Common Dining Room Table Shapes, Sizes, and Base Types

There are seemingly endless options when it comes to choosing a table that will suit the needs of yourself or your family. While color and style options are limitless, there are some basic things that apply to all dining tables that are important to consider when choosing the right table. Among them are the size, shape, and base type of the table itself.

Shapes

Your chosen table shape should fit in your dining room comfortably and can influence the number of people you can seat at the table. The two most common shapes for tables are rectangle and round. 

Rectangular (or oval) shapes are ideal for long, narrow rooms and will provide the most amount of table space for a room this shape. For folks who need to seat a lot of people at their table (more than 6) rectangular options usually provide the most seating.

Round tables are popular for square rooms, dining nooks, and open-concept spaces that are open to other rooms such as the living room. Round tables can be intimate and welcoming as people at the table are all facing one another, but typically can only seat four to six people.

Sizes

There are several custom order companies that can make a table any size you like, but most rectangular and round tables come in standard sizes. 

Rectangular and oval tables:

• For a small size rectangle, the standard is 30” or 36” wide by 48” long. Small rectangle tables seat 4 people comfortably. These sizes sometimes have leaves that expand the table to 60” long or more which can sit 6 people easily. 
• The most common rectangular size is 42” wide by 60” long. This size fits six people comfortably as is, and the majority of them will have leaves to expand the table past 60” long for even more seating. 

Round Tables:

• Common diameters for a round table are 36” round (for two people).
• 42” and 48” round (for four people)
• 54” or 60” round (for six people). 

When these tables have extension leaves, they are typically about 18” in size and allow seating for two more people.

Base Types

Table bases – the legs that hold up the tabletop – influence not only the look of the table but also how your chairs will fit and the comfort of your guests.

Many rectangular tables are constructed with four legs on the corners of the table. This allows chairs to be pushed in close to the table and avoids any issues with a pedestal or trestle interfering with people’s legroom beneath the table. Some larger rectangular sizes will have a trestle base, removing the legs from the corners of the table and instead having structural support in the center of the table. Benefits to this set-up include being able to place extra chairs at the corners of the table, or more than one chair on a short end. 

Most round tables will be constructed with a pedestal base in the center of the table. As well as being able to place chairs around the table without running into a table leg, tables with a pedestal or trestle base that have left open more easily than ones with table legs. Round tables can sometimes have four legs, which may limit the number of chairs able to be placed around the table.

When choosing a table, it can be helpful to use this basic table information to narrow down choices to find the set that will fit your needs. Find the perfect dining set for your space and needs by contacting Dining Furniture Showcase today!