Cocktails in the sunshine? An Alice in Wonderland-worthy tea party? As well as allowing you and your guests to enjoy some fresh air and a pleasant meal under the sun or the stars, a dining table will become the central element on your patio.
Here's everything that you should consider in order to choose a patio dining table that doesn't look out of place and lets you sit all of your guests comfortably.
How to Choose the Right Size Patio Dining Table?
These tables come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. The right one for you? It depends on two main factors:
How big is your patio?
Don't make the mistake of choosing a large table that just about fits but won't actually leave you enough room to pull out the chairs properly! We recommend allowing at least three feet around each side of the table;
How many people do you want to sit?
- most tables go from 4 to 8
- whether you need to fit 2 or 4 people, a round table is the best option for smaller patios, whereas a square one measuring around 40 inches on each side can fit them more comfortably;
- a 56-inch long rectangular table works well for 6 guests (sitting one at each head of the table);
- strive for 70 inches or longer if you're aiming for 8 people;
- for larger options and as a general rule, make sure that each person has between 18 and 24 inches of space, and allow 6-12 between each place setting.
Don't forget that, if you think you could do with a few extra seats but not often enough to justify a huge table, you can always go for a smaller extendable model. That way you'll save yourself plenty of space when sharing it with the usual members of your household, but won't struggle to fit everyone else when you have a few more guests than usual!