Skovby extending dining tables

Extending dining tables are one of Skovby's real strengths. The range combines softer Danish styling with several different extension systems, so the important decision is not simply how large the table becomes, but how you want it to work from day to day.

Choose the table for its everyday size first

Start with the number of people using the table most days and the space available when it is closed. Allow enough room to pull chairs out comfortably and move around the table rather than choosing purely around the largest gathering you might occasionally have.

Several Skovby designs stay practical at their smaller size but can expand considerably when needed, which can suit a room where four, six or eight people use the table regularly but family gatherings occasionally require much more capacity.

Some tables grow one leaf at a time

Families such as the Skovby 23/24 and 26/27 use removable extension leaves that lie flat beneath the tabletop. As the table opens, the leg structure separates to support the longer top, and leaves can be added individually until you reach the size you need.

The advantage is flexibility: you are not limited to only a closed and fully extended position. Larger models can accommodate considerably more people, although additional leaves beyond those stored within the table may need to be kept separately.

Hidden-leaf tables offer a different kind of convenience

Other Skovby designs keep the extension more completely contained within the table. Models such as the round 33 and pedestal-based 116 conceal the leaf within the structure before it rises into position.

These designs do not offer the same number of intermediate sizes as the multi-leaf tables, but the extension is always with the table and there is no separate leaf to find. That can be particularly appealing where simplicity matters more than maximum capacity.

Shape matters as much as the mechanism

A round table such as the Skovby 33 creates a different dining experience from a long rectangular table. Round tables can feel particularly sociable because everyone sits around the same centre, while rectangular and oval designs can use longer rooms efficiently and offer greater ultimate capacity.

Compare the extension systems in person

Vale Furnishers has worked with Skovby for close to 30 years and has demonstrated its extension systems over many generations of tables. At Ash Vale we can show how different actions operate, where the leaves are stored and how the table changes as it extends. You can also compare our wider extending dining table collection.