Dining Seating
How Many Chairs Will Fit Around A Dining Table?
Use the graphic below to size your dining table and layout your dining room. If you want to have end seating at your dining table, it needs to be at least 42" in depth. Otherwise, you will need to leave extra space at the ends to allow for the additional place settings, allowing for less seating along the sides of the table.
Q: How Many People Will Fit Around A 30" x 30" Table?
A: 30" x 30" tables seat 2 people.
Q: How Many People Will Fit Around A 42" x 42" Table?
A: 42" x 42" tables seat 4 people.
Q: How Many People Will Fit Around a 72" x 42" Table?
A: 72" x 42" tables seat 6 people.
Q: How Many People Will Fit Around An 84" x 42" Table?
A: 84" x 42" tables seat 8 people.
Q: How Many People Will Fit Around A 108" x 42" Table?
A: 108" x 42" tables seat 10 people.
Q: How Many People Will Fit Around A 132" x 42" Table?
A: 132" x 42" tables seat 12 people.
Measure the Space
Before selecting a dining table, it is important to measure the room it is going in. It is optimal to have at least 42 inches between the edge of the table and a wall. This allows people to easily get in and out of their seating without feeling crammed under the table. 36 inches of space between the edge of the table and the wall is a bare minimum that you should never go below in an attempt to fit a larger table into a smaller space. Whenever you are selecting any type of furniture, it is critical that you measure the space, measure the furniture, and make sure that the fit will be as desired.
Extension tables can be of use when you are trying to do more with less. If you want your table to have the comfortable 42 inches of space around it most of the time, and are willing to bump it down to 36 inches on certain occasions, you may be able to find an extension table that will accommodate both.
Table Space
When sizing a table for a certain amount of guests, the name of the game is table space. Each person needs both enough space to fit in their seats and enough table space to comfortably dine. A good rule of thumb is to provide a bare minimum of 24 square inches per guest of table space, and optimally 30 square inches or more per guest. Remember all the extra accoutrements that take up table space and take them into consideration as well.
Table Height
Remember that the standard height for a table top surface is 30 inches and the standard seat height for dining chairs is 18 inches. This information will come in handy if you are considering using chairs that are not traditionally used as dining chairs. If they have a seat height of 18 inches, they will probably work. Be sure to consider armrest height as well, making sure they won't interfere with pulling a chair underneath the table.