- Chelsea J Marshall
The Ultimate Dining Guide - Six Space Planning Tips
It’s one of the few things people everywhere have in common – we all eat. For most of us, we have spaces set aside in our homes for our meals. Whether you are planning a formal dining room, a breakfast nook, or space in a great room, here are a few simple space planning rules that will help plan any dining area.
A 42” wide table is preferred. 42” will allow for place setting on both sides of the table, as well as serving dishes in the center. Larger rooms can benefit from the scale of a 48” wide table.
Plan 24” of table length for each seat per side. Although most side chairs are only 18”-20” wide, your guests will prefer the extra elbow room. Don’t forget to accommodate for the table’s base, as well as considering any rounded or clipped corners, and don’t forget the knee space for the heads of the table.
Seating requires about 18” from the edge of the table to the closets obstruction. This gives diners space to get in and out of their chairs. Add 30”-36” if you need to provide a walkway behind the chairs.
Sideboards, buffets, china cabinets, and other case pieces require 36” of space in front to allow access into drawers & doors. This clear floor space can coincide with a walkway, but must not impede on the 18” seating area.
Plan your table size based on your everyday seating needs. You can purchase leaves to expand your seating for special occasions and holiday dinners. Leaves store inside the table for your convenience.
Rugs should be large enough that all chair legs are on the rug, even when the chairs are in use. Therefore, you want the rug to extend 18”-24” beyond the table top on all sides. Additionally, if there is furniture around the perimeter of the room, you want those pieces to be consistently on the rug, or consistently off the rug.
