TIANLICHUJU — PERSONAL VERIFICATION WORKSHEET
An organic dining table judged below the tabletop
https://tianlichuju.com/journal/an-organic-dining-table-judged-below-the-tabletop/

PROPOSED CHECKS — NO MEASURED RESULTS SUPPLIED
Date: __________________  Units: __________________
Room / product reference: __________________

1. Usable places on the top
Where: Around the proposed organic outline with actual plates, glasses, serving dishes and chairs represented.
Record: Draw each place and note tapered areas, overlap and positions that cannot share the surface comfortably.
Your observation: ______________________________________________
Interpretation: Total tabletop area and a stated seat count can overstate usable places on an irregular shape.
Alternative: Plan fewer regular places or compare a simpler oval outline.

2. Pedestal footprint at every seat
Where: At side and end positions nearest the widest support faces and any floor plate.
Record: Measure base outline in centimeters and note foot conflicts during approach, sitting and standing.
Your observation: ______________________________________________
Interpretation: A pedestal that frees corners may obstruct other positions instead.
Alternative: Compare another base geometry against the same intended seat layout.

3. Occupied room arrangement
Where: Between pulled-out chairs, the sideboard and the kitchen-to-table route.
Record: Mark occupied chair positions, opening doors and any route that requires another diner to move.
Your observation: ______________________________________________
Interpretation: An expressive table form is not useful if its real occupied arrangement breaks daily circulation.
Alternative: Rotate or reduce the table, or change the everyday place count.

PRACTICAL TRIAL
1. Test the broadest intended chair first instead of reproducing the product photograph with unusually slim seats.
2. Request construction and intended-use information for the exact base, especially with an offset or extending top.
3. Compare care instructions and approved material samples at the edge where forearms and place settings meet.

COMPARE THE SAME SCOPE
- Actual usable seat layout
- Base and floor-plate geometry
- Closed and extended configuration where applicable
- Top finish and contact edge
Cost drivers: Custom support geometry; Top material and edge fabrication; Extension structure and mechanisms
Choose another route when: The sculptural option is unsuitable when it sacrifices a regularly needed place or depends on unsupported assumptions about stability.

EVIDENCE BOUNDARY
This plan evaluates seating geometry. It does not establish structural stability or justify improvised loading tests on a showroom or custom table.

PHOTO REFERENCE
A large table and chairs sit among extensive timber panelling, framed art and decorative objects.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WLANL_-_eldovani_-_Bisschopkamers_09.jpg

DECISION CONDITIONS
choose: Choose the organic top when real place settings, knees, feet and chair approach work at every intended position and the supplier can support the actual base and top assembly.
alternative: Use fewer daily places or a simpler oval when tapering edges and a large pedestal consume the positions a published seat count appears to promise.
stop: Stop the order if stability evidence, base geometry or the occupied room route remains unclear; a gentle outline does not establish safe or comfortable use.

PUBLISHED REFERENCES
IKEA: Choosing a dining table
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/rooms/dining/how-to/your-guide-to-choosing-the-perfect-dining-table-pxmuEeoQuGpjiwXh0U6yTPxN/
IKEA separates daily functions, user numbers and room movement from table styling. For an irregular top, test occupied positions rather than inferring capacity from total area; obtain base-specific knee-space and stability information from its supplier.
Scope: General manufacturer buying guidance does not establish a sculptural table's loads, useful seat count or individual knee clearance in another home.
Photographer: Leo de Vos from id., The Netherlands
Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0

Notes: ________________________________________________________