The right oval dining table is one that leaves around 90cm of clearance on every side in your room, seats your household comfortably day to day and has a base that does not get in the way of knees and chair legs. Once those practical points are settled, choose a finish that suits the rest of the room and chairs that sit neatly around the curve. Oval tables are especially useful in narrower UK dining rooms because their rounded ends make it easier to move around the room without catching a hip on a corner.
They also have a quality that is harder to measure. An oval table softens a room. It encourages conversation, since everyone can see one another, and it tends to feel more relaxed than a strict rectangle. Here is how to choose one that works as well as it looks.
Start with the dimensions of the room, or the dining zone if you are working in an open plan space. From each wall or large piece of furniture, subtract about 90cm. The space that remains is the maximum footprint your table should take up. In a tighter room, 75cm can work along a wall that nobody needs to walk behind, but 90cm is more comfortable wherever chairs need to slide out.
Oval tables have a useful advantage here. Because the ends curve away, the walking space near each end is slightly greater than it would be with a rectangular table of the same length. In a narrow Victorian dining room or a galley style kitchen diner, that small difference can make the room feel noticeably easier to use.
Before you buy, mark the shape on the floor with masking tape or lay out sheets of newspaper. It is the quickest way to see how the table will sit in relation to doors, radiators, windows and the route through the room.
As a general guide, allow about 60cm of table edge per person. For oval tables, the following sizes are a useful starting point:
Around 140cm to 160cm long: usually seats four comfortably, or six at a squeeze.
Around 180cm to 200cm long: typically seats six, with the ends used for one chair each.
Around 220cm and longer: generally seats eight.
Width matters as well. A table of roughly 90cm to 100cm wide leaves room for place settings on both sides plus serving dishes down the middle. Narrower tables save space but can feel crowded when food is served family style.
Think honestly about how you use the table. If it seats four on most days and eight a few times a year, an extending oval table may serve you better than a large fixed one.
The base has a direct effect on how comfortable the table is to sit at.
Pedestal bases have a single central column or a pair of supports placed towards the middle. They leave the edges clear, so chairs can be placed anywhere around the table and guests do not bump into table legs. Pedestal oval tables also make it easier to add an extra chair at short notice. Check that the foot of the pedestal does not extend so far that it interferes with feet.
Four leg designs are typically very stable and often give a more traditional or mid century look. The position of the legs determines how many chairs will fit comfortably, so look at where they sit in relation to the curve. Legs set inward from the edge tend to be more accommodating.
Double pedestal and trestle bases suit longer oval tables. They distribute weight well and keep most of the edge free.
The finish affects both the look of your dining room and how much care the table needs.
Wood. Oak, walnut and ash bring warmth and a natural feel. A curved wooden top shows off the grain beautifully. Lacquered finishes are easy to wipe clean, while oiled finishes feel more natural and need occasional maintenance.
Glass. A glass oval top on an interesting base keeps a smaller room feeling open because you can see through it. It suits contemporary schemes and shows the floor or rug below.
Marble and marble effect. These give an elegant, quietly luxurious look and pair well with brass, black metal or pale wood bases. Sintered stone and ceramic versions offer similar looks with strong resistance to heat and staining.
High gloss. A white or grey gloss oval table reflects light around the room and suits modern, minimal interiors.
You can compare these finishes across our range of modern dining tables UK sale, which includes glass, wood, marble and high gloss designs in a variety of shapes.
Oval tables tend to look best with chairs that echo their softness. Rounded backs, tub shapes and curved arms sit comfortably around the edge. Very angular chairs can still work, particularly in a contemporary room, but they will create a more graphic effect.
Check the dimensions carefully. Chairs with arms need enough height clearance to slide under the table edge, and the curve of the table means end chairs may sit slightly closer together than side chairs. Allow a little extra width around the ends if you plan to use carver chairs there.
Velvet dining chairs pair especially well with oval tables, giving a softly tailored look that suits both classic and modern rooms. Our velvet dining chairs UK come in a range of colours from deep green and navy to soft grey and blush. If you would rather choose everything at once, our modern dining table and chairs sets UK take the guesswork out of matching proportions.
A rug helps define the dining area, especially in an open plan layout. An oval or rectangular rug that extends at least 60cm beyond the table on every side allows chairs to stay on the rug when pulled out. A round rug can work under a shorter oval table, but for longer designs the shape can look mismatched. Our modern rugs UK sale include a range of sizes and shapes that suit dining spaces.
For lighting, a single large pendant suits a shorter oval table, while a linear fitting or a pair of pendants works better over a longer one. Hang the lights so they are centred over the table rather than the room, which may mean adjusting the ceiling fitting slightly.
Extending oval tables use a central leaf, or sometimes two, to add length. When closed, many look almost round, which is useful in square rooms. When opened, they become a full oval that seats more guests.
If you choose an extending model, check how easy the mechanism is to operate on your own, where the leaves are stored and whether the grain or pattern continues across the extension. A well designed extending table looks just as considered at either size.
A few simple checks save a great deal of frustration on delivery day. Measure the route into the room as well as the room itself, including front doors, hallways, tight turns on the stairs and internal door frames. Larger oval tops are often delivered flat and assembled in place, but it is still worth confirming the dimensions of the boxed parts.
Check the table height against your chairs. Most dining tables sit at around 75cm, and a gap of roughly 25cm to 30cm between the seat and the underside of the tabletop is usually comfortable. If you are keeping existing chairs, measure them before choosing a new table so the pairing works.
Finally, consider who will use the table most. Families with young children may value a wipe clean surface and a sturdy base, while those who entertain often may prioritise an extending mechanism and generous width for serving dishes.
Oval tables are surprisingly versatile. A pale oak oval with spindle chairs suits a Scandi or country kitchen. A walnut oval with leather chairs brings a mid century feel. A marble effect top on a slim metal base, surrounded by velvet chairs, suits a more glamorous room. A white gloss oval with moulded chairs works in a clean, modern apartment.
Think about the rest of the room first: the flooring, the wall colour, any existing storage or shelving. The table should complement these rather than compete. You can explore tables, chairs and complementary pieces across our full collection at Furniture in Fashion, with free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes.
Yes. Their rounded ends make it easier to move around the table, and a pedestal base allows chairs to be placed flexibly, which suits smaller rooms well.
A table of around 180cm usually seats six people comfortably, with two on each side and one at each end.
An oval table often works better in a narrow room because the curved ends leave more space to walk past, especially near doorways.
Choose a rug that extends at least 60cm beyond the table on every side so chairs remain on the rug when they are pulled out.
They can, though a straight bench will not follow the curve. A shorter bench along one side, set within the straighter section of the table, tends to work best.
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