How to Find the Perfect Dining Set

With modern, busy life, the dining room is often a forgotten space. It multitasks as a kitchen, an office, a pantry, or just about anything the household needs it to be. With a little planning, that functional space can be reclaimed as an attractive, organized, welcoming area for sitting down to dinner with the family. The best part is that it can still meet all the other daily tasks, too, even as a formal dining room.

What Goes in a Dining Room Area?

A formal dining room is a dedicated room for eating, and will often have direct access to the kitchen as well as decorative furniture and artwork. But a dining area can be created just as easily by placing a sideboard or buffet between a kitchen and part of the room, creating a visual break between the food prep area and the dining table. It all depends on how much space is available to work with in the room. 

Here’s what you can expect to find in the dining area:

• Chairs or Benches - Enough places for the whole household to sit, and then a few extra.
• Table -  A table large enough to fit everyone, tall enough not to bash knees, and still small enough to avoid the room looking cluttered.
• Dining Hutch - A hutch offers extra space for dishes and silverware, so they don’t take up space in the kitchen, and the nicer collections can be displayed in formal dining rooms. In a busy kitchen or a multitasking dining area, the modern hutch can also be compartmentalized to store and organize pantry items or other daily-use items. 
• Buffet, Sideboards, or Serving Tables - Slightly taller than a table, these do double-duty as storage for dishware and seasonal decor, as well as provide a place to set the meal dishes out to serve from as part of meal preparation. These can be found as side tables or as carts.
• Bar and Wine Cabinets - Bars offer storage and serving space for pouring drinks. These stylish cabinets can house refrigerators for keeping wines and other alcohols at serving temperature, or may simply serve as cupboards or carts to keep bottles protected from the elements that accelerate evaporation.
• Rugs - Offering comfort and decoration, rugs also help define a dining area in an open floor plan.

Curio Cabinets - These small-footprint display cabinets for fragile collections and decorative or seasonal dishes.

In addition to the furniture and larger items, a formal dining area will also be accented with mirrors, artwork, candles, decorative lighting, or simple pieces such as vases and fresh flowers. It’s meant to be a comfortable, relaxing space to enjoy a meal, and that should be the design focus when putting together a home dining area.

The Dining Room By The Numbers

Whenever size allows, go for a larger table than you think you’ll use. 

The obvious requirement for a dining set is to make sure there’s a place for the whole household during mealtimes, but it’s a good idea to make sure there’s enough for guests. Plan for seats and space for the number of people in the household, with an extra two places in addition to that. It’s better to have a little too much tabletop than to risk not having enough.

Chair Size and Placement 

Dining room chairs should be 19” tall, between the floor and the seat, and still have at least 12” between the seat and the lower edge of the table for room to easily move in and out from under the table. Bar and bistro set chairs range from 30” to 35” tall. 

A comfortable dining area is arranged to allow one guest 24” at the table edge, and at least 6” shoulder room between the chairs. Most chairs should be 17” to 22” wide at the seat. 

If you choose dining room chairs with arm rests, keep in mind that those will add easily 6” to the width of the chair. They are usually in formal dining rooms as they require a slightly larger table. 

Table Size and Placement

Tables should be at least 30” tall to accommodate the average chair height. Bar and bistro tables are intended to allow adults to socialize, coming in at a standing height of 40” to 42” tall.

The minimum width of a table, whether square, rectangle, or round, is 36” to allow for the placement of plates and serving trays both without excessive crowding. A table width of 48” across will allow easier serving reach with plenty of room to set dinner plates between, but tables can be as long and wide as the dining area will fit. 

A 36” diameter round table can comfortably seat 4 people. A 36” by 72” rectangular-shaped table can accommodate 8 people.

Kitchen Dining vs Formal Dining Rooms

Keep in mind that the multipurpose demands of a kitchen dining table set will be different than those of a formal dining room. If the table and chairs will be only used for mealtimes, they will not see as much traffic, while a dining table that doubles as a craft table or a homework table or an office desk in a busy room like a kitchen may need to be more easily cleaned, lighter weight for easier movement, or sturdier. Often, kitchen dining areas will be smaller spaces, which present their own design challenges.

Small Space Tips for the Dining Room

• Make sure there is enough space for the table before you buy it. This includes not only checking that there’s plenty of floor space, but also that the dimensions of the table and chairs aren’t too bulky to fit through doors and hallways between the delivery point and the dining room.
• Round shapes make the room seem bigger by adding more lines to guide the eye’s attention. An oval shaped table doesn’t have bulky corners to take up space without being used, so every inch of the table is likely to be used. 
• Benches can be used in place of chairs to save a little extra space. They add a casual and comfortable vibe to the kitchen table or dining nook, and tuck under the table to be easily out of the way when not in use.
• Extensions and extra leaves for the tables are a quick and easy way to fit a group around a smaller table.
• Glass tables brighten the room and add the appearance of space by doing away with bulky shadows.

How to Design a Formal Dining Room

Dining sets are usually sold as a ready to go package, with chairs and table already matched up in complementing styles. Choose a complete set and then add in other furniture like trays or hutches in the same style. You can also mix and match your own table and chair choices, and use these handy tips to make sure the whole dining area comes together.

If you opt to customize your own set, once you have a general idea of the table you’re looking for, finding the perfect dining chairs is the next place to start. 

What to look for:

• Height - Look for chairs with a seat height of between 17” and 19” to be sized comfortably for adults to sit with their feet resting flat on the floor.
• Weight - Look for chairs that are sturdy enough to support your weight, but that are also light enough to be moved in and out from under the table’s edge easily.
• Back Panels - Look for a chair back style that you enjoy. They can be found in ornate open-back styles, solid panels, or upholstered with luxury fabrics and padding on the back and seat cushions.
• Materials - Look for a durable frame construction, from metals to wood to plastics. Be sure that you like the stability, and that design elements - such as arm rests, decorative edging, or any fabric coverings - will stand up to the intended use and expectations of your household’s lifestyle and habits. 

Look for furniture designs that match or complement each other. While dining sets have chairs and tables designed together, they don’t have to all look the same. Even a formal, well-designed home can have an eclectic style. However, it’s a good idea that the furniture all share some common motif, design, or color between them in order to look like they belong together. 

Look for a table that is tall enough for all ages. A dining table should be at least 30” tall to allow adults to sit and dine without limiting their movement. With a tall enough table, it is easy to add booster seats or chair cushions to find ways to make the seat more comfortable for everyone.

Look for furniture that allows movement around the room. There should be between 36” and 48” of free space around the table. Whether there’s a nearby wall, a hutch, or a hallway, it’s important that every guest can be seated at the table comfortably and safely, which means everyone should have clear access to move the chairs and walk around the table.

Look for an accessible shape. It’s a good idea to keep furniture and artwork in scale with and mirroring the dining room placement. Drastic, artful lines make good conversation surrounding a coffee table, but they could interfere with a peaceful family meal, so keep in mind the function of the table as well as the look of it. The design of the table - from the curved edges of the tabletop, to the location of the legs - should not obstruct access to the table or socializing while seated at the table.

Look for the right sized rugs. For a formal dining room, a whole-room rug is appropriate. The key is to have a rug that extends at least 24” wider than the size of the table, to allow for the easy movement of the chairs without catching them on the edge of the rug. Large rugs are centered under the table, and can stretch out to end as little as 12” to 18” away from the walls to take up the whole space. For more ideas on finding the perfect rug, check out our article here.

Look for appropriate lighting. Formal dining rooms are a  great place for a chandelier. The key is to size it appropriately. You can find more information on how to size your chandelier to the room at our article here.

The Finishing Touch

The simple flourishes of a room’s decor can be your favorite pieces and make the room the most relaxing in the house. Coordinate color themes and textures that make the space welcoming and unique, even if the most colorful decoration is a dish or a vase. Find luxurious fabrics and upholstery designs that draw the eye, from soft linens to cool leather and suede. Choose artwork and furniture shapes that mimic the features of the room, accessories that match the chandelier, or the same wood construction for the table, chairs, and dining hutch. A single cohesive element can tie the whole room together.