Selecting a dining set is important for not just the holidays, but for any day where you want to sit down for a nice, relaxing meal with the family. So you want to have just the right pieces of furniture that offers the appropriate amount of space without severely hampering the flow of foot traffic in the room. You also have to consider personal style, as the range of shapes and materials for dining sets can give you numerous options.
When people call California Stools, Bars, and Dinettes, they are always curious on the right ways in deciding on the best dining table and chair set. We recommend going over the size of your home to narrow down your choices, and then move on to the functionality and decor style of the table and chairs to get the one that fits perfectly into your home.
Determining Size
It’s time to break out the tape measure. Here at California Stools, Bars, and Dinettes, we recommend first measuring the amount of available space not only from walls but also other pieces of furniture. You want to leave enough room for people to comfortably walk between the table and also the chairs. This aspect is important since some table legs and pedestal tables will cause chair backs to stick out farther than a person realizes when pushed underneath the table.
Basically, a good distance to leave between a wall and your dining set, or the dining set from other furniture up against the wall, is about 42″ up to 48″. If you have a hard time imagining a table in the space, just fold up an old curtain or sheet in the size in different table lengths and put it in a variety of places to get a better visual picture.
Think about the number of people who you want to be sitting at the table. Each person should have about 24 inches to sit comfortably without bumping bodies or arms against the person sitting next to them, and an additional 12 inches for people sitting at the ends of the table. These measurements will allow you to select the right length and width. Basic table sizes and the number of people who can sit at the table while leaving enough room include:
- Sitting 4 people: 30″- 48″ long rectangular table or 36″- 48″ round table
- Sitting 6 people: 72″ long rectangular table or 60″ round table
- Sitting 8 people: 96″ long rectangular table or 72″ round table
- Sitting 10 people: 120″ long rectangular table
While round tables can be larger to sit 10 or 12 people, keep in mind that it becomes more difficult for your family to reach for items on the table top during the meal. It can also make people feel too far away from others sitting across from them to have a nice conversation.
Accommodating Extra Family and Guests
You want a table that is the right size for daily gatherings. Yet you may also want one that easily accommodates the occasional dinner guests or family gatherings. There are many possibilities without getting the longest table possible that will make the room too crowded.
If you are just looking to add more seating while having enough table space, then benches can increase the number of people at the table. They are also ideal for young children and the elderly who may have problems lifting out of regular chairs or using certain types of mobility devices such as wheel chairs. The benches can easily be slid underneath the table when not needed or used in other areas of the home as additional seating.
If you need more table space on occasion, then tables with collapsible leaves are another option. The leaves can be put in place during the holidays when there are extra guests and removed during normal meals.
Selecting By Shapes
There are numerous shapes to tables to fit into your decor design as well as add a bit more functionality to your dining set. Traditional rectangular tables may remind you about the times when sitting with the entire family as a child. Yet people today are also opting for other shapes due to their functionality and beauty. Round tables encourages conversation with everyone facing each other, while octagonal offers length without the sharp table corners that kids and the elderly can bump into. Square tables are starting to catch on as people are looking for a bit of a romantic feeling in their dining room design.
Also Consider Table Materials and Maintenance
At California Stools, Bars and Dinettes, we have a wide range of dining tables in San Jose. We offer wood dining sets, glass dining sets, and laminate dining sets. We also provide chairs with rollers.
This variety should be kept in mind when selecting the right chair and table in your home. If you have thick rugs in your dining room, then you may want to select chairs that don’t have rollers. Wood tables can add warmth, but will need a touch of maintenance if you have pets and kids that will scratch the table top or chair legs. Glass and metal dining sets are ornate and elegant. Yet these dining sets will require extra cleaning to remove smudges and fingerprints that will appear more easily on the surface.
Take Your Time and Shop in Person
It’s easy to fall in love with the first dining room set you see online and then hate it when it arrives in your home. Instead, you will have an easier time selecting the right dining set by actually visiting the showroom and sitting at the table. Here at California Stools, Bars and Dinettes, we have 3 Bay Area locations for people throughout California as you can stop in to see the table you want. You can have a better idea when sitting at the table if it will accommodate every member of your family, if the chairs fit your comfort level, and whether you have enough room to sit and relax.
