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Plane Tables Are an Engineering Marvel of Balance

The latest from New Zealand-based design brand, Resident, brings us the Plane Tables. Available in both Rectangle and Round versions, the furniture was designed by Jamie McLellan, who is also VP of Design Futures at cult sneaker brand Allbirds. “I’d been thinking about building a table for our home and I came back to the idea of very simple stacked block forms, using cantilever elements that to me feel reminiscent of contemporary architecture,” McLellan said of his design.

The Plane Tables perform a balancing act that has to be seen to be believed. Large slabs of wood are stacked together, then engineering magic holds the legs, cross beam, and table top together for a form that is both functional and sculptural. Some might refer to it as alter-like.

rectangular dining table with armchair on white background

“To start the design process we had maybe ten different variations of this stacked theme and some of them were quite elaborate, but in the end we just came to the most pure and honest and brutal solution. The nice thing about this table is it’s a little more expressive than the average four-legged table. To keep the table from toppling over, but still maintain the look that everything is tenuously balanced on top of each other, there is a system of clever internal bracketing discreetly hidden away within the solid timber.”

rectangular dining table on white background

detail of rectangular dining table on white background

detail of rectangular dining table on white background

detail of rectangular dining table on white background

rectangular dining table in styled living space

detail of rectangular dining table

rectangular dining table with armchair in styled living space

round dining table on white background

round dining table on white background

detail of round dining table on white background

detail of round dining table on white background

detail of round dining table on white background

To learn more about Plane Tables, visit resident.co.nz.

Kelly Beall is Director of Branded Content at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based writer and designer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, from Fashion Plates to MoMA and far beyond. When not searching out the visual arts, she's likely sharing her favorite finds with others. Kelly can also be found tracking down new music, teaching herself to play the ukulele, or on the couch with her three pets – Bebe, Rainey, and Remy. Find her @designcrush on social.