Filed under: Your Home, Design, etc, Experts, Furniture, Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams
Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams
You asked: "A round dining table or a rectangular one -- which do you recommend?"
...Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams answer:
Sometimes a memory draws you to a table shape -- the long rectangle you grew up with, set for the holidays...the big round restaurant table where you shared a great meal with friends. We're lucky enough to have eaten well at both and seen dining rooms brought to life by either shape. The best decision comes from considering your room and lifestyle. Ask yourself:
1. What shape and size is your room?
2. Will the table be your nightly eating spot, mainly for company, or both?
3. How many people do you need to seat?
Note that with any table, plan on having about 24" width per person. And to facilitate getting up and moving around, at least 36" from chair to wall is ideal.
If your room is rectangular, a rectangular table may be the best use of space. A 36"x72" table can seat 6 to 8. It's good if it's at least 36" wide to fit two place settings plus platters and centerpieces in between. With a narrower table, a sideboard or buffet is a great help to hold serving plates. If you don't have space for one long sideboard, consider two small buffets, perhaps flanking a door or window.
Another option: If you want the benefits of a rectangle but crave curves, consider an oval. Its rounded edges make it seem to take up less space. An excellent way to get an oval -- and give yourself flexibility if you move to a new home -- is to choose a round table with an extension leaf.
If your room is square, a square table with leaves that expand it to a rectangle for entertaining is a smart option -- and always a plus if you don't like eating at a large table when it's "just the two of you." However, we both find it hard to resist the intimacy of a round table in a square room...the way it softens straight lines and creates a cozy spot to linger. With no "head of the table," it also has a more egalitarian feel. And we especially love round tables with pedestal bases. Without legs to get in the way, it's easier to fit in another person when needed.
Something else we love about round tables: achieving a high comfort-to-style ratio by mixing a curved high-back upholstered dining bench (like the one seen above) with tall upholstered chairs for seating.
If you have an open-plan layout, a rectangular table can help visually divide a space, while a round table might be better at preserving the open feeling and letting traffic flow a bit more freely. Either shape, of course, will work especially well as a room divider when accompanied by a rug beneath and a hanging light (or multiple lights if the table is long) overhead, thus creating a stronger, more cohesive focal point in the space.