5 Tips To Avoid Buyer’s Remorse!

“We’ve moving to a smaller home and my formal dining set just doesn’t fit the new space, help!” I hear that almost every day. There is a building boom going on in Buffalo and the charge is being lead by the Baby Boomers and a few Gen X’s.  For many couples, the kids are grown and out on their own and they are finally getting to have the home design they’ve always wanted. For the most part this new exciting chapter is filled with dreaming and planning new furniture layouts, color schemes. Some days are filled with wood, metal and tile samples, fabric swatches and a few little headaches here and there. One of those headaches being the dinning room. Now for some reason, and this has been my experience as a designer, people really know what they want their new great room/open kitchen to look like but the dinning space really throws them. If that’s the case for you and you’re struggling to finish up your new dining space, here’s the fool proof way to get the right size dining table. It’s broken down into 5 tips to avoid buyer’s remorse. 
 

If you haven’t guessed, this goofy pinwheel isn’t a flower – although it looks like one, right? It’s actually a visual aid that depicts how many of my clients feel when they go about the task of deciding what shape and size table they need for their new dining space. If you look closely at it you’ll see a bunch of table tops of different shapes and sizes. I often think of this kind of visual when I first talk to clients about their plans for the dining room. I’m usually brought in at the end stage of construction and they’ve finally seen their space framed up for the first time. They usually say: “I didn’t realize the space would be so small”, or something to that effect. Not to worry. Even small dining spaces can have style and function and you don’t have to spin the wheel and hope your new dining set fits. These 5 tips will make the whole process of deciding much easier and best of all you’ll avoid buyer’s remorse from having bought the wrong table for your space. 
 

The Fool Proof Way To Get the Right Size Dining Table, Tip 1: Measure Your Space.

I’ve talked about this before on many occasions. I swear, I may even have it chiseled into my headstone: before any design or decorating project you must measure your floor space. The absolute first step in getting the right size dining table is to make sure you know the measurement of the room. That includes where windows are the length and width of the room, doorways, built-ins, etc. If you’re not sure how to do this, I have a FREE download at the end of this post that will literally show you how to measure like a professional designer. Keep reading, because I have 4 more tips that will keep you from the dreaded buyer’s remorse.  At the very least, when you have accurate room dimensions, your trip to the furniture store will be much more productive because you’ll already know what will fit and what will not.
 

The Fool Proof Way To Get the Right Size Dining Table, Tip 2: Room Shape Vs. Table Shape.
 

The shape of your room can be a very good indicator of the shape of your table. This is true for both the function of the room and the function of the table. Here’s two of the most common room shapes and the table shapes that suit them best. 
 

Square Room : Round Table.
 

If you have a square dining room, you may want to consider a round table. The square dining room is the same length and width which can make it difficult to move around in if the table has sharp 90 degree corners. Even if the space has an open side – like a large opening into the kitchen or great room space, the other 3 walls are usually more enclosed, occupying windows, doorways or they might serve as the anchors for a sideboard if there is no window or doorway. Plus you can fit more people around a round table than square or rectangular and everyone can see each other which makes talking and visiting so much more enjoyable!
 

Rectangular Room : Rectangular or Oval Table
 

The rectangular room tends to feel a tad bit more formal and if you like to play up the formality, a rectangular table really can help you accomplish this. If you prefer a bit more of an informal look to your space a good alternative is the oval shaped dining table. Much like the round, it is easy to maneuver around. Of course there are many different sizes for dining tables and knowing the size of your room is key to figuring out the appropriate size dining table.
 

The Fool Proof Way To Get the Right Size Dining Table, Tip 3: Consider Functionality.
 

When you’ve arrived at the shape of the table that will fit best in your space now it’s time to consider how you want the table to function. This means how many people will use it everyday AND how may people will need to be seated around it for special occasions. My rule of thumb is to never design for the exceptions. This means, if you host a large dinner party once a year, don’t design the room to function for large gatherings while forsaking the every day use for the space. This is especially important if you have one dining space in your new, smaller home, as opposed to a “formal” space that was used once or twice a year. 
 

A few key points to keep in mind for functionality:

• Choose tables that can expand with leaves so you can make your table larger to accommodate more guests, if needed. Again, you must know the size of your space in order to know what size table will work. (Don’t forget your FREE download below.)

• Leaves that store inside the table, self storing leaves, are the way to go! They are hinged and able to be folded into the table itself so no need to store them in a closet or under a bed. That means less clutter and they are less likely to get damaged.

• When you find the shape and size that will work for you, ask your furniture sales person if your table is available as a trestle top. Trestle is a fancy way of describing table tops that are fashioned onto a gear system that opens the top while the base stays stationary. Traditional expanding tables require two people to open them, each pulling the top in opposite directions. Save your back for laboring over the amazing dinner you’re going to make instead of breaking it opening up your table for the leaf.
  

The Fool Proof Way To Get the Right Size Dining Table, Tip 4: Consider The Table Base.
 

Meghan Trainor had it right when she sang, “It’s all about the base”. Even though she was talking about butts, I could not agree with her more when it comes to dining tables. In my opinion it is all about the base… 

• Leg tables are wonderful. They give you a transitional line that can go formal or casual, They provide even support and stability. My only beef with leg tables is someone is always going to sit straddling a leg, especially on crowded holidays.

• Pedestal bases can also go formal or transitional and the support is more centered on the table. My favorite part, no knocking your knee on a leg when you get up and down. (Trust me, as someone who entertains often, it’s a big deal!)
  

The Fool Proof Way To Get the Right Size Dining Table, Tip 5: Minimum Space Requirements
 

My last tip brings it all together. Once you know the size of your room, what shape table will work best, how you need it to function and how you want the table to be supported, the final thing to consider is how much space you and your guests will need to be comfortable. I put this as tip number five but it is really important to consider throughout the entire process of deciding on your table. Here are my top 3 minimum space requirements for getting the right size table: 
 

• It’s Ideal to have 36” between your furniture and the wall on all sides. This gives a person enough room to back a chair up to get up form the table and to move comfortably around the room.
  

• Leave at least 6” in between chairs at the table so people won’t bump their elbows when eating. Usually the average dinning chair is 20” wide. For example, if your table is 60” long on the longest side, only place 2, 20” chairs on the that side. This will give your guests the appropriate space they need to be comfortable. Adjust the number of chairs based on the 20” average to get the ideal seating for your table.
  

• Each person at your table will occupy 26” of personal space around the table. You can adjust that to 24” for large dinner parties.
  

That’s it, the fool proof way to find the right size dining table. If you stick to these 5 tips, you will be far ahead of the game when you’re out shopping for that new dining room table. Don’t forget your FREE copy of my ebook: Small Space Big Style: How to Measure Your Space in 8 Simple Steps. Just click the cover image fill out your name and email address and I will send you an instant download so you can get started measuring your space right away. If you enjoyed this post, give it a like and share it out to your friends. I’d love for you to leave a comment too! Thanks so much for reading and I will catch you next week with a new post to help you through another home decorating challenge! If you haven’t checked out my diy Sunday blog series, stop back each Sunday and get inspired with a simple diy project that you can create to beautify your home. I’m tellin’ ya, you’re gonna love ‘em!  Until next time, stay fabulous!
 

Michael is Principal designer and blogger at Michael Helwig Interiors in beautiful Buffalo, New York. Since 2011, he’s a space planning expert, offering online interior e-design services for folks living in small homes, or for those with awkward and tricky layouts. He’s a frequent expert contributor to many National media publications and news outlets on topics related to decorating, interior design, diy projects, and more. Michael happily shares his experience to help folks avoid expensive mistakes and decorating disappointments. You can follow him on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook @interiorsmh.