Best dining tables for small apartments in Australia
By James Whitfield, Melbourne
The best dining table for a small Australian apartment is one that measures under about 1600 mm in its everyday footprint, leaves enough clearance to pull chairs out and walk past, and matches how you actually eat: a round pedestal table if the dining zone sits in a traffic path, a rectangular table if it goes against a wall, or a compact extendable if you host more people than the space normally fits. Get the clearance sums right first — the prettiest table is a daily annoyance if you have to shuffle sideways past it.
Australian apartments increasingly put the dining zone inside an open-plan living area rather than in its own room, which changes the buying logic: the table has to earn its floor space every single day. Here's how to size it, which shape to pick, and where compact options sit in Desk One's locally stocked range.
Step 1: do the clearance sums before you shop
A widely used planning rule of thumb is to allow roughly 900 mm from the table edge to the nearest wall or furniture — enough for a seated person to push back and stand — and more like 1000–1200 mm on any side where people need to walk past while someone is seated. Work backwards from your room: measure the dining zone, subtract the clearance on each side, and what's left is your maximum tabletop footprint. In many one- and two-bedroom apartments that lands well under 1600 mm of table length, which is exactly why the standard 1800 mm family table so often feels wrong in an apartment even though it technically fits.
Step 2: round vs rectangular in a tight space
When round wins
Round tables have no corners to clip on the walk past, which matters when the dining zone sits between the kitchen and the sofa. A pedestal base — a single central column instead of four legs — also lets you push chairs in fully and squeeze an extra diner in without anyone straddling a table leg. The trade-off: a round table can't go flush against a wall without losing seats, so it wants to float in the room.
When rectangular wins
Rectangular tables are the space savers when one side can live against a wall: push the table to the wall for daily meals with seating on three sides, pull it out when guests come. They also serve better as an occasional work-from-home surface. The trade-off is corners in the traffic path if the table has to float.
Step 3: consider a compact extendable
If your honest answer to "how many do I seat?" is "two, except when it's six", a compact extendable resolves the conflict: small everyday footprint, extra surface on demand. Desk One's Orbit Extend is the round extendable in the range — white sintered stone with walnut wood, listed in three configurations (1500 × 900, 1500 × 1200 and 1500 × 1500 mm, all 750 mm high), so its everyday setting stays inside the compact bracket while the expanded settings handle hosting. For the fuller comparison of when a mechanism is worth paying for, see our guide on fixed vs extendable dining tables.
Compact options in the Desk One range
Desk One's dining range majors on 1800 mm family tables, but several pieces suit smaller spaces:
- Orbit Extend — round extendable, 1500 mm everyday footprint across its three listed configurations; the most apartment-shaped table in the range.
- Axis (1600 mm option) — the white glossy sintered stone table on a sculptural steel base is offered in a 1600 × 900 × 750 mm size as well as 1800 mm; the shorter length sits right at the apartment threshold and suits a wall-side placement.
- Forma — a grey marble-look sintered stone round table on a walnut pedestal, seating 4–6; its pedestal base gives the chair-tucking advantage described above. Exact dimensions are listed on its product page.
- Halo — a second round option in white sintered stone and walnut wood; dimensions on its product page.
All of these ship from Desk One's locally held Australian stock at its Brisbane (Willawong) warehouse — no dropshipping — which matters more in an apartment than anywhere else: you can book the delivery window, and a locally handled claim is far simpler if a heavy stone-top table arrives with transit damage. Browse the full dining table collection for current pricing and details.
Three mistakes apartment buyers make
- Buying for the twice-a-year dinner party. Size for your weekly reality and solve the big lunch with an extension leaf or a squeeze — not with 1800 mm of permanent floor loss.
- Ignoring chair depth. The table footprint isn't the real footprint; add the pulled-out chair. A table with slim chairs that tuck fully under (pedestal bases help) uses less real space than a smaller table with bulky chairs that don't.
- Forgetting the delivery path. Stone-top tables are heavy and lifts and stairwells are unforgiving. Check the packaged size on the product page against your building's access before ordering.
FAQ
Q: What size dining table fits a small apartment in Australia?
A: Work from clearances, not table specs: allow roughly 900 mm from table edge to walls or furniture, more where people walk past. In most one- and two-bedroom apartments that puts the practical ceiling under about 1600 mm of table length, and often points to a 1500 mm round or a compact rectangular table.
Q: Is a round or rectangular table better for a small space?
A: Round if the table floats in a traffic path — no corners to clip, and a pedestal base tucks chairs fully. Rectangular if one side can sit against a wall for daily meals. The wrong answer is a floating rectangular table with legs at each corner in a narrow walkway.
Q: Does Desk One make dining tables small enough for apartments?
A: Yes — the Orbit Extend round extendable keeps a 1500 mm everyday footprint, the Axis is offered in a 1600 mm length, and the Forma (seats 4–6) and Halo round tables on pedestal or walnut bases suit compact rooms; check each product page for exact dimensions and pricing.
Q: Are extendable tables worth it in an apartment?
A: If you regularly host more people than your space seats day-to-day, yes — you get a compact everyday footprint and extra surface on demand. If you host rarely, a well-sized fixed table is simpler, more rigid and usually better value.
Q: What clearance do I need around a dining table?
A: The common planning guideline is about 900 mm from the table edge to the nearest obstruction so a seated person can push back and stand, and around 1000–1200 mm on sides used as a walkway. Measure your room and subtract clearances first; the remainder is your maximum table footprint.
Q: Why does local stock matter for an apartment delivery?
A: Heavy stone-top furniture plus lifts, stairwells and body-corporate delivery windows is exactly where drop-shipped freight goes wrong. Desk One holds stock locally at its Brisbane (Willawong) warehouse, so delivery is booked from within Australia and any transit-damage claim is handled locally rather than with an overseas supplier.