How much space do you need for your dining room table? Think comfort and convenience! Guests should be seated comfortably and have enough room to get in and out of their chairs. Hosts must have enough room to manoeuvre easily around the table. The rule of thumb for space required behind a table is approximately 1 metre (3-4 feet). More specifically:
- 81 cm (32”) if there is no traffic behind the seating area
- 92 cm (36”) if there is traffic (wide enough for someone to turn parallel to the seat while passing it)
- 1.10 m (44”) to allow someone to pass without turning sideways.
The space at the table is another consideration: just over half a metre (24 inches) between individual place settings is optimal, while anything less than 30 cm (12 inches) feels too tight.