If you’re freaking out about how to choose the right dining table, we understand. This is, after all, the place your family will gather every evening to go over their days or do their homework. It’s the spot you’ll choose to complete an epic crafting project with your kids; or simply sit with a cup of coffee and a magazine when the house is empty. It’ll be privy to gossip with your friends, or discussions with your other half.
The dining table, whether we realise it or not, so often tends to be the anchor point of the home, and following this easy guide will make sure you get it just perfect.
Step 1: Measure the dimensions of your room
Before you even start thinking about the design of your dining table, you’re going to need to know how much space you have to play with. Measure the available floor space (make sure you don’t include sideboards or any other furniture), and minus 90cm from each side to enable people to push their chairs back comfortably – now you have your maximum table size. Each person will need about 60cm of space down the sides, plus an extra 30cm if you’re planning on seating someone at each end, so you can also figure out how many people you’re able to host.
Step 2: Decide on the tones and colours you want to see
It’s not your job to know exactly what wood variety you want; that’s down to us. However, you will need to give us a little guiding light in terms of colour. Would you prefer something more golden (Oak / Ash), or milk chocolatey (English Walnut)? How about a deep, rich, purple-brown (American Black Walnut)? Do you have other wooden furniture you’d like it to complement? The more information you can provide, the quicker we can find the timber that’s right for you.
Step 3: Pinpoint the shape and style you prefer
If you think straight cut edges would work better for your young family; no problem! If you like a gentle, undulating live edge then we’ll find a slab that fits the mould – or we can source a piece of wood with a more exaggerated shape. If beaten up, reclaimed wood is your jam, we’ll build you something with real character – or we can find an almost-perfect piece of wood to work on. The finer details are often strongly led by the wood itself, but we can make sure you get the style of table you want.
Step 4: Consider your leg options
It may seem like an impossible task, but choosing the right legs is just as important as choosing the right table top. We offer a wide range of individual legs and table frame styles to choose from, in a multitude of different finishes, but we also have the ability to fabricate something bespoke. As before, it’s best to consider all of the functional aspect first, like how many chairs you’ll need to fit around the table – and even access into your house – before you move on to colours and shapes. The fun part comes later!
Step 5: Choose the right chairs for your dining table
Thanks to Step 1, you know exactly how many people are going to be seated at your new dining table, and how much space you can allocate per person – so you know the maximum width of chairs you can buy. We craft all of our tables – unless instructed otherwise – to the standard height of 75cm. You want a 30cm difference between the seat height and the table height, so your dining chairs should be about 45cm from floor to seat. Consider the table legs you’ve chosen: do you want to match the finish, or do you need to be aware of bars running vertically, or across the floor?
Once we’ve nailed down all of that – you just have to sit back and wait for delivery day. Or, even better, take a look at our finished pieces and check if one of them fits your criteria. Remember – leg design is step 4 for a reason, and we can always swap the base out for something different. And, just like that, the question of how to choose the right dining table becomes a little easier to deal with!
If you have any questions at all, take a look at our FAQS, or feel free to contact us.
