The Dining Room Is Back: Why the Table Matters More Than the Sofa in Cyprus
In Cyprus, life happens around the table, not the sofa. Why I would buy the dining table first, what size it should be, and the chairs and light to go with it.
Angela HadjiconstantinouFounder & Interior Designer9 Nov 2026 · 11 min readIn this article
Nobody in Cyprus has ever said “come over, we’ll sit on the sofa”. They say come and eat. That is why I believe the dining table matters more than the sofa in a Cypriot home: it is where the family gathers, where homework gets done and where Sunday lunch quietly turns into Sunday evening.
My take: If the budget stretches to one great piece, make it the table, and buy the sofa second.
Is the dining room really coming back?
Yes, though not always as a separate room. For years, open-plan apartments pushed the table into a corner and handed the best spot to a huge corner sofa facing the TV. Now people want the table back in the middle of things, and I agree with them. In an open-plan space, the dining area is often the first thing you see from the door and the part you use for most hours of the day.
Why does the table matter more than the sofa?
Because of how we live here. Family lunches run for hours, cousins arrive unannounced, name days and Easter fill the house, and in summer the table is where everyone ends up after dark, when it is finally cool enough to eat. A sofa seats three or four people looking at the same screen. A table seats eight people looking at each other. One of those is the heart of a Cypriot home, and it is not the one with the remote control.
What size dining table do I need?
Plan for about 60 cm of table edge per person and about 90 cm between the table and the wall, so chairs can be pulled out without a negotiation. For most families here, the sweet spot is a table that seats six comfortably every day and stretches for ten at Easter, which is why I like extendable tables so much. Measure before you fall in love: our size guide and the guide on how to measure before ordering will save you a lot of regret.
The mistake I see all the time is a table chosen for Easter and lived with for the rest of the year. If a big banquet table means squeezing past it sideways every morning, it is the wrong table.
The look: warm, generous and made for long lunches
A marble, wood or walnut dining table with soft upholstered chairs and a lighter pendant keeps the mood relaxed and the seats comfortable through a three-hour meal.
Marble or wood: which dining table suits a Cyprus home?
Both work; they just ask different things of you. Marble is cool to the touch in August, beautiful and solid, but it is porous and acids can mark it. In a country that squeezes lemon on everything, use coasters, wipe spills quickly and check the finish on the product page. Wood, especially walnut, is warmer and more forgiving, and small marks add character over time. Keep a wooden table out of direct afternoon sun from a big west-facing window, though, or one end will fade faster than the other.
Do dining chairs need to be upholstered?
For long meals, yes. A hard chair is fine for a twenty-minute dinner; by the third course of a Cypriot lunch it is a test of character. Upholstered dining chairs in velvet or a tightly woven fabric are kinder, and a pair of dining armchairs at the ends of the table makes the whole set look considered. Do check the seat height against the table: you want roughly 25 to 30 cm between the seat and the tabletop. Don’t mix five chair styles because it looked charming online; two styles is the limit.
Three rules for getting it right:
- Measure the room, not the table. Leave about 90 cm around it for chairs and people.
- Buy for the everyday, extend for the feast. An extendable table beats a permanent banquet table.
- Light the table, not the room. Hang the pendant roughly 75 to 85 cm above the tabletop.
The look: marble and velvet, quietly formal
A marble table with upholstered dining armchairs and a black and gold pendant feels grown-up without being stiff, which is the right balance for family dinners that run late.
Where should the dining table go in an open-plan apartment?
As close to the window or balcony door as you can get it. The table is used in daylight, for breakfast, homework and long weekend lunches, while the sofa mostly comes into its own at night. So give the light to the table. A pendant over the table and a rug under the sofa will separate the two zones better than any room divider, and it keeps the cross-breeze moving through the flat in summer.
Torn between a new sofa and a new table? Send a photo and the room size on WhatsApp to +357 96 592277 and my team will tell you which one I would buy first. Or browse our dining tables, and find more columns in Interior By Angela.
Add Argos The Classics as a preferred source on Google →
Frequently asked questions
How big should a dining table be for six people?
Allow about 60 cm of table edge per person, so six people usually need a table of roughly 150 to 180 cm, depending on whether anyone sits at the ends. Leave around 90 cm between the table and the walls so chairs can be pulled out.
Is a marble dining table practical for everyday use?
Marble is beautiful and stays cool in summer, but it is porous and acids such as lemon juice and wine can mark it. Use coasters, wipe spills quickly and check the finish listed on the product page.
Should I choose an extendable dining table?
For most Cyprus families, yes. An extendable table seats the household comfortably every day and grows for name days, Easter and Christmas without taking over the room the rest of the year.
How high should a pendant light hang above a dining table?
A pendant usually works best roughly 75 to 85 cm above the tabletop. That is low enough to light the table without blocking people's view of each other.
Where should the dining table go in an open-plan apartment?
If possible, place the table near the window or balcony, because it is used most in daylight. A pendant over the table and a rug under the sofa help define the two zones.
