Dining Table- Seating for ?

How many people does your dining room table seat?

I keep looking for tables but I just feel like nothing is ever going to be big enough and in the style I want, its so hard to find a leaf!

I know for holidays its going to be borderline impossible for everyone to sit down to dinner at the dining table anyway since my family is HUGE.

So basically I'm just looking for a good middle ground- I was thinking maybe 10? Or would 12 be better??

Re: Dining Table- Seating for ?

I can fit 12 around my table if I put in both leaves. I have 2 leaves. I leave one in at all times, the other I only put in if I am having 8 or more at a sitting.

I think an oval table allows you to fit more than rectangle too.

Re: Dining Table- Seating for ?

I have a rectangular table with 2 leaves. Without the leaves, it can fit 6. With both leaves, up to 12 (anything more than that would be really tight).

I entertain a lot and host a lot of holidays, but when it's more than 12, I don't do a formal sit down dinner. For example, I host Easter every year for about 35 people. I do a buffet, and I let the older relatives sit in the formal dining room. For the kids, I set up a dinner table in the finished basement, and for everyone else, they find a place to eat. I put extra chairs and nice wood snack tables in the formal living room and in the den, plus there are the couches, coffee tables, etc. The weather was warm last year, so some people brought their plates outside to our patio furniture out on the deck.

If pressed, I would just add a folding table onto the end of my dining table to extend it for a huge sit-down, but I think you are going to be hard pressed to find a table that fits more than 12 or so (unless you have it custom-made). Plus, your dining room would need to be really huge!

Re: Dining Table- Seating for ?

I only have one leaf, and I actually have never used it!! But I can seat 6 without the leaf and probably 8 with.

I never realized how small my dining room table was!!

Re: Dining Table- Seating for ?

At the most 8

Re: Dining Table- Seating for ?

Without the leaf ours seats 6. We can fit 8 with the leaf.

Re: Dining Table- Seating for ?

We have 1 leaf and we always leave it in, seat 8 total. I want to get another leaf.

Even still, at holidays, we often add a card table to the end of the table and I have a really long tablecloth that I use to go over everything. My DR opens into the "formal" living room, so we have room to add 1-2 tables if needed.

Re: Dining Table- Seating for ?

With both leaves, 12 comfortably. We can definitely squeeze a few more and not be too squooshed tho!

Re: Dining Table- Seating for ?

Re: Dining Table- Seating for ?

We can seat 10 which is usually fine. I would go for a round with 2 leaves. You can always squeeze an extra person around that

Re: Dining Table- Seating for ?

See the thing is, I will almost always need seating for more than 12 anyway, so its almost not even worth it for me at this point. Because of the shape of my DR right now, a round table is out of the question.


I found a table that I absolutely LOVE made from reclaimed lumber and have the option of 7' (seating 8) or 8' (seating 10) without a leaf.

I'm kind of leaning toward the 7' as an every day type of table with a bench and then if we need extra we can add a folding table at the end.

Do you think I'm going to be kicking myself in the @ss if I get this?

Re: Dining Table- Seating for ?

I fit 12 comfy with 2 leaves. My table is sort of oval with a pedestal base so it we often fit 2 kids or a skinny adult on the ends when needed. I like not having table legs in the way of the chairs.

Re: Dining Table- Seating for ?

Ours technically fits 10 with both leaves in but we can fit 12 comfortably. We never keep any of the leaves in and it can seat 4.

Re: Dining Table- Seating for ?

We can fit 16.

I think 10-12 is better and just add a folding table parallell to it for more seating. That's usually what we end up doing anyway. We put one leaf in instead of the two.

Re: Dining Table- Seating for ?

Re: Dining Table- Seating for ?

our table opens to a 5ft x 5ft square and can easily seat 10 - sometimes 12 depending on size of those seated.

Re: Dining Table- Seating for ?

How big of a table will fit and look "normal" in your dining room?

Re: Dining Table- Seating for ?

With both leaves, we can fit 12, but it's tight. We have 8 dining room chairs and then we add folding chairs.

With the kids now, we are exactly 12 of us when you include our families for Thanksgiving. It's going to get really tight! And our dining room doesn't hold another table.

Message edited 8/4/2011 1:05:18 PM.

Re: Dining Table- Seating for ?

Re: Dining Table- Seating for ?

Definately try and visualize it in the room. You don't want the set to overwhelm the space. Also take into consideration how often you will need to put a lot of people at the table. if it is only a few times a year it may not be worth getting a bigger set. KWIM?

Re: Dining Table- Seating for ?