Whether you’re buying a dining room table for an existing formal dining room or more casual dining space, or are simply in the process of planning to create a new dining area, it is important to ensure that you obtain the correct dining room table size for whatever space that table will inhabit. In order to do purchase a table of the right size, one must know the proper dining room table dimensions for a particular dining space. This includes knowing how much space should surround a dining table so that the people seated there and those walking in and out of the space have sufficient clearance to do so.
Below you’ll find a series of five custom diagrams that illustrate the proper dimensions for a dining table in relation to the number of people sitting in a dining space. We’ve included dimensions for dining tables of various shapes that can with space to seat six, eight, ten, or twelve people. Each diagram also specifies the number of people each dining table can accommodate.
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A. What is the proper dining table size by dining room dimensions?
Below are the short answers to this question. See our diagrams below for more details.
Four person dining table
- Dining room size: Width: 8 feet 10 inches x Length: 10 feet
- Table dimensions: Width: 34 inches x Length: 48 inches
Six person dining table
- Dining room size: Width: 9 feet x Length: 12 feet
- Table dimensions: Width: 36 inches x Length 5 feet 10 inches
Eight person dining table
- Dining room size: Width: 9 feet x Length: 14 feet
- Table dimensions: Width: 36 inches x Length: 8 feet
Ten person dining table
- Dining room size: Width: 9 feet x Length: 16 feet
- Table dimensions: Width: 36 inches x Length: 10 feet
Twelve person dining table
- Dining room size: Width: 9 feet x Length: 18 feet
- Table dimensions: Width: 36 inches x Length: 12 feet
Also, you can check out our dining room table size calculators here.
B. Universal Dining Table Spacing and Height Dimensions
- Three feet (36 inches) of distance from the table to the wall on all sides.
- Seven (7) inches of distance from the chair to end of the table on each side of the chair. Dining table length will vary according to dining chair width.
- Three feet (36 inches) of table height.
- Two feet (24 inches) of chair seat height from floor.
- One foot (12 inches) of distance from the chair seat to table top.
The following diagrams will show slight variations in table size depending on table shape. These diagrams are meant to be guidelines for space, distances, and height regarding dining tables and dining chairs. All the below examples below use square tables (four person), circular tables (four people), or rectangular tables (six to twelve people).
C. Dining Room Size and Table Dimensions for Four People
1. Rectangular Dining Table Dimensions for Four People
2. Round Dining Table Dimensions for Four People
3. Square Dining Table Dimensions for Four People
D. For Six People
1. Rectangular Dining Table Dimensions for Six People
2. Round Dining Table Dimensions for Six People
3. Square Dining Table Dimensions for Six People
E. For Eight People
Our dining table comfortably seats eight people but in a pinch can seat ten. Having the space for an eight person table can be ideal, because an eight person dining set is perfect for dinner parties or game nights. Below are the dimensions for eight person dining tables, including round, square, and rectangle tables.
1. Rectangular Dining Table Dimensions for Eight People
2. Round Dining Table Dimensions for Eight People
3. Square Dining Table Dimensions for Eight People
F. For Ten People
1. Rectangular Dining Table Dimensions for Ten People
2. Round Dining Table Dimensions for Ten People
3. Square Dining Table Dimensions for Ten People
G. For Twelve People
1. Rectangular Dining Table Dimensions for Twelve People
2. Round Dining Table Dimensions for Twelve People
3. Square Dining Table Dimensions for Twelve People
What are the most important dining room table dimensions to consider?
The most important dimension consideration when it comes to dining room tables is the space surrounding the table. People should not be squeezed around a dining table like sardines. Ideally, your family and guests should be able to sit at a comfortable distance from the table. Family and guests should also be able to slide their chair back to get up from the table, then walk easily around the table to enter and exit the dining area.
It follows that if you have a narrow dining room or area, you should look for a narrow dining table to fill the space. Dining table dimensions vary widely from one another, and it is better to have a narrow dining table with sufficient clearance on all sides than a wide table and not enough clearance for movement and comfort. Since it is much easier to buy a new table than renovate a dining space, most opt to purchase a table width that is meant for a small space. Of course, if you’re undergoing a major renovation anyway, this would not necessarily apply. It is more important to own a table that’s the right size than an impressive table. This can mean having enough space to seat all your friends and family, or it can mean having a smaller table so that people seated at the table can move about the dining space easily.
One advantage of open concept living spaces compared to enclosed dining spaces is the fact that there is more space to accommodate larger tables, though this is not always the case. Often, the ideal size of the dining table is merely a matter of allocating enough space between the living room area and dining area to differentiate the two from one another.
Another important dining room dimension is the space from the chair seat to the table top. There’s nothing worse than having human or chair legs wedged in together without enough clearance between them. Fortunately, most dining sets are designed with proper clearance for the legs of those sitting at the dining table. Dining table seat height issue can come to light if you buy chairs independently from the purchase of your dining table, instead of purchasing a dining set. An example of this would be owning an antique dining table, then buying modern chairs with a seat height that is too high for the older dining table.
Two final dining table dimensions to consider is distance in between the chairs, and from the chairs to end of the table. There needs to be sufficient dining space for people to sit and move about the table comfortably. Wider chairs help create more space between people seated at a dining table, but also can restrict the number of people that can be accommodated that dining table.
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