The PH Lamp - Shining a Light on a Danish Design Icon

Autumn has hit Sydney and that seems like the perfect opportunity to zoom in on good lighting design - in particular, the PH lamp. Known for its iconic design, hyggelige (cosy) non-glare light, and ability to create a warm atmosphere in any home, the PH lamp is a classic Danish design icon. It brings together the core elements of good Danish design; quality materials, craftsmanship, and thoughtful design.

Photos from louispoulsen.com and cultdesign.com.au

Where It All Began

In 1920 (yes, 1920!), Poul Henningsen designed the famous PH lamp - at a time when electric lighting was still relatively new in homes and public spaces. It was a period full of technological progress and design enthusiasm, and Poul had a vision to create a more human-centric approach to artificial lighting.

In the early 20th century, most homes and buildings in Denmark still used gas lamps or bare electric bulbs, which created harsh, direct lighting. As a trained architect, Poul saw an opportunity to improve lighting quality by controlling glare and shadows and the unique design of the PH lamp did exactly that.

Photo of Poul Henningsen from jackson.se

Pushing the Boundaries of Everyday Living Design

One thing is to push boundaries in a time when electric artificial lighting was still finding its footing in everyday life, something else is to think through a design that allows you to enjoy that lighting in new ways. If you weren’t familiar with the PH lamp before reading this blog, I’m sure you’ve noticed by now that you can’t see the light bulb of the lamps - and that’s exactly why the design was and still is so unique.

As you can imagine, 1920s light bulbs didn’t come in the many colours, shapes, and ‘temperatures’ we have available to us today. So, Poul understood that for the electric light to feel as soft as a traditional gas light, the design was key. He created layered, curved shades that would reduce glare for comfortable dinner conversations. At the same time, he understood that the need for artificial lighting was essential in Denmark, especially on cold winter evenings, so the lamp still distributed a comfortable light for said dinner parties. On top, the lamp got an elegant body so it could be proudly positioned on the floor or on a table for anyone’s gaze to enjoy. Lighting was no longer only a functional element in our homes but a beautiful detail to play around with in everyday living design.

Photo from louispoulsen.com

How 150-year old Danish design is still relevant in modern Australia

You may or may not know that the lamp is still in production and incredibly popular - in Australia as well as overseas. Why? Because the fundamental principals of solid craftsmanship, soothing aesthetic, and lighting design continue to be fundamental elements to our homes. While light bulbs come in many forms now and don’t pose the same glare as they did when the PH lamp was created, our need for comfortable artificial lighting remains and the iconic Danish classic has kept up with modern demand for feature lighting. It’s not just a lamp, but an elegant soft-lined sculpture. And over the years, the PH lamp has evolved into various models, including the PH5 Pendant, PH Artichoke and PH Snowball.

No doubt Poul was ahead of his time. Today, we have a much better understanding of how important lighting is for our well-being. We need functional light for daily tasks, warmer lights for our dinner parties, and soft lights before bedtime to support our natural melatonin levels. Ppul understood this early on and therefore, is considered an icon in the Danish design history.

I grew up with PH lamps and they’re still one of my absolute favourite Danish design icons. They represent Denmark’s design heritage, grounded in functionality, craftsmanship (in design as well as choice of materials) and longevity of ideas. As you may know, I don’t like trends because they force us to constantly ‘update’ our homes, which isn’t good for our environment. Investing in icons is the opposite - good for our environment, good for our wallets (because you only pull it out once), and good for our design history. If you would like to learn more about PH lamps, lighting design, or Danish design history, you know where to find me!