Industry Ed with Richard: Kitchen and Bath Guideline Series

In this post we will discuss the NKBA Kitchen and Bathroom Planning Guidelines, by first stating the guidelines and then pointing out their importance and giving insight on solutions and practices based on my industry experience. Find out more about NKBA here.

The Guidelines (according to the NKBA)

Table Shape and Seating Considerations

• Round Tables
• encourage conversation
• great for awkward corners as the curves add a pleasant flow visually
• Square Tables
• great for casual and romantic dining as it seats two to four people snugly
• space-saver in a small room
• Rectangular Tables
• can seat many people and also function as a buffet table
• perfect for a rectangular shaped room
• Oval Tables
• provides the same aesthetic as a rectangular table
• the curved corners visually reduce the size

My Experience

• Different tables work in different types of spaces
• Round tables can be great for using in awkward shaped or smaller spaces, their round corners allow for easier access around the table for traffic flow
• Round tables tend to be in rooms that are open to/adjacent to other spaces and tend to be less formal
• Often times square/rectangular tables are needed to really fill in the room, if its a large room then a square/rectangular table may be better suited for the space
• Square tables can be used very formally or informally
• Round tables can be better for conversation, square tables tend to cause individuals to engage in separate conversations, while at a round table everyone is facing one another and are more likely to all participate in one conversation
• 29" - 30" is the most common table height but sometimes they can get up to 36" for a more bistro type seating you (will often find this type of seating height in the bar area of restaurants)

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