There's a big thread here already.
Many people have tables they've made or had built for them.
My two recommendations (other than look at the other thread!) are:
Belated third piece of advice: choose a standard height for the table. In Australia that's 74cm; it means pretty much any chairs designed for standard height tables will work.
Thanks @skelos. I actually found that thread before which is basically page after page of chess table photos.
I appreciate your recommendations re: square size and surface area. I'm looking for opinions of actual chess table owners and am more interested in the practical use of a chess table for study and play versus for display and show.
I like mine, although I'd choose 55mm square size if having it made again. The rest is all I could want.
Being custom made it exactly fits the space for it in my apartment, either against the wall for study, or set out so that people can play on it or use it as a dining table (with care for the surface!) or what-not.
I had a set of pieces which really wanted 2.5" (63mm, close enough) squares and I've purchased a couple of sets since. It's an OK option, especially if you agree that it's better to err on the side of larger squares than to crowd your pieces. FIDE and UCSF rules differ a little about spacing, and both have inconsistencies.
Let's not start talking about FIDE approved ugly DGT pieces that don't actually meet FIDE's "rules" and thus need an arbiter's discretion to be used in competition!
Basically, don't fuss too much. 
This will be my very first chess table ever. It will have 2 3/8" playing squares. Made with Cherry wood and Black Walnut.
I had specifically asked the builder to have the grains of the playing squares moving in a horizontal direction which is my preferred visual of a chessboard.
I planning to obtain a second chess table that will have 2 reversible chessboards.
The first board will have 2" & 2 1/4" playing squares
The second chessboard will have 2 3/8" & 2.5 " playing squares.
I'm currently in negotiation discussion outline planning with 2 manufacturers.
The first will has a chess table concept similar to the 1966 Havana Olympiad table where the late Bobby Fischer played in the tournament and an additional idea concept from the St. Louis chess club championship held yearly.
Both tables have identical styles to them with padded players rests for comfort and plenty of room to the sides of the playing board for captured pieces, a clock, and some extra room for players refreshments.
The 1966 Havana Tournament chess table. Roomy, comfortable, and beautiful decor for a chess tournament or home setup...
The St. Louis club chess table. Much roomier on the sides and quite comfortable as well...
The other manufacturer can custom make the playing the side panels wider just like the first two tables shown but without the padded player's rest.
They are both quite outstanding in design and craftsmanship. Notice how the center will have a cavity with two hand cutouts so that the reversible boards can be easily flipped. Quite a nice design concept.
I just have to decide which would be a better bang for the buck which is currently being discussed with these two makers of tables.
Another option is to buy a square dining table, and put your chess board on it. Saving tons of money! This one is 35 inches square which is larger than the standard 29.5 inches that you see in most similar square tables...and the price is right...
https://www.amazon.com/Mornay-Dining-Table-Walnut-Finish/dp/B07WNJL6YB/ref=sr_1_10?crid=3HENIDSWLYISS&dchild=1&keywords=large+square+dining+table&qid=1598243010&refinements=p_72%3A1248915011%2Cp_89%3AWinsome&rnid=2528832011&s=home-garden&sprefix=large+square+dining+table%2Cgarden%2C210&sr=1-10
And use the money you saved to acquire a nice custom made solid wood chess board, for example from Brad Borkowski, aka ColoradoWoodWorker, on ETSY. Check the Chess Books & Equipment forum threads for discussions by many who have purchased his boards...
https://www.etsy.com/shop/ColoradoWoodWorker?ref=search_shop_redirect
https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-equipment/my-new-board-from-colorado-woodworker?page=1
https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-equipment/colorado-woodworker-tower-series-magnetic-board
https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-equipment/coloradowoodworker-solid-wood-chessboard?page=1
https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-equipment/colorado-woodworker-custom-chess-board
check out p.4 of this thread to see several closeup photos of my CWW board...
https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-equipment/cb-gm-blitz-set?page=4
RussBell's response makes so much sense!.....I totally understand why one would wish to have the lesser priced HOS table,as it's pretty nice,but that $7995 version is for the folks who live in the newly built NYC high rises.....What a rip!
Another option is to buy a square dining table, and put your chess board on it. Saving tons of money!
This is what I did, sorta. I purchased this 48" x 30" table. The table I chose is more expensive than most tables but it's perfect for chess!
In general, I don't like square chess tables because the side margins are too narrow for books. I spend most of my time at the table studying so space for books or a scoresheet are important.
@brother7 -
Smart decision!
My table was originally sold by the London firm of Heal & Son in July 1967. It was designed by R.G.F. Rust and made by Graham Hudson, cabinet maker. I have no information about the first purchaser. Perhaps readers of this forum can help here, if they recognise the piece, as I'd really like to know something about the table's history.
I waited a long time for an item like this to come up at auction or to pass through the hands of some antique furniture dealers I know.
It cost about $1,200. I think this was a good price. There is no mass market for tables designed for chess players to use for study or match play. Most of what is out there consists of decorative items – living room side tables, occasional tables, or coffee tables. The dimensions and appearance of the tables reflect this. For example, the squares on the board are unlikely to be the tournament standard of 2 inches to 2.2 inches. At auction, decorative items that are reproductions (ie not an antique) can be picked up for less than $100. A table that is suitable for play or study has to be commissioned from a cabinet maker. A bespoke desk will typically cost upwards of $2,000 - the absence of mass production has a huge impact on price. Examples of US cabinet makers offering to take commissions for chess tables at this price point are Hardwood Creations and Puddle Town Woodworking.
Resale/auction items will once have been a bespoke item for someone else. They are consequently in scare supply. While the materials and design won’t be to your exact specifications, the cost of a modern commission provides a guide to what you should pay. $1,200 for a table that would cost at least $2,000 to commission was a price I was happy with - after all, $800 buys a pretty decent chess set.
The dimensions are L 36 inches (91 cm), B 24 inches (61 cm), H 30 inches (76cm). Squares are 2 inches (51 cm). Materials are mahogany, walnut, and satin wood. It lacks an arm/wrist rest like those found on the 1966 Havana Olympiad tables but it’s simpler these days to deploy a free-standing ergonomic wrist rest rather than to fit one to a table. Arm rests will wear out faster than the table in any case. The materials and craftwork are absolutely first-rate. If I had been ordering it myself as a bespoke item, I would have asked for slightly larger squares and increased the breadth slightly. These though are only minor quibbles.
Absolutely. It’s a beautifully made table. I had to wait a long time for the opportunity to come up but it was worth it. The courriers who delivered couldn't resist showing it to all the dealers en route and they loved it too.
Put it this way, I'm not in a hurry to sell and hope I live to enjoy using the table for many years, so I hope that answers your question.
Am considering a chess table, specifically the Camaratta Signature Master Chess Table.
If you have a chess table:
I plan to use a chess table primarily for studying so I prefer one with more space along the left/right sides for books. Plus, for playing, extra elbow room along the white/black sides would be desirable also. The desire for extras space along all four sides is my primary concern about the aforementioned chess table.
HOS's other offering, the Signature Traditional Chess Table, looks like a dream but $4995 is beyond my budget.
What other chess table manufacturer's are there?