What size dining table do you need?
Allow about 60 cm of table edge for each diner, or around 70 cm with armchairs, and keep at least 90 cm clear between the table edge and the nearest wall or furniture so chairs can be pulled out. On that basis, a round table of Ø135–150 cm seats about six, Ø180 cm about eight and Ø200 cm about ten; a rectangular table of 200 cm seats six to eight and one of 260–280 cm about eight to ten. The chairs you choose and how much elbow room you want will move these numbers up or down.
1. Start with the number of people
Decide how many people the table must seat every day, and how many it should seat on occasion. A restaurant table must work at full capacity; a family table can be sized for daily use with room to squeeze in guests.
The guide below assumes standard dining chairs about 50–60 cm wide. Wider upholstered chairs or armchairs reduce the count.
| Table size | Comfortable seating | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Round Ø120 cm | 4 | Compact dining rooms |
| Round Ø135–150 cm | 6 | Y-024, top Ø135–150 cm |
| Round Ø160 cm | 6–7 | Ford Ø160 cm |
| Round Ø180 cm | 8 | Ford or Marvin Ø180 cm |
| Round Ø200 cm | 9–10 | Marvin Ø200 cm |
| Rectangular 160–180 cm | 6 | C-059, top 160–200 cm |
| Rectangular 200–220 cm | 6–8 | Kerwan 220 cm |
| Rectangular 240–280 cm | 8–10 | Linha 260 or 280 cm |
| Rectangular 300–330 cm | 10–12 | Linha 300 or 330 cm, Marvin 320 cm |
2. Check the chairs, not just the table
Chair width changes the count more than most buyers expect. Pofung's Lawson dining chair is 51 cm wide, while the Lido dining chair is 66 cm wide. Along a 260 cm table, that difference can mean one fewer chair on each side.
For a round table, divide the circumference by the chair width plus a gap of about 10 cm. A Ø180 cm table has a circumference of about 565 cm: with 51 cm chairs that allows nine places, but with 66 cm chairs only seven. The Sophie dining chair offers a useful middle ground, at 57 cm without arms and 63 cm with arms, so armchairs can sit at the ends of a rectangular table with side chairs along its length.
3. Leave room around the table
A table that fits the room on a floor plan can still feel cramped. Plan these clearances from the table edge:
- About 90 cm to a wall or furniture, so a seated person can push their chair back and stand up.
- About 110–120 cm where people need to walk behind seated diners, for example on the side facing a kitchen or a serving route.
As a quick check, a Ø180 cm round table needs a clear area of roughly 360 cm square, and a 260 × 115 cm rectangular table needs roughly 440 × 300 cm.
4. Choose the depth and height
Depth matters for serving. Tables 90–100 cm deep work for place settings alone; 110–120 cm leaves room for shared dishes down the centre. Pofung's Linha is 115 cm deep and Marvin's rectangular versions are 120 cm deep.
Most dining tables are 74–75 cm high, and most dining chairs have a seat height of 45–49 cm. That leaves a comfortable 26–30 cm between the seat and the tabletop. If you choose armchairs, check that the arms pass beneath the table edge or apron; otherwise the chairs cannot be pushed in.
5. Round or rectangular?
Round tables make conversation easier and suit square rooms. For eight or more diners they also benefit from a lazy Susan, so dishes can be shared without reaching. The Ford dining table includes one in Ø160, Ø180 and Ø200 cm sizes.
Rectangular tables suit long rooms and seat more people in the same width. A long table on two pedestal legs, such as Kerwan, keeps the long sides free of legs, which makes chair placement easier.
6. Use a stone top cut to size
If the standard sizes do not suit your room, a table whose top is cut to order gives more control. Every table in the Pofung Stone & Metal dining table collection lists the top size range its base supports, so you can choose, for example, a Ø145 cm top for a tight room or a 190 cm rectangular top between two doorways.
Send us your room plan
Share your room dimensions, the number of seats you need and your preferred table shape, and our team will suggest suitable dining tables and dining chairs. Orders start from one piece, with production taking approximately 30 days.
