Your dining room is one of the gathering places in your home, which means that it will need to accommodate different people, large groups, and serving dishes. Round and square dining tables are the most popular options because they allow for a good amount of seating as well as enough space to eat, craft, or work. Let’s dive into more about each dining table shape and how they can impact your dining experience.
Small Dining Areas
Small dining rooms need to make the most of the space in order to have a cohesive vibe without feeling cramped. If you have a smaller dining space, round tables often fit well because of their smaller size and rounded corners. Many different sizes of round tables can work for a small dining area, especially if you can fit 6-8 people comfortably around the table.
With a small dining area, moving food into the dining area and getting everyone seated can be difficult with a large table. Round options will prevent sharp corners from jutting out, causing injury or blocking traffic flow. A round dining table can help the space feel more cozy, especially with a breakfast nook or small dining space.
Extension Options
Many dining tables have extension options that will make them bigger for family events or birthday parties. While most tables can come with one or two leaf extensions, round tables often have fewer extension options. Round tables that extend can often fold in half and be put away, but the leaves aren’t stored inside the table, making it hard to keep them out of the dining room during gatherings. Square tables often have multiple leaves that can extend the table to twice its size. The leaves can but stored underneath the table top, helping to shrink the table when you need less seating and won’t take up additional storage space.
Intimate Cozy Dinners
If you are someone who enjoys conversation around the dinner table and cozy family gatherings, a round table will be more beneficial for your home. Round tables are often seen as relaxing and smaller, creating a cozy and intimate feel. Seating around round tables is closer together, which makes for a more intimate setting, but can also come with some negatives. Smaller families, those with small children, or those who only have immediate family around the table, will love round tables. Round tables can be extended into oval shapes with leaves for bigger gatherings, but they still have less seating space than square/rectangular tables.
Cons Of Round Tables
Before you purchase a dining table, it is important to look at all the pros and cons of every available option. When looking at a pros and cons list, it is important to keep in mind that everyone’s situation can be different, and some of these concerns may not impact you.
Some cons of round dining tables include:
- Smaller seating areas
- Difficult to reach toward the center
- Less surface area
- Less formal ambiance
- Doesn’t accommodate benches for seating
- Can’t be pushed against a wall for additional space
- Not ideal for long or narrow rooms
Cons Of Square Or Rectangular Tables
Now that we know the pros and cons of round tables, let’s look at the cons of square dining tables. Some cons of including a square or rectangular table in your dining room include:
- Concern for a cramped space as the table extends
- It could make the room feel smaller
- Sharp edges and corner hazards
- Conversations from either end of the table could be difficult
- Don’t flow well in irregularly shaped rooms
- Not the most welcoming option
Purchasing Dining Tables From Sugarhouse Furniture
Sugarhouse Furniture has many different shapes for dining tables, so that you can find one that fits the size of your dining room and meets the needs of your family. When you have company over, you will want to gather in a space to chat, play games, eat, or complete a project. Even if you don’t host gatherings too often right now, it is important to plan for the future.
Sugarhouse Furniture crafts all of our furniture with the future in mind. Our mission-style furniture is made with the highest quality wood and comes in different styles and colors to accommodate every personality. Before choosing a dining room piece, you can work with our team to discuss your concerns and current home layout to find the best table shape for you. Check out our dining tables or come in to speak with a team member today!


