Table Rental for Small Spaces: Apartment, Loft and Backyard Layouts

A great party can happen in 400 square feet, if the tables fit. Small spaces are a puzzle: you need seats for everyone, space to walk and a place for food. The answer is smaller, smarter tables and a layout that uses the walls.

Small space table options

How much room you need

• Seated dinner: 10 to 12 square feet per guest.
• Seated with buffet: 8 to 10 if you rely on the walls.
• Standing cocktail: 6 to 8.
• Lounge: 10 or more with sofas.

A 20 x 20 foot room is 400 square feet, which is 20 seated guests at best, or 50 standing. Use the walls: long tables flat against the wall give you room in the center.

Measure before you order

Folding tables with collapsible legs ride in elevators more easily. Ask your rental company about delivery in a condo building, and book the freight elevator early.

Layout tips

• Use the walls. Put banquet tables against the wall and chairs on one side only.
• Go small. 30-inch rounds fit more places than 48-inch tables.
• Think vertical. Highboys use less floor than seated tables.
• Stagger seating. Mix 2 or 3 seat groups, so guests do not crowd.
• Move furniture. Take out sofas and coffee tables for the night.

See table spacing and aisle clearance for walkway guidance, and how many cocktail tables if you plan to stand.

Chairs for small spaces

Choose slim, stackable chairs. A garden folding chair folds flat. A bentwood chair is light and narrow. Wider chairs like velvet dining chairs take more space. Our chair count guide helps you plan.

Backyards and patios

Small Chicago backyards, often 25 x 100 feet, are narrow. Use long tables along a fence and keep the center for flow. Check your lot size, the grill, trees and the neighbor line. A tent may need space around it; ask your tent company.

A plan for 12 guests in a city apartment

You live in a one-bedroom in a Chicago high-rise and want a dinner for 12. Your living and dining area is about 300 square feet, and the building has a freight elevator that you reserve.

1. Move out the sofa and coffee table the day before.
2. Rent one 8-foot banquet table and one 6-foot table, and join them in an L along a wall. That seats 12 with chairs on one side and the ends.
3. Add a 30-inch round at the end of the room for drinks.
4. Choose folding chairs that store flat in a closet or hallway after pickup.
5. Ask the rental company for delivery and pick-up windows that match the elevator reservation.

The dinner works because the table follows the wall, which keeps the center free for people to move. If you have more than 12, shift to a standing menu with cocktail tables.

Questions to ask before you rent

• What are the table dimensions folded and open?
• Can delivery staff bring tables up the stairs, or do I need to meet them at the curb?
• Is there a minimum order or delivery fee for small orders?
• Can I get a late pickup so the party does not end early?
• Do you provide protective feet for wood floors?

Clear answers to these questions often matter more than the price.

Fit the party to the room

Book a free 15-minute seating call and send your room size, or request a quote.