Wall Folding Table Sizes: Depth, Width and How Many People Fit

The short answer in three numbers

1. Depth: 15 to 16 inches is one place setting. About 23½ inches is the depth the makers in our data sell for two.
2. Width: about 24 inches of free edge per person, by the NKBA kitchen guidelines. Two people side by side need about 48 inches.
3. Floor: about 32 inches behind each seat when no one passes, more when people walk behind.

Everything else – the bracket spacing, the studs, the height – follows from the top you choose. Start with depth, because it decides what the table is for.

Depth: one plate or two

The depth is the distance from the wall to the front edge of the open top. These are the open sizes in our data and what the source says the table is for:

A pattern stands out: most fold-down tops are 15 to 18 inches deep. That is a ledge for one person facing the wall, or for several people side by side on a long top. The tops sold for two facing each other cluster around 23½ inches.

How many people fit: the NKBA yardstick

There is no standard for wall tables, and NKBA does not say how many people a given table seats. The closest planning source is the National Kitchen & Bath Association's Kitchen Planning Guidelines. Guideline 9 recommends, at 30-inch-high tables and counters, a knee space 24 inches wide and 18 inches deep for each seated diner. Applied by us to a wall table, that gives a simple calculation:

So when Costway or IKEA say “for two”, that is the maker's count; by the NKBA knee-space figures it is a compact two-seater – fine for breakfast or a small dinner, tight for a long meal. Four people at a wall table is not realistic with any model we know; a wall table has one long side against the wall, and the largest tops in our data are about 47 inches wide.

NKBA's access recommendation goes further for people of different sizes or using a mobility aid: seating areas 30 to 36 inches wide and 17 to 25 inches deep, with a knee space of at least 36 x 27 x 17 inches. The 2010 ADA Standards, written for public and commercial buildings, require knee clearance at least 30 inches wide (306.3.5) and a clear floor space of 30 x 48 inches in front of an accessible dining or work surface (305.3, 902.2).

Floor space in front of the table

A fold-down table saves floor only when it is closed. Open, it needs the top plus the chair. NKBA Guideline 8 recommends 32 inches from the table edge to a wall or other obstacle behind a seated diner when no traffic passes, 36 inches if someone has to edge past and 44 inches to walk past.

Measure that distance in your kitchen or hallway before you choose the depth. A deep top in a narrow galley can block the room when it is open. The kitchen and dining guide compares the tables for this situation.

Folded depth

Closed, the table stays on the wall all day. The makers state: VIVO 2.3 inches, Costway 3.0 inches (folded size 31.5 x 21 x 3.0 inches), IKEA BJURSTA about 4 inches (10 cm minimum depth). Furniture with a fold-out top is much deeper: IKEA lists the BILLY bookcase with foldable table at 12¾ inches folded. Cabinet-style Murphy tables also stand deeper, because the cabinet surrounds the top; the comparison of wall table types shows the designs side by side.

Width and the studs behind it

Width also decides how the table is fixed. Wood studs are 16 or 24 inches on center, and each bracket needs a stud or a ledger board across studs. A 24-inch top may reach only one stud on a 24-inch wall; a 31.5-inch top covers one or two studs at either spacing, depending on where they fall. The question are studs 16 or 24 inches apart explains how to check. A deeper top also pulls harder on its upper screws, because the load sits further from the wall – so a bigger table asks more of the fixing, as the page on weight capacity explains.

Height belongs to the size, too

For meals and seated work, put the top edge at about 29 to 30 inches; the 2010 ADA Standards set 28 to 34 inches for dining and work surfaces (902.3), and NKBA's seating figures above refer to 30-inch tables. Bar-height tables follow the stool; the guide to mounting height has the figures.

Our pick for two

Our pick for twoCOSTWAY

Ad

COSTWAY Drop-Leaf 31.5 x 23.5

A drop-leaf top deep enough for two place settings that folds to 3 inches against the wall.

Why here: The deepest top for two in our data with maker data: 31.5 x 23.5 inches open, 3.0 inches folded, 66 lb maximum according to Costway (wall not named).

Best for: Small kitchens and studios where two people eat or work at the wall

• +23.5 in deep when open – room for two plates facing each other
• +Folded size 31.5 x 21 x 3.0 in according to Costway
• +Two ways to fold: drop one leaf or both
• +Maker states a 66 lb maximum load

• –Costway does not say which wall or fasteners the 66 lb rating assumes
• –The supplied expansion screws are generic – plan your own fasteners for studs or masonry
• –MDF top: wipe spills, do not leave it wet

Type

Drop-leaf top on a wooden support

Top size

31.5 x 23.5 in (open)

Folded depth

3.0 in (Costway)

Load rating

66 lb max (Costway)

Mounting

Hinges and screws; studs not mentioned

Material

P2 MDF, pine, metal hinges

View on Amazon*(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on AmazonLearn more

The longest tops are compared on the page about large wall folding tables, the shortest under small wall folding tables. Questions about mounting and walls are collected under questions and answers; more guides start on the homepage.