In a few short days your Christmas visitors will pile in and you’ll wonder just how far you can stretch the seating capacity of your dining room table. Try not to worry or stress—with a little pre-planning your dining room furniture can be prepped to maximize guest seating, accommodate endless serving bowls and platters, and still have plenty of room for mingling and merriment.

Make the Most of Your Space

By now you should have a general head count of how many people will be dining at your house on Christmas day. With this number in mind, let’s plan out where to put your dining room furniture to maximize space.

Place furniture at angles. Don’t be afraid to think out of the box in order to seat the most guests while still retaining walkways (leave 5-6 feet from the edge of the table to the wall) and mingling areas.

Utilize the golden solution: space-saving dining room tables. If you have a drop-leaf dining table (such as Dinette.com’s Jackson dinette set) or dining room table that expands with a center leaf, then now is the time to showcase these fabulous and functional dining room furniture pieces. If there’s a pub table set in your kitchen furniture that isn’t being utilized at the party, tuck it into a corner of your dining room for an extra serving station or cozy nook for guests to chat over drinks.

Choose the right chairs. The right chairs are key for maximizing the seating at your dining room table. Keep in mind that banquet dining chairs take up far less space than armchairs. Try not to crowd the table, though; as a general rule, you should allow 24” of dining table/chair space per person.

Use a sideboard. Often called a credenza or buffet, sideboards are extremely functional pieces of dining room furniture—particularly when you’re hosting a crowded gathering. Utilize the flat display-top surface as a drinks bar or buffet to save room on your dining room table.