Ideas · Living room
20 Space-Saving Dining Table Ideas for Small Apartments
Drop-leaf, wall-mounted, console-to-table, pull-out and rolling dining tables that give you a real place to eat and fold away when you need the floor.
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A full-size dining table is often the first thing to go in a small apartment, and then you eat on the sofa every night. You don't need a permanent table, just one that's there when you need it.
Before buying, measure it open and closed, and check how much space the chairs need to pull out. If you rent, prefer freestanding mechanisms over wall-mounted ones.
1. Pick the right mechanism
Compare mobile drop-leaf, wall-mounted and gateleg tables. A flexible table can still be too big open, or hard to install.
2. A drop-leaf console
Shallow as a console during the day, full dining depth at dinner. No table left open all day.
3. A drop-leaf table along the studio wall
Measure open and closed clearance, fold the leaves after meals and keep chairs nearby.
4. A drop-leaf table beside the kitchen
Wall-mounted next to the kitchen, a drop-leaf table is right where the food is and folds flat afterward.
5. A folding wall table
A wall-mounted table folds completely flat between meals and opens the floor instantly.
6. A console that extends into a table
An extending console stays slim in the living room and opens into a dining table. Store the leaves safely and test chair spacing.
7. A mobile drop-leaf table
One leaf up for prep, both for meals, essentials stored below and wheels locked in use.
8. Prep, dining and parked modes
A mobile drop-leaf table switches between prep surface, dining table and a slim parked unit.
9. A table that docks under a console
A narrow table on locking casters rolls out for work or dinner and nests under a matching wall console.
10. A table that pulls out of a bookcase
A tabletop hidden in the middle shelf of a bookcase pulls out with its own support. Bring two light chairs only when needed.
11. A table that slides out from under the counter
A dining-height table pulls from a slot under the counter, with knee room for two, and slides back to clear the galley.
12. A swivel tabletop
A pivoting top swings out for two and parks along the wall, with a shallow cabinet and easy-to-move chairs.
13. A slim dining cart
A cart with locking casters parks beside a one-wall kitchen and rolls out when two seats are needed.
14. One table for desk and dinner
A compact table by the window works as a desk by day. Hide the laptop on a shallow undershelf and tuck stools below.
15. An adjustable table behind the sofa
A narrow table behind the sofa works as a console and rises for meals, with slim stools tucked below.
16. A slim dining table behind the sofa
A narrow top for two settings behind the sofa, backless stools underneath and an open route at one end.
17. A raised tray on the coffee table
A secure raised tray turns one side of a low coffee table into a comfortable dinner spot, then stores away.
18. Rolling nesting tables for hosting
Two light nesting tables split apart for serving and nest back together after guests leave.
19. An expanding console in a studio
A console designed to expand into a dining table. Store the leaves safely and clear the route before opening.
20. Measure the console open and closed
Check both footprints of an expanding console and clear the route after meals.
Before you buy anything
- Allow about 30 inches (75 cm) behind each chair to pull it out and sit down.
- Wall-mounted tables need the right fixings for your wall type; check your lease first.
Questions people ask
What kind of dining table is best for a small space?
A drop-leaf, wall-mounted folding, extending console or round pedestal table, depending on whether you need it every day or occasionally.
Where do you eat in a studio with no dining area?
At a drop-leaf or console table, a table behind the sofa, a breakfast ledge or a rolling cart.
