Dining Table Size Calculator
Enter the size of your dining room and choose a shape. The calculator finds the largest table that still leaves enough space to pull out a chair and move around it, or checks a size you already have in mind. It also tells you what size rug goes under the table and how wide and how high to hang the light above it, and draws the result to scale, in feet and inches or meters and centimeters.
How to use the dining table size calculator
- Measure the space the table zone can use. Wall to wall, or to whatever stops a chair: a kitchen island, the back of a sofa, a door that swings into the room.
- Add a sideboard if you have one. Pick its depth and the calculator measures the space from its front, so drawers and doors still open.
- Choose the shape and the space you want around the table. 36 inches (91 cm) is a comfortable everyday choice.
- Read the largest size, or switch to "Check my size" to test a table you are considering. Each side turns red or amber if it is too tight.
How much space do you need around a dining table?
Measure from the edge of the table to the wall or furniture. That distance has to hold a pulled-out chair with someone in it, and any walkway behind. The calculator uses the clearances in the NKBA planning guidelines:
| Space from table edge | What it allows |
|---|---|
| 32 in (81 cm) | Pull out a chair and sit, with no one walking behind |
| 36 in (91 cm) | Edge past someone who is seated |
| 44 in (112 cm) | Walk behind seated diners |
| 60 in (152 cm) | A wheelchair can pass behind seated diners |
If the room is also a route to the kitchen or the garden, use 44 inches on that side.
What size table fits common dining rooms?
The largest tables that keep 36 inches (91 cm) clear on every side, with no sideboard:
| Room | Rectangular table | Round table |
|---|---|---|
| 10 × 10 ft (3.0 × 3.0 m) | 48 × 42 in (122 × 107 cm) | 48 in (122 cm) |
| 12 × 10 ft (3.7 × 3.0 m) | 72 × 42 in (183 × 107 cm) | 48 in (122 cm) |
| 12 × 12 ft (3.7 × 3.7 m) | 72 × 42 in (183 × 107 cm) | 72 in (183 cm) |
| 14 × 12 ft (4.3 × 3.7 m) | 96 × 42 in (244 × 107 cm) | 72 in (183 cm) |
| 16 × 12 ft (4.9 × 3.7 m) | 120 × 42 in (305 × 107 cm) | 72 in (183 cm) |
| 18 × 14 ft (5.5 × 4.3 m) | 144 × 42 in (366 × 107 cm) | An oval suits better |
A sideboard on one long wall takes its depth, usually 16 to 20 inches, out of the room width before the clearance. The calculator handles that for you.
How wide should a dining table be?
Most dining tables are 36 to 42 inches (91 to 107 cm) wide. 36 inches is the narrowest that gives diners on both long sides the 18 inches (46 cm) of knee depth the NKBA recommends for each place. Wider tops look generous, but it gets harder to reach the middle and pass dishes, so the calculator stops at 42 inches even when your room allows more.
What size rug goes under a dining table?
The rug should reach at least 24 inches (61 cm) past every edge of the table, so the back legs of a pulled-out chair stay on it (Room & Board, Ruggable). For a round table, add about 48 inches to the diameter. Leave about 12 inches of floor between the rug and the walls. Rounded up to standard rug sizes:
| Table | Rug |
|---|---|
| 60 × 36 in (152 × 91 cm) | 8 × 10 ft |
| 72 × 42 in (183 × 107 cm) | 8 × 10 ft |
| 84 or 96 × 42 in (213 or 244 × 107 cm) | 9 × 12 ft |
| 120 × 42 in (305 × 107 cm) | 10 × 14 ft |
| 48 in (122 cm) round | 8 ft round |
| 60 in (152 cm) round | 9 ft round |
| 72 in (183 cm) round | 10 ft round |
How big should the light over a dining table be?
Choose a chandelier or pendant at least 12 inches (30 cm) narrower than the table, measured across its width or diameter, and hang it about 30 inches (76 cm) above the tabletop under an 8 foot ceiling. That is the American Lighting Association guidance as published by Golden Lighting. For each extra foot of ceiling height, raise it about 3 inches (Lighting New York). A 42 inch wide table takes a fixture up to 30 inches across; on a long table, a linear fixture or a row of pendants spreads the light.
Rectangle, oval, round or square?
- Rectangle: the best fit for long rooms, and the natural shape for a river of resin running end to end.
- Oval: the same length as a rectangle with softer corners, which makes a tight room easier to move through.
- Round: suits square rooms and breakfast nooks. Very large rounds put the center out of reach, so past about 6 feet across an oval is usually the better choice.
- Square: a calm, symmetrical choice for a square room.
Made to the exact size
Every Onyx Resin dining table is made to order in walnut, olive or poplar with epoxy resin, to the inch or the centimeter your room needs. Use the "Get a quote" button to send the size from the calculator, or browse our dining tables. Planning a sideboard too? Our credenzas and consoles are made the same way.
The calculator is a planning guide. Doors, radiators and walkways to other rooms can need more space than the minimums above.