How to Choose Dining Room Furniture
Measure Your Space Before You Choose a Size
Start with the room rather than the table. Allow at least 80cm between the table and whatever is behind it so chairs can slide out and people can walk past. Leave more if the dining area is also the path to the kitchen or back door. Measure the length and width of the space and subtract that clearance on every side where chairs will sit. What's left is the largest table that fits comfortably. A dining area 3.4m long, for example, leaves room for a table of about 180cm.
Next, work out how many people need a seat. Each person needs about 60cm of table edge to eat without bumping elbows, so a 180cm table seats three along each long side. Size the table for the people who eat there most nights. Cover bigger gatherings with an extendable table or a bench rather than living with an oversized table all year. Before you buy, mark the table's outline on the floor with masking tape and walk around it for a day or two. It's the quickest way to tell whether a size feels generous or cramped.
Choose a Shape That Suits Your Room and Household
Shape affects how many people fit, how easily you move around the table and how conversation flows. Rectangular tables suit larger households and make the best use of long, narrow rooms. In open-plan spaces they line up neatly with a kitchen bench or lounge. Round tables suit square rooms and groups of four to six. Everyone can see each other, and there are no corners to bump into. You can usually squeeze in an extra chair too. Bigger round tables leave a lot of unreachable space in the middle. That's where a lazy Susan helps, and a few of our tables come with one. Oval tables give you the seating of a rectangle with softer ends. Those ends are easier to get past in a tight room and kinder when toddlers are at corner height. Our square tables are 150cm to 160cm across, which seats two along each side. Allow a room of at least 3.1m each way for one.
Check the base as well. A pedestal base lets chairs push right in on every side. Legs at each corner fix where chairs can go and can get in the way when you add a seventh or eighth guest.
Extendable tables give you a smaller footprint for everyday meals and extra seats when family visits. They're worth it if you host a few times a year. Measure for the extended size as well, because you'll still need the same clearance around the table when it's open.
Which Table Top Material Is Best for Your Home?
Every table top material involves a trade-off, so decide first what matters most to you: low upkeep, a particular look or something with character.
Ceramic and sintered stone are one of the largest groups in our range. These tops resist scratches, stains and heat, and they clean with a damp cloth and mild detergent. That suits you if you have a young family or want a low-maintenance surface. Coasters for hot, cold or wet items are still a good everyday habit.
Resin-coated marble suits you if you love the look of marble and don't mind a little care. The resin coating isn't heatproof, so hot dishes need placemats or trivets. Wipe up wine, coffee, vinegar and lemon juice straight away, and keep the table out of strong direct sun, which can yellow the resin. We recommend a clear protective film.
Solid marri timber is a West Australian hardwood. Every top has its own colour, grain and natural markings, so it suits you if you like natural variation in a table. It's also the most hands-on option. It isn't heatproof, sun changes its colour over time, and it needs a timber-safe oil or wax every 6 to 12 months. A clear cover is recommended for everyday use.
Oak and marri veneer tops put a thin layer of real timber over a core, which is MDF on several of our oak veneer tables. You get the look of timber without the oiling routine solid marri needs. Dust weekly, clean with mild soap and water only, then dry. Wipe up spills quickly, especially over an MDF core, because MDF has poor moisture resistance.
Glass tops in our range come on 200cm rectangular tables, which seat three along each long side, so they suit larger households. Clean them with glass cleaner and a lint-free cloth, and avoid abrasives. Both use toughened glass, which breaks into small, blunt granules rather than jagged shards.
Test Chairs for Comfort, Not Just Looks
You'll sit in your dining chairs far more often than you'll look at them. Test them if you can, and for longer than a minute. Check the gap between the seat and the table too. You need about 28 to 32cm between the seat and the underside of the table for your legs to fit comfortably. This matters most when you buy the table and chairs separately or pair a new table with chairs you already own.
Every chair and stool in this collection is upholstered, so the main choice is the covering, and each needs a different routine. Fabric, boucle and velvet need a weekly vacuum. Leather needs a weekly wipe with a damp cloth. PU needs a regular dust with a soft, dry cloth and a mild soap clean every 3 to 6 months. Whatever the covering, blot spills straight away rather than rubbing them, and darker colours hide the inevitable marks. Chairs with arms, often called carvers, help older family members. That's because using armrests cuts the effort needed at the hip to stand up by about half. They take up more width, so many people put them only at the ends.
Should Your Dining Chairs Match Your Table?
A matching dining room table and chairs is the simplest route to a finished look, and it takes the guesswork out of proportions. Mixing gives a room more personality. A stone table with upholstered chairs feels softer, and a timber table with metal-framed chairs looks more modern. Keep one element consistent, such as colour, leg finish or material, so the mix looks intentional.
In an open-plan home, your table and chairs sit in the same view as the lounge and kitchen, so think about the whole space. Repeating a finish ties the areas together: black powder-coated metal, brushed gold, a warm timber tone or the colour of your stone top. If you'd rather not mix and match, several of our ranges come as matching collections across dining and living pieces. Look at your floor as well. A pale table on pale floorboards can fade into the background, while contrasting legs or a darker top help it stand out.
Decide Whether You Need a Buffet
Buffets sit in their own range rather than in this collection. If you have a free wall, a buffet adds storage for platters, glassware and table linen, plus a surface for serving and display. Measure its depth along with the table, because it shouldn't eat into the clearance behind your chairs. If you have young children, anchor the buffet to the wall: toppling furniture causes nearly 20 injuries a week in Australia.
How Do Perth's Sun and Humidity Affect Your Table?
Where you put the table matters almost as much as what it's made of. Perth gets an average of 8.8 hours of sunshine a day. Near a sunny window, that much sun can change the colour of timber and yellow resin-coated marble. Sheer curtains or blinds during the brightest hours make a real difference.
Humidity matters too. Perth's average afternoon humidity runs from 37% in summer to 60% in winter, and those swings affect how timber and veneer behave.
Some habits help whatever the material:
- Use placemats or trivets for hot dishes and coasters under glasses.
- Put felt pads under decor.
- Stick to mild cleaners, and never use alcohol, acetone, bleach or ammonia on marble or timber.
Our care guide covers marble, timber, leather and fabric care.
Common Questions About Dining Furniture
How Do You Fit a Dining Table in a Small Living Room?
A round table on a pedestal base is usually the easiest fit. It has no corners to walk around, and the chairs can push right in. In a long, narrow space, push a rectangular table against the wall, or use a bench seat along one side instead of chairs. An extendable table that closes small for everyday meals saves space most of the year. Our smallest tables are 115cm and 120cm rounds.
How Do You Style a Dining Room?
Build the room around the table, then add light, a rug and a few well-chosen pieces. Centre a pendant over the table rather than the room. Pick a rug large enough that chairs stay on it when pulled out, and keep any centrepiece low enough to see over. If you add a buffet, it gives you a place for a lamp or a vase, with art above it. Finally, repeat a colour or material from the table somewhere else in the room, such as timber, stone or metal, so the space feels connected.
Where Can You Buy a Dining Table and Chairs?
Buy from a retailer that can give you exact dimensions, material and care details, and help you check that the chairs suit the table's height. If you're shopping for a dining table and chairs in Perth, you can browse our range above. You can also ask our team about sizing, finishes or matching pieces. Wherever you buy, sit at the table if you can. Check the gap between the seat and the underside of the table. Before you commit, compare the table's length and width with your measurements.
Need Help Choosing?
Once you have your measurements, shortlist a few pieces from the collection above and check them against your space. If you'd like a second opinion on size, finish or which chairs suit your table, get in touch with the Adore Home Living team. Our design team can help you work through it so you end up with a setting that suits your home and the way you live.