How to Choose a Dining Room Table Size

Shape Solutions

• Furnish your dining room with an accommodating table shape and size to fit the available space and seat the number of guests you'd like to entertain. Rectangular-shaped dining tables work well in long, narrow rooms. A 30-by-66-inch rectangular table typically seats four to six people; whereas, eight to 10 guests can comfortably sit around a 42-by-120-inch table. You can typically seat an extra guest or two around the curved corners of an oblong pedestal table. Choose a round dining table for a square room to maximize the available space and break up the angles. Select a small 48-inch round tabletop for four to six diners and a 73-inch round table for eight to nine guests.

Push-Back Allowance

• Make your dining room more functional and aesthetically pleasing by allowing a minimum of 24 inches between the table and the wall behind it to make it easy for guests to slide their chairs out from under the table. Expand the wall-to-table distance to 38 inches if you intend for guests to walk behind seated diners.