatively small size and the light colouring means it doesn’t take up too much room or make the space look cluttered – and it can be pushed into a corner and used as a lamp table when you’re home alone.
Naro round white table
2. The single guy
Role model: Robert Patterson
The brief: You’ve got the ultimate bachelor’s pad – lots of dark colours and wood. You sometimes have your mates round for pizza and like to be able to turn on the charm occasionally and cook a romantic dinner for a lady you’re trying to impress.
The solution: Essen dark wood dining table (below). This dining table’s simple, sophisticated and modern, with chrome legs and a choice of table tops. For your bachelor pad we’d recommend the chocolate wood veneer.
Essen dark wood dining table
3. The couple without kids
Role models: Katy Perry and Russell Brand
The brief: It’s your first place together and you’re very keen on high end design and glossy contemporary furniture. You want a dining table that’s big enough for all your friends, and your family at Christmas time. You’re splitting the cost of the furniture so you’ve got a decent budget and want an investment piece.
The solution: The Gant large extending glass table. This glossy dining table is the epitome of chic, and will look great in your grown-ups-only home. It’s easily big enough to seat 10, so you’ll be the pair throwing all the dinner parties in your social circle.
Gant large extending glass dining table
4. The young parents
Role models: Charlotte Church and Gavin Henson
The brief: The little ones come first now, so you need a dining table that’s suitable for using with a high chair, and that won’t get ruined when food and drink is spilt on it (which it will be). The table should also look good in your home, which is young, bright and contemporary.
The solution: The Fern white gloss dining table in white. It’s simple, serviceable and solid – plus it’s laminated so spills can just be wiped clean.
Fern white gloss dining table
5. The extended family
Role models: The Geldofs
The brief: Some of the kids are still living at home, others have homes of their own, but regularly descend on your place expecting to be fed – often with their own children in tow. You want something family-friendly but elegant, and something that will match your home – which is a mix of contemporary and more traditional styles.
The solution: The Potenza dining table. This one’s available with a black or white lacquer frame with a glass top, which is just so elegant – the prefect celebration table, and the grown up kids will be envious of their trendy parents.
Potenza glass and lacquer dining table
6. The retirement years
Role models: Helen Mirren and husband
The brief: Your time is your own these days, the children all have their own places and only tend to come over at Christmas time. Ideally you’d like something flexible, that’s perfect for just the two of you to have an evening meal together, but that can be extended if you have friends or family to eat with you. You home is conservative but modern, with lots of light wood.
The solution: The Galaxy extending wooden table. It’s contemporary yet not too minimalist, and the light wood will look great in your home. When you have guests, extend it to the max, when it’s just the two of you, fold it up. Simple and practical.
Galaxy extending dining table
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.