W
How to Choose the Right Dining Table for Your Space
A dining table is one of the few pieces of furniture that gets used every day. At Vintage-etc, we see firsthand how important it is to get this right for both homes and hospitality spaces. It needs to work hard, look right in the space, and still feel relevant years from now.
For many of our clients, the decision to go custom comes down to one thing: nothing off-the-shelf quite fits, either in size, proportion, or finish.
This guide is based on what we’ve learnt at Vintage-etc designing and building custom tables for homes, lodges, and hospitality spaces across South Africa for the last 16 years and it is written with the intention to save you time and help you make the right decision for your space and budget.
Start with the Room, Not the Table
The most common mistake is choosing a table based on how it looks online, rather than how it should function and last.
As a rule, you want enough space to move comfortably around the table, even when it’s in use. In most homes, allowing at least 90cm clearance on all sides works well.
If the room is tight, a slightly narrower or round table often solves more problems than trying to force a large rectangular one into the space.
For narrower spaces, you can also consider benches, or one bench paired with chairs on the opposite side, that push neatly under the table when not in use. This helps create a more open, free-flowing feel around the table.
Getting the Size Right
Seating capacity is often overestimated. Remember when you put chairs in under a table, you need at least 60-70cm between each chair to allow for "elbow room" between diners.
A six-seater, for example, is usually more comfortable at around 1.6 to 1.8 metres in length. Eight-seaters start at around two metres, but proportions matter just as much as length, especially in open-plan spaces.
Benches can also fit more people than chairs, which typically need more space between each seat, around 60cm per person is a good guideline.
For clients working with interior designers or architects, we’ll often size the table directly off the floor plan to make sure it relates properly to the room.
As a rule of thumb, most tables are around 760mm high. The overhang at the ends should ideally be at least 35cm to avoid knocking your knees against the legs when seated at the head, although this does depend on the specific leg design.
Shape Matters More Than You Think
Round tables tend to work well in smaller or more social spaces. They soften a room and make conversation easier, particularly in kitchens or breakfast nook areas, and the following size guide should help you when making decisions on the size of your custom round table.
Rectangular tables are more structured. They suit longer rooms or open plan spaces, and are generally more practical for larger households or hospitality settings.
We’ve found that family-style dining prefers rectangular designs simply because they’re easier to accommodate shared meals.
When we are designing to scale seating in a restaurant, we start out with multiple square tables, 90 x 90 or 100 x 100 is average, which restaurateurs or boutique accommodation can move together to form modular dining sections of longer or shorter tables to accommodate bigger groups.
One tip we often share with new restaurant owners is to consider square tables with a single central pedestal. When multiple tables are placed together, the pedestal keeps the base clear of knees and allows for far more flexible seating. Without four corner legs getting in the way, you can comfortably fit more chairs around the table and adapt layouts more easily as group sizes change.
Material: Where Quality Shows
This is where there’s a noticeable difference between mass-produced furniture and custom pieces like the ones we make at Vintage-etc, where material choice and build quality are central to every table.
Solid wood tables age differently. They develop character over time and can be restored if needed. With a light sanding and resealing, they can look almost as good as new.
Veneered wood is often misunderstood. It is not fake wood or melamine, but rather a thin layer of real wood, typically 2–3mm, applied over plywood or chipboard. Veneer tables are commonly chosen by larger retailers. While they are more affordable and offer a more uniform finish, they do not have the same longevity as solid wood.
Neither option is inherently wrong, it depends on how the table will be used. However, veneer is generally a more budget-conscious choice, whereas solid wood tables, particularly custom-made pieces, are designed to last for many years.
Beyond the choice between solid wood and veneer, selecting the right type of wood for your environment is just as important. For example, while French Oak is by far the most popular material for indoor tables we produce at Vintage-etc, and one we regularly guide clients toward, it is not ideal for braai rooms, covered patios, or conservatory-style spaces.
Sun Traps and Heated Patios - Choose Wood Type Wisely
Oak, although beautiful, can lose moisture too quickly in hotter environments, which may lead to drying, splitting, or hairline cracks. Hardwoods such as Teak, Meranti, or Iroko perform far better in warmer areas or sun-exposed spaces.
For conservatory or outdoor tables, we often recommend incorporating expansion gaps, small spaces between the slats on the tabletop. These allow the wood to expand and contract naturally without cracking, our client in Simonstown, chose wisely with her patio table design, factoring in expansion gaps for weather fluctuations close to the sea. Below is our Farmhouse Table, with 2mm expansion gaps
Live Edge Wood - such as Iroko, also tends to weather and age better on covered patios . One such example is the Ngwenya Live Edge Table seen below
It’s also important to understand placement. If a solid wood table is positioned directly next to large glass windows or sliding doors with strong sunlight, or near a heat source like a pizza oven, movement in the wood is inevitable. This can result in splitting or cracking, and is not a manufacturing defect, but rather the natural behaviour of wood.
Wood is hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs and releases moisture, expanding and contracting in response to its environment. This is entirely normal.
Designing Around How You Live
A table should be designed around real use, not just aesthetics. This is often where good projects differ from great ones.
For family homes, we usually recommend:
- Hard-wearing, food safe matte sealers that don’t show scratches or fingerprints easily. At Vintage-etc, we use a food safe oil based sealant that can be topped up after a light sanding every 12–24 months.
- Slightly eased or rounded edges, especially with younger children
- Tops that are not overly thick if space is tight, to keep the room feeling lighter
For clients who entertain often, the priorities shift:
- Longer tables, 2.4m and up, to comfortably seat 8–10 people
- Thicker tops in big open spaces, 40mm–70mm, to give the table more presence
- Leg positions pulled slightly inward to allow for flexible seating at the ends
- Sometimes wider tables, around 1.1 to 1.2 metres, to accommodate more seating at the heads
In hospitality or Airbnb settings, the brief becomes more technical:
- Consistent sizing across multiple units for ease of layout and replacement
- Extremely durable finishes that can handle regular cleaning and high turnover
- Simple, stable base designs that don’t loosen over time
- Tables that are not too heavy to move and reconfigure, or move to form longer tables in multiples
(Above: Design by Vintage-etc - Restaurant Tables)
What You Can Customise (And Why It Matters)
One of the biggest advantages of going custom, and something we emphasise at Vintage-etc, is control.
Not just over size, but over proportion, finish, and detail. Small decisions, like the thickness of the top or the profile of the edge, make a significant difference to how a table feels in a space.
As we often tell clients, choose one focal point in a room and do it properly, and in most living spaces, that is the table. Even if the decor is fairly neutral, a table that makes a statement is always inviting, and where memories are made
You’re not choosing from a fixed range, you’re building something specific to your project. Whether it’s allowing for two chairs at the head, adding a foot rail, integrating plug points into a co-working table, or selecting a specific finish, the flexibility is what makes custom worthwhile.
Cost: What to Expect
At Vintage-etc, a question we get almost daily is: “What would a 10-seater table cost, roughly… I won’t hold you to it.”
The reality is, as manufacturers, we can’t answer that meaningfully without understanding your brief.
No two tables are the same, and pricing is driven by a few key decisions:
- Type of wood, from Pine through to Prime Oak
- Thickness of the top and legs, which directly affects material usage
- Labour and complexity, depending on the design
Where clients often get stuck is trying to get a price before they’ve made these decisions.
If you want accurate pricing, whether from us or any custom supplier, it helps to come prepared with:
- An inspiration image
- A considered wood choice
- Actual dimensions
With that in place, you’ll get far more accurate answers, much quicker, and avoid unnecessary back-and-forth.
Why Many Clients Choose Custom
In reality, most clients don’t choose custom tables from Vintage-etc just for aesthetics, it’s usually because something practical isn’t being solved by retail options.
The biggest driver is fit. Getting the exact size, proportion, and layout right means the table works properly in the space.
The second is longevity. A well-made solid wood table can be maintained over many years and becomes part of the space long-term.
For interior designers and trade clients, the value is even more specific:
- Consistency across projects
- Control over specifications
- Flexibility in design
There’s also a cost advantage when working at scale. For larger orders, there are efficiencies in production and sourcing that can reduce the per-unit cost while maintaining a consistent custom look.
Final Thoughts
A dining table is not something you buy often, and it shouldn’t be.
If you get it right, it becomes the anchor of the room. It’s where people gather, where meals are shared, and where real life happens.
Custom isn’t always the answer, but when the brief is specific, it often becomes the more considered choice.
If You’re Considering a Custom Table
Most of our clients come to Vintage-etc after they’ve realised they’re compromising, on size, finish, or quality.
If you already have a space in mind, start with
a rough size, a reference image, and an idea of where the table will live. From there, we can guide you on proportions and materials that will work long-term.
We work with homeowners, interior designers, and hospitality clients across South Africa, and the process is always collaborative, because the best tables are the ones that are properly thought through before they’re ever made.
Reach out on www.vintage-etc.com or email us at info@vintage-etc.com
Next Article : Why tables crack, and why that is NORMAL - read full blog post here
