Chairs and chair arms should be able to slide under your dining table with ease, but they also must have comfortable lap and leg room when guests are sitting in them. Most dining tables are about 30 inches high. Chair height is generally 18 inches (from the floor to the seat).Rules of ThumbAllow 12 inches between the seat of your chair and your tabletop.Leave 7 inches between the chair arm and the bottom or apron of the table. The average dining chair width is 16-20 inches. If dining chairs are placed right next to each other with no space between them, people will bump elbows when eating. Because of that, add 6 inches to each chair's width to accommodate the spaces between them. You'll also want to make sure there is enough room behind your dining chairs for people to slide out easily. Rules of ThumbProvide each guest 24-30 inches at the dining table.For rectangular tables, add an extra 12 inches at each end for those seated at the head and foot of the table.Allow for at least 36 inches between the dining table and any walls or other furniture.
Measure your chairs at their widest point. Depending on the style of the chair, this can mean either the seat or the chair back. Arms will usually add about 6 inches to the overall width of a single dining chair. If space is limited, you may opt for armless dining chairs or only use dining chairs with arms at the head and foot of the table to conserve space. Dining chair seat shells Dining chairsDining chairs don’t just have to feel good when you sit on them, they need to look good, too. Ours have the right proportions to be comfortable, even if you like to linger over dessert. They come in different styles so you can find what best suits you. And we’ve designed them to match our tables if you want to coordinate your dining area.Don't pass on a stunning dining table just because it doesn't come with chairs. Your table and chairs don't have to match. Your chairs do need to suit your table's scale and style. Here's how to choose chairs for your dining table:For comfort, the respective scales of your dining table and chairs must be compatible.
If you measure from the top of the table to the floor, most dining tables range from 28 to 31 inches high; a 30 inch height is the most common. From the top of the seat to the floor, dining chairs frequently range from 17 to 20 inches high. That means the distance between the seat and tabletop could be anywhere from 8 to 14 inches.The average diner finds a distance of 10 to 12 inches the most comfortable, but it varies by the thickness of the tabletop, the height of the apron, and by the size of the diner.To find the seat-height-to-table-height distance you find comfortable, test a table (or tables) with a mix of different chairs.You can visit a furniture store with lots of kitchen and dining sets on display. Or, simply pay attention to your comfort level when you dine out. Keep a small measuring tape in your purse or pocket so you can note the exact distance when you find one that fits.Don't just measure from table's top to the seat. If the table doesn't have an apron, measure from the bottom of the tabletop to the top edge of the chair seat.
If the table has an apron, measure from the bottom of the apron to the top of the seat.Note whether the chair seat is hard or upholstered. Upholstered seats tend to compress when you sit. If the padding is thick, the compression may be substantial. To get an accurate reading, measure from the top of the upholstered seat to the floor while the chair is empty, and then have someone measure it again while you sit. Add the difference between the two to your ideal table-to-seat distance.Tip: If you visit a furniture store to test different chair and table heights, tell the salesperson what you're doing so she doesn't lose her spot on the "up" list.Scale isn't just about compatible heights. You also need chairs that actually fit under your table. If they don't, your diners won't feel comfortable and you'll damage both table and chairs.The chairs you place at each end of a rectangular or oval dining table should slide under the table without bumping into the table legs, or into the base of a pedestal or trestle table.
Those guidelines also apply to every chair you use with square and round tables. If you plan to use two or more chairs on each long side of the table, make sure there's room to slide them underneath with bumping each other or the table's base or legs. If the chair seats touch, diners feel cramped and uncomfortable close. The same is true for round tables; leave at least two inches of space between each chair. If you use dining chairs with arms at any type of table, make sure the tops of the arms don't brush or bump the bottom of the tabletop or apron. In addition to the inevitable damage your chair arms will suffer, diners may not be able to sit close enough to the table to eat comfortably.The final scale concern when choosing chairs for a mixing room table is the difference between the table height and the overall chair height. Make sure the backs of your chairs are taller than the top of the table. Taller is better, but a height difference of two inches is the absolute minimum.
The chairs look squatty otherwise.In addition to choosing tables and chairs of compatible scale, the pieces need to look good together. The styles must be compatible too.Choosing tables and chairs with a common element usually ensures that they'll look good together. That common element can be the period, the color undertone of the finish, or the level of formality. It can even be a single design element, such as the furniture legs or feet. That said, don't choose tables and chairs that share all of the same elements or you might as well just buy a matching set.If you have an 18-century mahogany double-pedestal dining table with a gleaming French polish, it's not going to look right paired with distressed pine ladder-back chairs with coarse rush seats. It's also not the right table for a mismatched collection of metal ice cream parlor chairs or folding French garden chairs made with wooden slats.A planked farmhouse table with turned legs is the better choice with any of the chairs from the previous paragraph, but it won't look right with the Chippendale ribbon-back chairs that are ideal for the mahogany table.
However, upholstered Parsons chairs or painted Hitchcock chairs both work with either of the aforementioned tables.The Parsons chair -- an upholstered slipper chair with dining chair proportions -- has simple lines that are neutral enough to work with most table styles. Its level of formality depends primarily on the fabric used to upholster it.The painted finish of the Hitchcock chair makes it compatible with most wood finishes. Its woven seat makes it casual enough for the farm table. The gold stenciling and classic shape make it dressy enough for a formal table.As with most decorating rules, there are exceptions. When mixing a dining table and chairs, the exception is when the pairing works because it's so outrageous. If you mix an uber-sleek contemporary zebrawood dining table with a set of early American maple chairs, it just looks like you have no taste and no sense of what's appropriate.If you mix that same table with a collection of carved-and-gilded chairs prissy enough to make Marie Antoinette look like a casual gal, the look is deliberate and avant-garde.