Danish, Finnish or Swedish oval: the difference

Four ovals side by side

A classic oval is a pure ellipse: widest in the middle and narrowest at the ends. It looks light and soft, but there is little room at the ends.

A Finnish oval has straight long sides with two semicircles at the ends. A Danish oval is a superellipse: it sits between an oval and a rectangle, with no straight parts, and is fuller than an oval. A Swedish oval is a rectangle with large, soft corners.

The names refer to Scandinavian design, where such soft, full shapes often appear. What they share: no sharp corners, and you can walk around them easily. Where they differ: how much room you have at the table, and how round or how crisp the table looks.

Same size, different room

The difference becomes clear when you lay four tables of the same size side by side. The fuller the shape, the more room is left in the curves and at the ends.

At the same size the guide price is the same: you choose the shape by feel and by room, not by price. Allow 60 to 70 cm of table edge per person. How that works out for a larger group is explained in A table for 8 people.

Finnish oval: room at the ends

Thanks to its straight long sides, sitting at a Finnish oval feels almost like sitting at a rectangle, and the semicircular ends give extra room at the head of the table. It looks calm and long, and suits an elongated dining room beautifully.

Danish oval: soft and full

A Danish oval has no straight parts at all: the edge curves softly all the way round. That makes it look rounder than a Finnish oval of the same size, and you still sit comfortably in the curves. It is the softest of the three, and a shape you will recognise from Scandinavian design.

A Danish oval table looks just as good in a dining room as on a terrace: for outdoors we make it in an outdoor version. From 200 x 100 cm for 4 to 6 people (€2,999) to 280 x 120 cm for 6 to 10 people (€3,349).

Swedish oval: almost a rectangle

A Swedish oval is a rectangle with large, soft corners. It is the crispest of the three and offers the most room: at 240 x 110 cm it seats 8 people. Choose it if you want a rectangular table, but without corners to bump your hip on. A Swedish oval can be made in any size too: just ask us how many people your size will seat.

Which one should you choose?

Every shape can be made in any length from 120 to 360 cm and any width from 80 to 180 cm, on a pedestal base with a fully rounded edge, in any of the 96 colours. Leave about 80 to 90 cm free around the table. You will find every oval among our oval dining tables. Still torn between round and oval? Read Round or oval table: which one suits you?