The dining table is THE centrepiece of the dining room. Round, rectangular, extendable or not... There are many different types. Very convivial and often imposing, it is not always easy to choose the right size for your dining table. And choosing the wrong one can lead to everyday complications, such as getting in the way of moving around the room.

Discover our tips for choosing the right dining table.

Before choosing the type of dining table that will welcome your family and guests, first consider where you will place it. The location of your table should be strategic: as an extension of the living room or open kitchen, in the corner of a room... The main thing is that you choose the one that best suits your way of life.

Very often, the dining room and the living room occupy the same room. The same goes for the kitchen and the dining room. Nevertheless, it is very important to define the space, whatever its size. This will help you to choose the size of your future dining table and its dimensions. To delimit your rooms, you can paint the walls in different colours or opt for a piece of furniture such as a modular console.

The dining table is the central element of the room, and the rest of the room will be organised around it. Both in terms of decoration and the layout of the space. This is why it is necessary to take the time to choose your dining table, taking into account your needs and constraints.

When choosing a dining table, it is more than necessary to respect the proportions of your room, taking into account the space available. The principle is to adapt the size of the table to the size of the dining room. The shape of your room will have an impact on the choice of your table, so here are a few reminders: a square table visually narrows a rectangular room, a rectangular table in a square room does not optimise the living space. The oval shape is sometimes a good compromise between a square and a rectangle.

The shape of your table will depend on the size of the room in which it will be placed. Before choosing, it is very important to keep a circulation space of 70 cm around the piece of furniture so that your layout is practical and the circulation around the dining table is fluid. You should also allow at least 60 cm for the chairs. You should also consider whether you can slide the chairs under the dining table, especially if they have armrests, the position of the radiators in your room, whether there are windows that you are likely to open, etc.

As explained above, the size of the space where you place your dining table is an important criterion. For small spaces, square dining tables are perfect for 2-4 people. They can easily be placed in the corner of a room or against a wall to optimise your space. Round tables look much more convivial, but require more space than square tables.

Finally, oval and rectangular tables are dedicated to large volumes and rather long rooms. Synonymous with large tables, they will welcome your moments of sharing and will bring a warm atmosphere to your home.

To ensure that you and your guests are perfectly seated, here are a few points to bear in mind when choosing your dining table:

- Around the table, allow a minimum of 45 cm for seating and 120 cm for the back of the chairs, and 150 cm for the back and a possible passage behind

- If a table leg is in the area of the legs, allow 30 cm of clearance from the edge of the table top

- A 70 cm wide table allows two place settings to be placed face to face without a dish in the middle. Between 85 and 90 cm, dishes can be placed in the centre, and beyond that, between 100 and 110 cm, a table runner. The optimum width for a visually attractive meal is 110 cm.

- For each person, the minimum width of the table is 60 cm.

Minimum dimensions for dining tables depending on the number of people seated.