Whether you are planning a dining room extension, buying a new reclaimed wood dining table or moving into a new home you should work out what space you have to play with before you start planning the build or even look at dining room furniture. Bear in mind the shape of the room to help you choose the basic shape of the table - if your dining room is more of a square shape then you can use a square or round dining table. A round wood dining table will allow you to put things in the corner of the room like a dining room sideboard or plant pot. Of course, if the room is rectangular then a rectangular or oval table is perfect.
4 - 6 seater
The most popular dining room tables seat six - which comprises of two down each side and one at each end. The average size for a 6 seater table is generally somewhere between 75 x 150cm and 100cm x 1800cm. The amount of people you manage to comfortably seat around it does also depend on what type of dining chair you will be using with the table. A chair with arms will need a bit more room than a chair with no arms and if you opt for a dining bench then you will need less space and be able to fit more people along the side of the table.
To work out how much space you will actually need for the table and to pull the chairs in and out you should allow an absolute minimum of 70 cm around the table however 100cm+ is much better. Do remember to take into account any other furniture you want to put in your dining space. Ideally, your dining room will be somewhere in the region 3.5m x 4.5m to accommodate a four to six diner table, allow for seating and a sideboard.
Photo featuring: Standford Industrial Reclaimed Wood Dining Table & Reclaimed Wood Bench
6-8 seater
A six to eight seater dining table is generally somewhere around 90 x 180cm to 100 x 240cm so your room should be around the 4m x 4.5m size. A dining room does not have to have empty space, in fact, you don't want your table to look a bit lost in the middle or be unable to create a more intimate atmosphere during dinner parties. If you really don't want to get a bigger table in a large dining room then you can consider an extending dining table, some have leaves you can add just when you have guests while others will have a handy mechanism with a space to store the extensions within the table.
8-12 seater
If you have a large household or just love to entertain and need a larger table then your table should be a minimum 140x300cm, however, your dining room will have to be in the region of 5m x 5.5m to fit this in. If your living space is open plan you may be able to get away with a little less space for the dining table. The Dorset Large Reclaimed Wood Extendable Trestle Table is perfect for the larger dining space. This rustic dining table will blend in perfectly with reclaimed wood furniture you already have in your kitchen or dining room. The large table can extend to 2.9 metres long, perfect for family nights and large dinner parties. The average width of a leather dining chairs is around 45 cm (without arms) so you could comfortably get 6 down each side, add a dining bench and you can squeeze even more around the table!
Photo featuring: Dorset Large Reclaimed Wood Extendable Trestle Table
