The Knox Dining Table is a minimalist table by the Toronto-based design practice, Mary Ratcliffe Studio. As one of the four pieces in the studio’s new Joue collection, a series of furniture centered around the art of play, this dining table takes inspiration from the physicality of movement and the communal act of gathering.

The Knox Dining Table is anchored by three asymmetrical legs of varying widths — each distinct yet simultaneously cohesive. Taking from the fluid, instinctual gestures of founder, Mary Ratcliffe’s young sons climbing and sliding on a jungle gym, these forms come together to support the table. A crossbrace joins them together underneath the tabletop, offering both structural support and inviting engagement: it can be used to display objects or act as a space to crawl underneath to play.

While the tabletop remains intentionally simple, the legs below animate it, bringing movement to an otherwise grounded object. The overall piece balances function with a sense of whimsy, elevating the everyday ritual of dining into something more invigorating.