You might reasonably expect that the type of tea room furniture you buy would have an effect on how visually appealing your dining area is, but you might not immediately think of buying several more luxurious pieces, such as plush armchairs, rather than a large quantity of fairly basic seating.
A tea room is like a home from home for many customers, and that means many will be expecting to enjoy their tea and scones in considerable comfort.
Leather armchairs and sofas are therefore worth considering, and might not be overly casual for use as tea room furniture, even in a relatively formal setting or luxury hotel environment.
Striking the right balance is more than just an aesthetic consideration, though; there are also practical issues to consider, as a recent article on the UK Tea Council website pointed out.
Catherine Whyte visited several tea rooms in different settings around the UK, and found that in at least one of them, less was more where tables were concerned.
Nikki Renwick-Fumagalli, deputy bar and lounge manager at London's Goring Hotel, told Ms Whyte: "We don't book in more than 40 covers; our chefs are busy looking after the lunch service in the bar, and they are also preparing desserts for the restaurant in that small [afternoon tea] time slot, so we don't take any more than that."
George and Rachel Peacock of Peacock's Tea Room, Ely, added: "People ask us why we don't put more tables outside, but the kitchen couldn't manage if we did. Most of the time there's a nice balance."
If you are investing in tea room furniture, it is worth asking yourself whether you should pay a little extra for some statement pieces - such as an eye-catching sofa or several soft, welcoming leather armchairs - or whether you are better off simply fitting as many seats into the space as possible.
The answer might not be black and white; for instance, if you have indoor and outdoor serving areas, you could be flexible over the number of chairs and tables you have outside at different times of year.
During the summer months, adding some extra stackable tables and chairs to your terrace could help you to maximise on the potential profitability of serving cream tea in the sunshine, without leaving your interior feeling cramped at the height of summer, and all year round.