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msh2000

Dining Table for short people

19 years ago

I am 4 ft 11 and I am looking for dining table that is confortable for people my height. Most tables when I seat I will not be able to reach the floor and my elbows are way high on the table. Do you have recommendations where I should look for dining table for short people?

Comments (10)

  • 19 years ago

    I would look for a table (and chairs?) with simple wood legs so you can cut off an inch or two from the bottom. By simple, I mean lack of turning beads and coves at the foot, or other complex profiles.

    To determine how much to cut off, block up your chair with various heights (blocks of plywood, 2x4s, etc.) until you find something to your liking. Just remember, you can take off more, but it's a bear to back up 1/2".

    I regularly cut legs shorter on sofas, tables, and chairs to suit individual needs. Sometimes I do this on new furniture for my retail clients' customers. Whether they do this to get the sale or add on a labor charge, I don't know.

    I can empathize, at 6'5", I am at the other end of the spectrum.

  • 19 years ago

    I do custom height tables for my customers all the time. Typically you probably feel like you are going to do chin-ups on the average dining room table of 29.5" to 30.5" top height.

    For your height, what we usually do is cut both the table and the chair seat height down. Most chairs are at 18" seat height and in the windsor chairs we use for most applications, we trim from 1/2" to 7/8"" off the chairs so your feet can touch the ground. Then we drop the table height to between 28.25" and 29" depending on your preferences, and try to select a table that doesn't have a deep skirt on it in case you get some tall folks sitting at the table.

    If you ever need a comfortable recliner, Leathercraft makes a model # 297-07 that is made especially for a woman your size. Its a terrific chair that the ladies really love.

    -Duane

  • 19 years ago

    If you cut the legs too much, you can usually install screw-in glides which will add about 1/2". Added benefit is you can now level the table on an uneven floor.

  • 19 years ago

    Thank you so much for the above advice. My house is old world style, can some one post pics of table and chairs that is old world that I could cut to suit my height? I am thinking that most tables that would be easily cut would be modern style tables as they are straight line.

  • 19 years ago

    mogater can literally 'cut' existing table legs in his shop.

    I don't do that per se, we do pieces 'cut down' by incorporating the design to a scale down. Therefore any table can be made at a lesser height, irregardless of design.

  • 19 years ago

    It's pushing us to design more "customize" furniture.

  • 6 years ago

    I am a person who is 4 ft. 6 inches tall and my spine is curved so i m finding that I slouch to much but I’d like a coffee table that the top lifts up but I find the ones out there are to high also I’d love a dining table that can be adjusted for my height at one end and it can be higher for taller people but not sure if this would be optional because I am short and my best friend is six feet and one inch tall so just been thinking about what I can do and get made or buy would you by chance have any suggestions for me thank you

  • 5 years ago

    Thèse are good ideas. I am 5' 0" with relatively long legs and a ' shorter' body. All of my friends and family are average height. Don't really want table legs cut down but a mix and match chair with arms ( carver chair) with dining seat height of 60-65cm ( the highest I have found is 50cm). I want to find a chair maker if possible to do such. Then I can buy table and chairs and have my very own chair made to measure!

  • 3 years ago

    Hi, I have a similar issue. I am 5'8", but I am short waisted. This means I need a chair that is high enough for my legs, but a table that sits at my torso. Right now, when I sit at a kitchen table, the table is at my chest and I am not comfortable eating at all. I feel like the table needs to be shorter.