Dining Table Footprint?

[wizer]

Not really woodworking, but..

Can anyone advise me on the footprint of a standard size dining table including chairs that sits 8? Let's assume the table is rectangular.

What I mean is the total area the table plus the chairs takes up. I need to get an idea if a table that seats 8 will comfortably sit into the space I have.

Sorry if that's a bit cryptic., I will explain more if needed.

 

[Bean]

WiZeR
I mused upon this when building my Dining Table and decided upon 500 to 550 mm for each person so that it was not to tight. I made that dim up by measuring the family eating ather tables in shops which stated capacity.
Seems to work for me

Bean

 

[Steve Maskery]

Wizer
Bean is right about elbow room. 500 min, 600 is plentiful.
There are also front-back considerations. You need at least 600 behind the sitter so that the chair can be pulled out to get in.
There should be 900mm between opposite sitters. More will give you better space for dishes, but if you get up to 1200, you start to lose intimacy, and you end up with two different dinner parties going on. 1000 is good, I think.

HTH
Steve

 

[Bean]

I will agree with steve on the width my table is 1000 wide which is still intimate for dinners and allows plenty of room for the dishes without making the table feel crowded

Bean

 

[wizer]

many thanks guys, that has helped a lot.

 

[Wanlock Dod]

WiZeR,

I have a section in a book that covers this, and well, to be honest it says just the same as Steve Maskery pretty much.

He (Peter Tischler) recommends 36" min width, 24" min place setting and a 16" min overhang at the ends, which I'm sure is to within a fraction of a side plate of whats recommended above.

Cheers,

Dod

 

[Sgian Dubh]

Generous formal dining places are considered to be 28-30" perimeter length per person. If you give the server and carver this 30" plus 12" either side of them for the sitters along the length to encroach on their space then about a 50"-54" width is needed. With this width you can allow about 80" side length for very comfortable formal dining where space is required for carving and serving of vegetables, and also space for central table decorations.

Of course 8 people can dine successfully on smaller tables than this 80" X 54" footprint, but the dining style (out of necessity) becomes more and more informal as the space per diner is reduced. Slainte.

 

[Steve Maskery]

By the way, another thought on the intimacy front.

My dining table ( you know where to find it ) is D-ended. That is, parallel sides and semi-circular ends. At dinner parties I much prefer 6, so we can all sit at the sides. If we have 8, I, as Head of the Household, sit at one end, whilst my guests sit at the sides. They have a great time chatting away, commenting about how comfortable the chairs are etc )), whilst I am left out in the cold, as everyone (and all the dishes) are so far away!

I jest not.

Bear it in mind.

Cheers
Steve

 

[wizer]

Thanks guys, I am designing a new kitchen/diner and was wondering if a table to seat 8 would fit. The missus was adamant it would and I was not convinced. It seems, as usual, that I was right We'd be lucky to get a table for 4 in there!

Good info tho and will be used when I eventualy get around to making my own dining table and chairs.

Sneaky PS: If all goes well, I may be about to announce plans for a new workshop (subject to planning).

 

[Chris Knight]

Tom,

You could think about a round(ish) table with drop leaves. You need less room (table perimeter) per person than a rectangular table because your elbows have a wider arc in which to flail around, whereas with a rectangular table, the space is the same as the table edge.

I haven't drawn it out but a table for six or eight should easily be accomodated judging by these numbers from a table rental place

Round Tables - Plywood Top, Folding Legs
36" Diameter - Seats up to 4
48" Diameter - Seats up to 6
60" Diameter - Seats up to 8
72" Diameter - Seats up to 10

 

[WoodPecker]

WiZer,

To seat 6 people relatively comfortably would need a table 3' X 6' (3 people either side and one at each end) and roughly 3' clearance all the way around which means the dining space would have to be 9' X 12'. My dining table is 7'6" X 3' and it's in a space which is 3M X 4M or 10' X 13' (There is a 1' deep bookshelf along one wall) based on this you would need to be close to 9' wide but you would get away with 11' in length.

 

[wizer]

Thanks Chris. After playing around with it in sketchup, I think we're going to have a small round table that seats 4. This will be fine for me and the missus to eat dinner on our own. Then, if we need to seat 8, have a collapsable round table. It will be tight and it's one of those things we need to have a look at when the room is finished. I have mocked it up in sketchup, the 8 seater table will be a tight fit and we'd litterally be eating in the kitchen, which might not be ideal. We do have the conservatory for dining so it's not a massive problem.

Here's my mockup if anyone is interested:

 

[Steve Maskery]

Wizer
Your 1500 table is too big for that space. You have not drawn any chairs around it... Please reconsider, you won't regret doing so.

Now then, I'm going to be controvertial with Chris here

I don't agree with you about the perimeter on a circular table. It's true from an elbow-room point of view, but you quickly lose space to put stuff in front of you as you get closer to the centre of the table. So as far as useful table space goes, you really need a bigger table. Is is true though that this effect is diminished the larger the table becomes. But 4 round a 3ft table is very tight, I'd say, OK in a snack bar, poor for a dinner party. As I say, it's not the elbow room at issue here it is surface area.

Woodpecker, your maths is a bit wonky today
3x6 will seat 8 - 3 at each side, one at each end. 3x4 will seat 6.

Right, someone tell me I'm talking rubbish - but be prepared to justify it!

Steve

 

[wizer]

I agree Steve, I was showing that it looked too big for the space. The smaller circle outside the room is a 4 seater which will sit in there comfortably.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Ah, I was getting the wrong end of the stick.
Not for the first time...

Cheers
Steve

 

[dedee]

Not sure if this will help but...

The table below is 32" wide by 5' long sits 6 comfortably and 8 "intimately". But it is too narrow for serving dishes etc down the middle. It sits in a room that is 9' wide which has a narrow book case (approx12") deep down one side. There is barely enough room to walk behind people when sitted at the table.

http://www.geocities.com/dedeeswoodwork ... le_top.JPG

When we have a larger dining room I will add at least another 4" to its width.

Andy

 

[Steve Maskery]

Wizer,

If I were designing for that space, I'd build an elliptical or D-ended table, which would be extendable. That way it would be small enough for normal use, but could be extended (upwards, in your drawing) for bigger dinners (or bigger diners).

Cheers
Steve

 

[WoodPecker]

Woodpecker, your maths is a bit wonky today
3x6 will seat 8 - 3 at each side, one at each end. 3x4 will seat 6.

Yes your right #-o don't know what i was thinking . The table I have seats 4 people each side.

Wizer,
You would need 9' X 9' for a 3x4 table which seats 6 as Steve pointed out which unfortunately you're about 2' too narrow for.