Choosing a dining table: five measurements before you look at wood
2026-01-20 (fictional). 6 min read. By the Lemnor workshop (fictional).
Start with people, not wood. Count how many sit at the table on an ordinary day. Then count how many on the day you invite everyone. Those are your two numbers.
Allow 60 cm of table edge per person; 70 if the chairs have arms. A 180 cm table seats six, with room for elbows. 210 seats eight.
Measure the space behind the chairs. You need 90 cm from the table edge to the wall for a chair to pull out and someone to pass behind it.
Only then choose the wood. Oak is the practical choice, ash is lighter in colour and weight, walnut is the one you pick with your eyes.