To size a dining table for your room, measure the room's length and width in inches, then subtract 72 from each. That leaves 36 inches of clearance on every side for pulling out chairs. The two results are the longest and widest table that fits. Allow 24 inches of table edge per person.

Dala Decor builds custom solid wood dining tables in Canada, and the most common reason a dining table feels wrong has nothing to do with the wood, the shape or the finish. It is two or three inches in the wrong direction.

Dala Decor's listed lengths are starting points, not a menu. If the right table for your room is 87 by 39 inches, Dala Decor builds exactly that. Here is the arithmetic the team walks every client through. Four steps. Bring a tape measure.

Step 1: How many people does the table need to seat?

A dining table needs about 24 inches (61 cm) of table edge per person, which is enough to eat without bumping elbows. That figure assumes a standard dining chair around 20 inches wide. Wider chairs, or chairs with arms, need more.

Count two numbers: the people who sit down on a normal Tuesday, and the number you host on the big nights. Start with elbows, not guest lists. Build for the Tuesday, and plan a way to grow for the holiday.

Step 2: How much space should you leave around a dining table?

Leave about 36 inches (91 cm) between the edge of a dining table and the nearest wall or piece of furniture. That is enough to pull a chair out and sit down without gymnastics.

If people walk behind the chairs while others are seated, give that side 48 inches (122 cm) instead. Most people skip this check, and it decides whether a dining room feels generous or tight.

Step 3: How do you calculate the maximum table size for a room?

Subtract 72 inches from the room's length and from its width. The results are the longest and widest dining table the room can hold with 36 inches of clearance at both ends. The table sits in the middle of the room, so the clearance has to exist on both sides of it: 36 inches at one end and 36 at the other is 72, and the same is true across the width.

•Maximum table length = room length − 72 inches

•Maximum table width = room width − 72 inches

Any table under those two numbers will live comfortably. If one side is a walkway, subtract 84 inches in that direction instead (36 on one side, 48 on the walkway side).

A worked example. A dining room measuring 159 by 111 inches (13 ft 3 in by 9 ft 3 in) gives a maximum table of 87 by 39 inches, since 159 − 72 is 87 and 111 − 72 is 39. An 87 inch length sits between the 84 and 96 inch sizes, which is why Dala Decor builds to the inch instead of rounding to a list.

Before you order, mark the table's footprint on the floor with painter's tape and walk around it.

How many people does each table length seat?

Dala Decor's dining table lengths seat between six and fourteen people, depending on whether guests sit comfortably or at the maximum. The counts below assume a standard chair about 20 inches wide. Wider chairs seat fewer.

If you seat six on a normal night and eight for holidays, choose 96 inches over 84. A 96 inch table seats eight comfortably, where an 84 inch table seats eight only at its limit.

Step 4: How wide should a dining table be?

Most dining tables run 36 to 44 inches wide, and from 38 inches up there is room for shared dishes down the middle while everyone keeps a full place setting. Narrow tables seat the same people. They just do not let you serve.

Dala Decor pairs width with length across its standard sizes, from 36 inches wide at 72 inches long to 44 inches wide at 120 inches long. If your room's maximum width from Step 3 is 39 inches, that is the width to ask for.

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Which Dala Decor dining tables come in these sizes?

Four Dala Decor custom dining tables are offered in the sizes covered above, and each is handcrafted in Canadian solid wood:

•Eastside custom dining table: 72 by 36 and 84 by 38 inches, with clean lines and notched corners. The shortest sizes, for rooms that allow a maximum length of 72 to 84 inches.

•Vivian custom dining table: five sizes from 72 by 36 to 120 by 44 inches, in a minimalist Scandinavian-inspired design.

•Arundal custom dining table: the same five sizes, with a generous tabletop overhang.

•Hathaway custom dining table: 96 by 40, 108 by 42 and 120 by 44 inches, for households that seat eight or more.

Treat each size as a starting point. Dala Decor builds to your measurements, so an 87 by 39 inch room maximum becomes an 87 by 39 inch table.

Get a dining table built to your measurements

Take the two maximums from Step 3, add your headcount from Step 1, and send them to Dala Decor. The team builds each custom table to the size your room needs, in solid wood, and delivers across Canada. Browse Dala Decor's dining tables or the custom dining tables collection for styles, then contact Dala Decor with your measurements.

Frequently asked questions

How many people does a 72 inch dining table seat?

A 72 inch dining table seats six people comfortably and eight at most, assuming standard dining chairs about 20 inches wide. Each person needs roughly 24 inches of table edge, so wider chairs or chairs with arms reduce the count. Dala Decor offers the 72 inch length in custom solid wood, built to your width and finish.

What size dining table seats 8 people?

A 96 inch dining table seats eight people comfortably and ten at most. A 108 inch table also seats eight, with more room per person. If you regularly host eight, choose 96 inches or longer instead of squeezing eight around an 84 inch table. These counts assume standard chairs about 20 inches wide.

What size dining table seats 10 people?

A 120 inch dining table seats ten people comfortably and twelve at most. A 144 inch table seats twelve comfortably and fourteen at most. Check the room first: a 120 inch table needs a room at least 192 inches (16 feet) long to keep 36 inches of clearance at both ends, and a 144 inch table needs 216 inches (18 feet).

Can Dala Decor make a dining table in a size that is not listed?

Yes. Dala Decor treats its listed lengths as starting points and builds to the dimensions your room needs, such as 87 by 39 inches. Measure your room, subtract 72 inches from the length and from the width, and send those two maximums along with your headcount. Dala Decor builds the table to fit.

How long does it take to make a custom dining table?

Dala Decor's typical manufacturing time for a custom dining table is 8 to 10 weeks, depending on the complexity and scale of the project. Dala Decor delivers across Canada. Measure and order early if the table needs to be in place for a holiday or a move-in date.

Do dining chairs with arms need a bigger table?

Yes. The figure of 24 inches per person assumes a standard dining chair about 20 inches wide. Wider chairs and chairs with arms need more table edge per person, so a table seats fewer people than the chart shows. Measure your chairs before you pick a length.