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Typical sources say that dining chairs can be spaced 24-30" on center. However, the answer depends on consideration of the needs of dinner guests.

Diners need to be able to stand up during a meal, and leave the dining room, perhaps for a trip to the lavatory. There must be a good way for a diner to do so. If there is 48" or more between the edge of the table and the wall behind the diner, then just a few inches (4") is needed on either side of the chair for the diner to push the chair back without hitting the chair of the adjacent diner. If there is less space, then the diner will need more space between chairs to allow them to move the chair back and to the side so that they can step out along side the chair. A wide chair (24") might need 9" on either side to allow a diner to stand up, push the chair back and to the side, and squeeze out the 18" or so on on side. That would mean a spacing of 33".

A place setting takes 16-24" and if food is being passed around family style, allowances need to be made for setting the serving containers between the place setting. 30" spacing allows about 10" of table room between diners, adequate for modest serving bowls.

Diners need "elbow room" so that elbows don't collide during the meal. The closer the diners are, the more conscious/careful they'll need to be about eating. The amount of elbow room depends on the food being served. A table full of diners eating corn on the cob would probably appreciate 36-38" spacing so as to avoid banging elbows. A table full of right-handed diners eating soup could perhaps be placed on 28" centers. Pre-cut fork food (e.g. beef stew, sliced carrots) requires little elbow room.

Diner's sense of personal space should also be considered. 36-38" may be a comfortable space for strangers. Groups of good friends would probably feel a bit odd sitting that far apart and would be more comfortable with 30-34" and would easily handle 28".

The acoustic properties of the dining space should be considered. A noisy environment with lots of reflective surfaces will require that the diners sit closer to one another in order to carry on a conversation. 28-32" might be best in such cases, even if the guests are strangers.

Institutions such as prisons use 24" spacings between seats (which are welded to the table, fixing the spacing between seats.) But unless you want your diners to feel like they're in a prison, I would only go to 26" in an emergency, and 28" would be my normal minimum. For those having a "dinner party", 32-34" will add some sense of formality without reducing conversation. Spacings over 38" will create a stronger sense of formality and perhaps put a damper on conversation.

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