Home Improvement Blog

Since a separate dining room is normally used for one purpose only, plaining here is more straight forward than in other areas where many activities must be catered for. Essential furniture – dining table anda chairs, plus some form of storage should be positioned according to your family’s requirements and the size and shape of the room. If you prefer to keep such items as cutlery, crockery, linen and place  mats in the kitchen, you might be able to get away without a storage unit; but try to have a trolley or serving area which you can use to put out other courses of food or stack dirty plates.

If your home is small and generally short of storage space, you may find a built-in corner cupboard in this room will hold a great many items without interfering with the room’s main function or taking up valuable space.

Tables
The size of the table will be determined by the number of people in the family, the amount of entertaining to be allowed for and, of course, the size of the room. The shape of the table is another factor affected by the dimensions of the room, although there are some practical guidelines you should consider before buying a table.

Since each person needs approximately 700mm (or 28in) elbow room and 300mm (or 12in) knee space, a small square or round table is comfortable for only four people; the average family would probably need one which extends to a rectangular or oval shape capable of accommodating at least six people. If you have a large household or are in the habit of entertaining a number of guest at any one time, go for a larger version which will seat at least eight. The extra money you will have to pay for a table which inculudes a drop end or a removable leaf is well worth the convenience it provides.

When considering the size of your dining room table, always keep in mind the fact that you will need at least 900mm (or 36in) corridor space between the table and the nearest wall – more if you plan to have an adjacent sideboard or serving area. Also make sure the legs of the table are not in an awkward position where they might get in the way of those sitting nearby. This is often a problem when an extension is in use, so try out any table fully extended before you buy it. Those models with a central pedestal base avoid this kind of problem altogether, but they do not usually lend themselves to extension systems. Whatever its style and size, your table should be about 750mm (or 30in) high for most to eat comfortably at it.

Chairs
In addition to having enough chairs for all the family, be sure to allow a few additional ones for guests. They do not have to be part of a set or even situated in the same room, as long as you can press them into service easily when visitors are expected.

Chair seats should be about 400mm (or 16in) above the floor, which back at least 400mm (or 16in) high to give adequate support. Some people find dining chairs with arms more comfortable than ordinary ones, but these tend to be too bulky to slide under the table and therefore take up more space. If you have a very small room, look for chairs which stack neatly when not in use, some can even hang on a matching wall bracket which will hold up yo four chairs. One solution could be to have bench seating, if you have a long table; but make sure the people who are going to use it do not object to this rather informal type of seating.

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