The right dining table is the one that fits your guests and your room at the same time. Too small, and every dinner feels cramped; too large, and chairs cannot be pulled out and the room loses its flow.
Here are the measurements we use when we design marble dining tables, in centimetres with inches alongside, so you can plan a table before you commission it.
Space per person
Allow about 60 cm (24 in) of table edge for each seated guest. That is the width a dining chair and a place setting need without elbows touching. For relaxed, formal dinners or wide upholstered chairs, plan 70 to 75 cm (28 to 30 in) per person.
Depth matters too. A rectangular table between 90 and 100 cm (36 to 40 in) wide leaves room for place settings on both sides and serving dishes down the centre. Narrower than about 80 cm and the table starts to feel like a bench.
Clearance around the table
Leave at least 90 cm (36 in) between the edge of the table and the nearest wall or piece of furniture. That lets someone sit down and push their chair back. Where people need to walk behind seated guests, or the table sits on a main route between kitchen and living room, aim for 110 to 120 cm (42 to 48 in).
A simple calculation: add the clearance to every side of the table. A 120 cm round table with 90 cm clearance needs a space of about 300 x 300 cm.
Round tables
Round tables encourage conversation, because everyone can see everyone else, and they soften a square room. They are most comfortable for up to six or eight people; beyond that the centre of the table becomes hard to reach.
Round table diameters
- 2 to 4 people: 90 to 120 cm (36 to 48 in). About 120 cm is the comfortable size for four.
- 5 to 6 people: 135 to 150 cm (54 to 60 in).
- 7 to 8 people: 150 to 180 cm (60 to 72 in). At 150 cm, eight is tight.
- 9 to 10 people: 180 to 210 cm (72 to 84 in). Consider a centre lazy Susan or a rectangular table instead.
Rectangular and oval tables
Rectangular tables suit long rooms and larger gatherings, and they are easy to extend visually with a bench or extra chairs at the ends. Oval tables seat like a rectangle but have no corners, which helps circulation in tighter rooms.
Rectangular table lengths
- 4 people: 120 to 140 cm (48 to 55 in).
- 6 people: 160 to 180 cm (63 to 72 in). At 180 cm you can seat three per side, or two per side and one at each end.
- 8 people: 200 to 240 cm (79 to 94 in).
- 10 people: 260 to 300 cm (102 to 118 in).
The base changes how many people really fit
Seating numbers assume chairs can slide in freely. Four corner legs take space exactly where knees and chair legs want to go; a pedestal base frees the whole perimeter, which is why a round pedestal table often seats one more person than its size suggests.
Marble tops are heavy, so the base must be sized for the stone. A single pedestal needs a broad, weighted foot to stay stable; on long rectangular tables, two pedestals or two block legs set in from the ends give stability while keeping the sides open. Leave roughly 60 to 75 cm (24 to 30 in) between a base and the end of the table so chairs at the ends are comfortable.
Height and chairs
Standard dining height is about 75 cm (29 to 30 in). Allow 25 to 30 cm between the chair seat and the underside of the table so legs fit comfortably, and check the thickness of the top: a thick marble slab or a deep apron reduces knee room.
If you plan to keep existing chairs, measure their seat height and width before choosing the table, and bring those numbers to your designer.
Questions we hear most
What size table seats six people?
A round table of 135 to 150 cm in diameter, or a rectangular table of 160 to 180 cm long and 90 to 100 cm wide.
Is a round or rectangular table better for a small room?
Round and oval tables usually work better in smaller or square rooms, because they have no corners and allow easier movement around them.
How much space do I need around a dining table?
At least 90 cm on every side where chairs are used, and 110 to 120 cm where people need to walk behind seated guests.
Can you make a marble table to exact dimensions?
Yes. Custom dimensions are reviewed for the room, the stone and the base before production, and confirmed in the project proposal.
Rozaik atelier
Planning a table for a specific room?
Send the room dimensions and the number of guests you want to seat, and we will propose a size, shape and base.
Request a custom table
