The marble dining table arrives Tuesday. I measured the room three times, but I didn't measure the hallway. So there's the table, wrapped in cardboard, wedged between the doorframe and the banister, and the delivery guy is looking at me like I've got three heads. That was the first mistake. The second was not leaving enough room to push the chairs back from the table. We had to slide them out sideways to sit down. Anyway, if you're planning a marble dining table and chairs, here's the walk through our own constraints.
Room size is the thing
We have a 12x14 dining room with windows on one wall and a radiator under them. The table itself is 72 inches long, 36 inches wide. That sounds modest. But chairs need 24 inches behind them to slide back comfortably, plus the chair depth when pushed in. With our upholstered chairs at 20 inches deep plus 2 inches of table overhang, we needed about 5 feet from table edge to wall. That meant a 36-inch table gave us just over 6 feet of usable width, so only about a foot of clearance per side. Not enough for the traffic path to the sideboard. If you have a smaller room, consider a narrow table (30 inches wide) and slim chairs. Our friends have a 28-inch-wide rectangular top and they live with it fine.
Chairs matter more than the table
We bought four side chairs and an armchair. The armchair added 4 inches of length but also blocks the view of the window when pushed in. Actually, the armchair is the reason we can't use the bay window seat. If you have a window seat, skip the armchair. Also, marble tops are cold, but the chairs' upholstery changes how it feels. We got polyester velvet, which snags on the edge of the marble if you're not careful. Leather or a wipe-clean fabric might be better if you have kids. Look at how the chairs' legs interact with the marble. Metal legs scratch the surface over time, but rubberized feet help. We had to replace the standard glides with felt pads immediately.
Overhang and legroom
You'll want at least 12 inches from the table edge to the seat cushion so your legs don't hit the apron. Marble tables have thick edges—ours is a 2-inch bevel. Add that to the 12 inches, and you're looking at 14 inches of overhang, which means a 36-inch table leaves only 6 inches between the legs of opposite chairs. That's cramped. An extendable table gives you more room when extended, but you also need storage for the leaf. We store ours vertically behind the sofa in the living room, but that's an ugly sight. If you don't have a closet or a hall closet, skip the extendable model.
Delivery and weight
Marble is heavy. A 72xx36 table with a 3/4-inch stone top weighs about 400 pounds. Our delivery crew was two guys, and they still struggled up three stairs. If you live above the first floor, consider a wood or quartz table instead. Also, marble can be porous, so accidental spills of red wine or lemon juice leave marks unless you seal it. We've had it for a month and I've already wiped up two juice spills. Check the warranty—our table came with a year, but the countertop is not covered for etching. Actually, we didn't read the fine print. Don't make that mistake.
Who should skip this setup
If your dining room is narrow, or you eat there daily with small kids, or you live in an apartment with a tight stairwell, skip the marble table. Look at a solid wood table with a matte finish, or a quartz-ish look. Also, if you're prone to sweaty glasses, marble shows rings. We have a ceramic drip tray, but it only holds four glasses. For six people, that's not enough.
If you're scratching your head about measuring first, read the Extendable Dining Table Set with 6 Chairs: What to Measure First and the Dining Table Set for 8: Measure the Room, Not Just the Table. For chairs, Beautiful dining chairs: the first week is when you notice things talks about comfort over the long run. And Black Wood Dining Table — Measure This Before You Click Buy applies here, just with marble.