Bespoke Dining Tables for Christmas 2026 | Order Early

It may only be September, and December can still feel a long way off, but if you're planning a new bespoke dining table for Christmas or New Year, now is the time to start thinking about it.

The final few months of the year are traditionally our busiest period at The Table Guy. Understandably, lots of customers want their new dining table in place for Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Eve and those wonderful family gatherings in between.

But unlike buying a table from stock, a bespoke dining table is made specifically for you. Timber needs to be ordered, components manufactured, finishes chosen, the table built and finished, and delivery arranged.

And as December approaches, everyone in that chain gets busier.

So our advice is simple: order early and make the whole experience much easier.

Why September Isn't Too Early to Order a Christmas Table

When you're buying bespoke, you're not simply choosing something from a warehouse.

Most of our tables are made to your individual requirements. Depending on the design, you can choose your:

• Table length and width

• Table height

• Tabletop material

• Leg or frame design

• Paint colour

• Wood stain and finish

• Benches and coordinating seating

• Delivery requirements

That's one of the biggest advantages of choosing a bespoke table, but naturally it also takes time.

During September, there's considerably more flexibility. As we move through October and November, our production schedule becomes progressively busier.

If you know you'd like a new table for the festive season, ordering sooner gives everyone more breathing space.

Christmas Isn't Just Busy for Us

Another factor that's easily overlooked is our suppliers.

Our busiest period is also an extremely busy time for the wider furniture and timber industry.

Timber merchants, steel fabricators, powder coaters, chair suppliers and other businesses involved in producing your order all experience their own Christmas rush.

Lead times can therefore increase throughout the supply chain.

Then, as Christmas approaches, many suppliers close completely for the festive period.

This is particularly important if you're considering a table with a solid chunky pine or hardwood tabletop, where obtaining the correct timber can add to the overall lead time.

Ordering early gives us time to source the right materials rather than simply working towards the nearest available deadline.

Our Christmas & New Year Workshop Closure

This year, The Table Guy workshop will close from Wednesday 16 December 2026 and reopen on Monday 11 January 2027.

We deliberately have a proper Christmas shutdown, giving our team a well-earned break after our busiest production period of the year.

It does, however, create a very clear dividing line for pre-Christmas orders.

Once the workshop closes, production won't resume until January.

So if having your table comfortably installed before Christmas is important, please don't plan around the final possible production date.

Our preference is always to have your table completed and delivered with plenty of time to spare.

Don't Forget About Delivery

Making the table is only half of the equation.

It still has to reach you.

Our own delivery schedules become particularly busy during November and December, and popular dates can be booked weeks in advance.

The closer we get to Christmas, the fewer delivery options are available and this isn't unique to us.

If your table is being transported by one of our trusted couriers, their networks also become considerably busier during the Christmas period.

Ordering earlier therefore gives you much greater flexibility when choosing a delivery date.

Rather than asking:

"Can you get it here before Christmas?" we'd much rather be discussing:

"Which delivery date works best for you?"

Ordering Chairs? Don't Leave Those Until December Either

If you're planning to order dining chairs with your new table, there's another important consideration.

Unlike our tables, chairs are generally supplied by third-party manufacturers and distributors, so we're dependent on their stock availability.

Popular chair styles and colours can sell out during the run-up to Christmas.

Once that happens, replacement stock may not arrive until the New Year.

This can leave you in the frustrating position of having your beautiful new dining table ready for Christmas — but not enough chairs to sit everyone around it.

If you're ordering a complete dining set, we'd strongly recommend choosing and securing your chairs at the same time as your table.

Solid Timber Needs Time to Acclimatise

There's another reason we don't particularly like delivering a newly manufactured solid timber table at the very last minute before Christmas.

Wood is a natural material and contains moisture.

Our workshop isn't maintained at the same cosy temperature as your home — and that's important.

During the colder months, the difference between the temperature and humidity of our workshop and a centrally heated home can become considerable.

Taking a newly manufactured solid pine or hardwood table and immediately placing it into a very warm environment can cause the timber to dry too quickly.

Rapid changes in moisture content can encourage excessive timber movement, including checking, splitting or distortion.

Give Your New Table Time to Settle In

Where possible, we recommend allowing your solid timber table some time to acclimatise gradually after delivery.

Ideally, initially position it in a cooler room or keep the heating relatively moderate rather than placing it immediately beside:

• A radiator

• Wood-burning stove

• Open fire

• Strong heat source

Extra care should also be taken with underfloor heating.

As the table gradually adjusts to the temperature and humidity of your home, normal heating can then be introduced.

This is sensible throughout the year, but becomes particularly important as outside temperatures fall during winter.

Ordering earlier therefore isn't simply about securing a production slot. It can also give your new solid timber table valuable time to settle into its new environment before the house fills with family and friends.

Bespoke Means Planning Ahead

One of the things that makes The Table Guy different is that the majority of our tables are genuinely bespoke.

We don't expect you to change your dining room to accommodate one of our standard tables.

Instead, we can make the table around you.

Need an unusual length? No problem.

Need a particular width to fit your room?

Want a specific height?

Need additional overhang?

Prefer a particular leg design, paint colour or stain?

That's exactly what bespoke furniture is about.

But the more individual the table, the more important it becomes to allow sufficient time for materials, manufacturing, finishing and delivery.

Don't Aim for Christmas Eve

There's a temptation with Christmas purchases to work backwards from the last possible delivery date.

With a bespoke table, we'd strongly recommend doing the opposite.

Build in some breathing room.

Having your table delivered comfortably ahead of the celebrations means:

• More choice of delivery dates

• Less risk from supplier delays

• Better availability of chairs

• Time for solid timber to acclimatise

• Time to arrange your dining space

• No last-minute Christmas delivery worries

And, most importantly, when everyone arrives, you can simply enjoy your new table.

Planning a New Dining Table for Christmas or New Year?

If you're considering a bespoke dining table for Christmas 2026 or New Year, September certainly isn't too early to start the conversation.

In fact, it's an excellent time.

You don't necessarily need to have every detail decided before getting in touch. We can help with table dimensions, seating capacity, materials, leg styles, colours and finishes before you place your order.

At The Table Guy, we've been handmaking bespoke tables since 2014, and every table is made around the individual customer and their space.

Order early, give us time to make it properly, give your table time to settle into its new home — and then enjoy it with the people who matter over Christmas and New Year.

Planning your Christmas table? Get in touch with us today to discuss your requirements and current pre-Christmas availability.