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Ten is where a dining table stops being a piece of furniture you fit into a room and becomes the reason for the room. It needs more length than most people expect, or a base that lets the ends be used properly.
The length that seats ten
At 24 inches of table edge for every person, a 96-inch (244cm) top seats four a side and ten with the ends, provided the base leaves the ends clear. That means a refectory table, where the legs stand in from the ends. To seat ten along the sides alone, five a side, you want 120 inches (305cm).
Our standard refectory lengths run 72, 78, 84, 90, 96, 108, 114 and 120 inches, in depths of 35 or 39 inches, and any length in between can be made.
Ten some of the time
Most tables that seat ten do so a few times a year. A drawleaf table seats six most of the year and ten at Christmas: a 96-inch drawleaf goes to 132 inches, and the two leaves live under the top. A double gateleg table occupies very little floor closed and seats ten open, which suits a room that is a dining room twice a month.
Base and chairs
On a farmhouse table the legs are at the corners, so the end seats are awkward, and for ten you are better counting sides only. A double pedestal table puts the support under each half and keeps the knee room clear. Remember the carvers: ours are 21 inches across the arms against 19 for a single chair, so two carvers at the ends take more of the length.
The room it needs
Allow 36 inches of clear floor behind every chair, and 42 if people will be walking behind seated guests with dishes. A 120-inch table seated along the sides wants a room about 16 feet long; a 96-inch table with chairs at the ends as well needs that clearance at the ends too. At 39 inches deep there is a proper channel down the middle for serving dishes, which at ten people you will want.
Timber, lead time and ordering
Every table is priced in oak, cherry, mahogany and walnut. Oak is the baseline and the other three cost more. Standard designs are normally twelve weeks from order to delivery, up to sixteen when we are busy. See every standard size, how to size a table to a room, or ring the workshop on 01449 710500 with the room dimensions.
What size table seats ten?
A 96-inch (244cm) refectory table seats ten with one at each end, because the legs stand in from the ends. To seat ten along the sides alone you want a 120-inch (305cm) top.
Can an extending table seat ten?
Yes. A 96-inch drawleaf goes to 132 inches with its two leaves drawn out, and a double gateleg seats ten when open.
How big a room does a ten-seater table need?
Allow 36 inches behind every chair. A 120-inch table seated along the sides wants a room about 16 feet long.
Which base is best for ten?
A refectory base, with the legs set in from the ends, lets you use the ends. A double pedestal keeps the knee room clear. Corner legs, as on a farmhouse table, make end seats awkward.
How long does a ten-seater table take to make?
Normally twelve weeks from order to delivery, and up to sixteen when the workshop is busy. Your date is confirmed when you order.