Hang house with garden window: orientation of dining table

Good morning everyone,

we are currently planning a hillside house. On the ground floor, a living-dining-cooking area is planned. I will gladly upload the floor plan later when it is finished.

Currently, however, we are concerned with the question of why the dining table is usually not placed parallel to the window, but perpendicular? We have seen this in many floor plans. So far, this is what we've come up with:

Dining table parallel:
- requires more space in width, which is usually limited in a row of cooking-dining-living
+ the people sitting on the "north" side have a nice view through the window
- the people sitting on the "south" side look at the wall

Dining table perpendicular:
+ requires less space in width
- a compromise for all seated
+ but all seats are similarly "good"

If there are usually only two or three people sitting at the table, one could say that parallel is more sensible. If more people are at the table, the perpendicular dining table makes more sense?

Do you have any other reasons?

Sounds somehow trivial and irrelevant, but somehow we're interested.

Thank you very much for your opinions.

Have a nice Sunday.

Regards Kiko

Vertical is not a compromise, From all seats there is a view outside, if there are enough windows

I am also in favor of vertical. It structures the space better and allows everyone to have a view outside. We will do it that way too.

I prefer perpendicular because the table cancels out the tube-like feeling of the room. But I would just try it, a table can be quickly turned anyway.

Dining table parallel:
- needs more width, which is usually tight in a row kitchen-dining-living area

That's how it is: money determines the house and thus also somewhat the furnishing as well as the orientation.

+ the people sitting in the "north" have a nice view through the window

Provided one can orient the house/dining area to the south.

the people sitting in the "south" look against the wall instead

See above.

more sensible?

Sensible from gut feeling!
You can't intellectually analyze everything beforehand.
For example, we also once turned our table. We didn’t like it because it looks better for us when the terrace window behind the table is wider than the table is long. But this effect will be true for many houses building "to standard."

Currently, we are concerned with the question of why the dining table is usually not placed parallel to the window, but perpendicular?

One does not do that usually, but never. From a tabletop standing vertically instead of horizontally, the plates would follow with the acceleration of gravity. You probably mean "orthogonal," or "at right angles," as the modern linguists say (which is no shame and "everyone" understands as well).