How Many People Can Fit at My Dining Room Table?

This time of year, it’s the essential question: How many people can fit at my dining room table? It should be simple, right? Your sister will sit over here, your hubby and his friends can sit over there, your parents can sit in those chairs… and then your sister’s kids… Can you even fit everyone at the table? Maybe you need the big table in the dining room, and then you can do a kids table. Or you could squeeze in an extra chair?

 

Have you ever had these internal monologues and briefly questioned your sanity? We have. Quite a lot of stress can come of something as simple as “how many people will my 48-inch round dining room table seat?” (The answer is 6, by the way). One of our 8 Tips for Getting Your Home Holiday Ready we published last week was to plan ahead. Luckily, we’ve pulled together an easy infographic (shown above) to ensure that your Thanksgiving dinner is a mathematically proven success. Need help to find a dining table that suits your needs? We’ve outlined some of our holiday favs as well below.

The Round Table

 

Round dining room tables create a more intimate environment than other shapes, so they’re great for family gatherings or dinner with your best of friends. Round tables are also a great option for kitchens or spaces without a designated dining room. A caution for the round table: If you have a large dining room, a large round table does make it difficult for guests to talk across the table. If you prefer to entertain for large groups, a rectangular or oval table may be your better option.

The Rectangular Table

 

This is the go-to table shape for dining. It’s practical, fits easily in a dining room, and most importantly, it looks great.

 

Pro Tip: You want to leave 36 inches between the edge of your dining table and the wall or other furniture. Keeping 45 inches between your table and the dining room entryway will also keep from any bottlenecking in and out during dinnertime.

 

 

The Oval Table

 

A nice in-between, the oval table is the more unusual dining room table shape, but if your space allows it, it can serve as an elegant contour to your room’s design.