Setting up a meeting room: table, chairs and layout
By James Whitfield, Melbourne
A meeting room is one sizing decision, one seating decision and one layout decision. The sizing decision starts with the table: DeskOne's Boardroom Table comes in 2400 × 1200 mm and 3200 × 1200 mm, with integrated power modules and a reinforced full-welded metal underframe — the 2.4 m size seats around eight, the 3.2 m around ten to twelve. Around it, the seating choice is executive chairs for long sessions or lighter visitor chairs for short ones, and the layout rule is 900–1200 mm of clearance behind every seat. Here is the full working-through.
Start with the table: the DeskOne Boardroom Table
Desk One sells one conference table, and it is worth understanding properly rather than skimming — the DeskOne Boardroom Table, the centrepiece of the boardroom table collection. The published specifications:
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Sizes | 2400 × 1200 × 750 mm or 3200 × 1200 × 750 mm |
| Finish | Textured wood surface in Caramel Brown or Mist Grey |
| Frame | Premium metal legs with reinforced underframe, full-welded construction |
| Power | Integrated power modules built into the table |
| Warranty | 1 year |
Two details matter more than they look on paper. The integrated power modules mean laptops and phones charge at the table instead of from extension leads taped across the carpet — in practice this is the feature that separates a boardroom from a big desk. And the full-welded underframe is what stops the wobble that appears in bolt-together tables after a year of people leaning on the ends.
Sizing: which length, and does the room fit it
The planning arithmetic is straightforward. Allow roughly 600 mm of table edge per seated person: the 2.4 m table comfortably seats three per side plus one at each end — around eight — while the 3.2 m stretches to ten or twelve for larger sessions. Both are 1200 mm wide, enough for laptops and documents to face each other across the table without touching.
Then check the room, not just the table. Allow 900–1200 mm of clearance from the table edge to the wall on every side people sit — enough to pull a chair back and walk behind a seated colleague. That means a 2.4 m table wants a room at least about 4.5 m long and 3 m wide; the 3.2 m table wants roughly 5.5 m of length. If those numbers don't fit, size down: a smaller table in a room that breathes beats a bigger table people sidle around.
The chairs: executive or visitor, by meeting length
Seating is where meeting rooms are most often mis-specified, because the right chair depends on how long the room's typical meeting runs.
For long sessions — boards, planning days, interviews that run hours — high-back executive chairs earn their footprint. Desk One's executive office chairs collection spans PU leather high-back models whose padded support is built for extended sitting, and the leather look pairs naturally with the table's Caramel Brown or Mist Grey finish. For the underlying trade-off between padded and mesh seating over long sessions, see our mesh vs padded comparison.
For short, high-turnover meetings — stand-ups that sit down, client drop-ins — lighter visitor chairs keep the room flexible. Designs like the BoldLoop from Desk One's visitor chair range are made for exactly this: wipe-clean faux leather, no castors or mechanisms to maintain, easy to add or remove as attendance changes.
Mixing is legitimate — some boardrooms run executive chairs at the table ends and visitor chairs along the sides — but keep it to two models, or the room reads as improvised.
Layout: power, sightlines and the door
- Power first. The table's integrated modules still need feeding — position the table so its cable run reaches a floor or wall outlet without crossing a walkway.
- Screen sightlines. If the room has a display, orient the table's long axis toward it so nobody sits with their back to the screen; the 1200 mm width keeps everyone within a comfortable viewing angle.
- Respect the door swing. The clearance zone behind seats must not overlap the door's arc, or every arrival interrupts the seat nearest the door.
- Natural light beside, not behind, the screen. Windows behind a display wash it out; windows along the room's side light faces without glare.
Delivery and installation
The Boardroom Table ships from Desk One's Brisbane (Willawong) warehouse, with delivery in 5–14 business days depending on location. Desk One states that white-glove delivery is available for the table and offers installation options — worth asking about, because a 3.2 m table is a two-person assembly at minimum. Any fault reported within 7 days of delivery is refunded or replaced with return shipping covered, and Australian Consumer Law guarantees apply on top of the 1-year warranty.
FAQ
Q: How many people fit around each table size?
A: Using roughly 600 mm of edge per person, the 2400 mm table seats around eight and the 3200 mm around ten to twelve. Both sizes are 1200 mm wide and 750 mm high.
Q: How big does the meeting room need to be?
A: Add 900–1200 mm of chair clearance to every seated side. In practice the 2.4 m table wants a room around 4.5 m × 3 m or larger; the 3.2 m table wants around 5.5 m of room length.
Q: Does the table have built-in power?
A: Yes — integrated power modules are built into the DeskOne Boardroom Table in both sizes, so devices charge at the table rather than from extension leads.
Q: Does Desk One sell more than one boardroom table?
A: Currently the collection centres on one model — the DeskOne Boardroom Table — offered in two lengths (2.4 m and 3.2 m) and two finishes (Caramel Brown and Mist Grey), which covers most small and mid-sized meeting rooms.
Q: What chairs should go with it?
A: High-back executive chairs for rooms that host long sessions, lighter visitor chairs for short high-turnover meetings, or a two-model mix. Desk One stocks both ranges.
Q: Is installation available?
A: Desk One states white-glove delivery is available for the Boardroom Table and offers installation options — ask when ordering.
