The Distance Between the Back of Chairs & the Wall in the Dining Room

Room Setup

• Trial and error is an effective way to determine how much space you need between chairs and the wall. When you set up a room, place one of the chairs at the table. Pull it in snugly and comfortably to see how much space remains between the chair and wall. Slide the chair out so that you can get up and step away from the table. The chair should have space to freely slide away from the table without hitting the wall. If the chair and wall come into contact, you'll have to rearrange the room.

Small Rooms

• Setting up a small dining room is a challenge if you want adequate space between your chairs and the walls. Typically, you want to set the table in the center of the room so that every chair has as much space as possible. If your room will allow it, leave at least a foot (and ideally more) of space between the chair backs and walls so that your guests can push back their chairs and get out without hitting the walls.

Large Rooms

• With large rooms, you have more flexibility with the placement of your tables and chairs. Allow as much space as possible between the backs of each chair and the walls behind them so that guests can ease into the table in comfort and not have to worry about bumping the walls or feeling restricted.

Considerations

• If you, a member of your family or a frequent dinner guest requires more space because of height or weight, set up your dining room accordingly. If the person in need, for example, always sits against a certain wall, move the table a few inches away from that wall, and encourage children or smaller guests to sit on that side. If you have a small room in which the wall is getting hit by chairs, two options are affixing a wooden or plastic chair rail to the wall or putting soft foam or rubber bumpers on the rears of the chairs.