Expert: Jamie Yocono - 12/17/2006

Question
Hi Jamie
We want to convert a "U" shaped alcove in our kitchen with benches secured to the three walls and a table in the middle. This would be somewhat like a resturant booth.
My question is this..What would you suggest as the correct distance from the front edge of the seat to the edge or start of the table? We are making the table also and want to get this right.
Many thanks and hope you can help.


Answer
Hi Eileen,

Wow, someone after my own heart! I built a U shaped booth in my old home in Ohio, it was the coolest thing. I modeled it after the types of booths that you see in Chinese restaurants. When I was a kid, my family visited our one Chinese restaurant in LA every Sunday.  We sat in the same U shaped booth nearly every time. I made up my mind I would build one someday.

So... all I can say is....cool for you! I'll try to help.

There are certain things called architectural standards, and those are certain dimensions that are standard in a home. Like... a kitchen countertop is almost always 36" tall. And Bathroom vanities are 32" tall. So you're right... a booth has certain dimensions that should be considered when designing one.

There's a really nice book called Built In Furniture by Jim Tolpin. The book is long on inspiration and has GREAT pictures, but it doesn't have much in the way of solid dimensions. I have it sitting next to me and just consulted it. Still, I suggest you try to locate a copy and look at all the photos they have of booths in there. It'll give you some great ideas.

Let's start with basics. For the most part, kitchen tables (booth tables) are generally 30" tall. And chairs (or booth seating) are 18" tall. These aren't absolutes, there is a little play in these numbers. I recently built a massive dining table, and the client requested the table to be an inch shorter. A shorter table feels less formal, and invites you to put your elbows on the table, perhaps using it for a variety of tasks, from doing homework to reading the Sunday paper.

So it depends on you and your situation. Basically, there should be 12" of difference between the seat height and the table height. So if the seat is 18," the top is 30". The next thing to think about is the apron on the table, if there is going to be one. Your legs need room to fit, and if you use an apron, you need a minimum of about 24" to the floor. In my booth, I built a table without an apron, utilizing a center pedestal. So I didn't have to worry about the apron height at all. But if your table has an apron, make sure it's at least 24 1/2" off the floor.

The next part is a little subjective. It's the seat depth in relationship to the table. The average seat is somewhere around 16 or 17" deep. Take a tape measure and check a few different chairs in your home to check this out. OK, how do I put this delicately? Are you big people, or more diminutive in scale? The reason I ask this is- in my booth, I left roughly 15" of space between the table, and the booth back. I had taken a tape measure to a few restaurants and measured the various setbacks. (Luckily for me, my parents were in the food service business, and the restaurants they owned all had booths in them.)

But still- there were a couple of times when my... ahem, larger relatives had trouble fitting into the booth.  So you have to be your own judge and decide this setback dimension. Since my table was a free standing table, it could easily be slid over to make a little more room for some people.

The thing is- the table height and seat height are pretty much set in stone (18"/30" or 17"/29") but the setback is a little more subjective. Here's the important part, and I wished someone had told me about this- the think the important thing is to build the booth first, and then do a little experimenting with the table size.  The measurements for the seating in the booth are going to stay the same, it's the table dimension that you can alter.

If you visit some different restaurants and measure their booths- here's an interesting test. Sit in some various booths. Without measuring, your body is going to tell you what feels good or not. Sometimes I sit in a booth and the table seems a mile away. Other times, I feel crowded, like the table is right under my chin. Measure and compare, and you'll come up with a setback dimension that will work for you and your family.

Let's just say you come up with a dimension of 16" for a setback. If you have a booth that measures (if you're looking at it from overhead) 80" across, and you have seating on both sides, then the table dimension (80" - 16" x 2) is going to be 48" across. It's pretty simple math, but you need to do a little research about what works for you and your family.

I miss my booth- it was sort of shaped like the shape of home plate on a baseball field. It was easier for me to build it that way, rather than a true U shape, with curves. The table was shaped like homeplate, too, and I inlaid a ceramic tile area in the center of the table, so when we had a hot pot that needed to sit on the table, the tile served as a built in area for that. The next house I build... I'll do it again.

OK, good luck, I hope this helps. Please feel free to write back if you have any further questions after reading this. And if this answer was helpful... please take a minute and rate my service. Thanks!

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com