The name Poul Henningsen is synonymous with the best and most innovative modern Scandinavian lamps and other lighting. The Danish designer created a signature vocabulary of fixtures with tiered and layered shades in sculptural arrangements that are at once naturalistic and geometric.
Henningsen grew up in a town on the outskirts of Copenhagen and studied architecture at the Technical University of Denmark. He would become a noted art critic, journalist and screenwriter, but his first love was lighting design.
Henningsen’s childhood home was illuminated by oil lamps. When his family switched to electrified lighting, he was alarmed and repelled by the harsh glare cast by an incandescent bulb, and in his late teens he began conducting quasi-scientific experiments to measure which materials and methods best diffused or reflected light to give it a warm brightness. His work came to the attention of the lighting-fixtures firm Louis Poulsen, which sponsored the development of a prototype lamp. The design won a gold medal at the 1925 Paris Expositions Internationales des Arts Decóratifs et Industriels Modernes — from which the term Art Deco derives. The lamp, whose three-part shade is said to be inspired by the arrangement of a dinner plate atop a soup bowl atop a teacup, became the basis for Henningsen’s most successful design, the PH 4/3 desk lamp.
All told, Henningsen would design some 100 lighting fixtures in his career. Some of his most notable creations are hanging lamps, which include the Septima (1929), a pendant composed of seven graduated frosted-glass layers; the Spiral (1942), made of a single ribbon of enameled aluminum; and the Artichoke lamp (1958), whose 70 glass or metal fins in a staggered and graduated arrangement on a central steel frame resemble those of its namesake. The last is likely Henningsen’s masterwork and an icon of mid-20th-century design. Like all Henningsen lighting designs, it is striking, sculptural and — thanks to his insistence on the primacy of the quality of the light cast — superbly functional.
Find a collection of authentic Poul Henningsen table lamps, floor lamps and other lighting on 1stDibs.
PH Bench - brass legs with black oak veneer and extreme walnut leather seat
By Poul Henningsen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
The PH Bench pairs a precise wooden frame with a cushioned seat for quiet, assured comfort. Its elongated form reads light yet offers generous seating for halls, bedrooms and living ...
Leather, Oak
PH Piano Bench - chrome legs and leather seat in walnut color
By Poul Henningsen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Introducing the world’s first Beautiful Piano Bench.Faced with the challenge of crafting an aesthetically stunning seat to complement the genuinely designed pianos by Poul Henningsen...
Aluminum
$3,401 / item
PH Outdoor Bench - white painted solid oak
By Poul Henningsen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
The PH Outdoor Bench translates PH’s functional clarity into an exterior-ready form in solid oak. Calm proportions and precise junctions keep the silhouette...
Oak
$3,022 / item
H 16.54 in W 55.12 in D 20.87 in
Klismos Walnut Wood Woven Leather Bench Customizable Upholstery and Wood
By Pescetta
Located in IT
Klismos walnut wood brown woven leather Bench, Customizable Upholstery and Wood. Other colors and upholstery are available. Italian artisanal production by Pescetta Home Decoration...
Leather, Walnut
Oak Parquetry Upholstered Bench, Dark Oak
Located in Westwood, NJ
A dark oak parquetry upholstered bench with tapered legs. Crafted with rustic oak with an upholstered seat, this bench is the perfect addition to the foot of any bed or entryway. S...
Wood
English Crule Painted & Upholstered Piano Bench, Circa 1830
Located in Charleston, SC
English painted and upholstered crule piano bench with adjustable seat and connecting stretchers, Early 19th century.
Upholstery, Wood, Paint
$3,022 / item
H 18.12 in W 55.12 in D 20.87 in
Saber Legs Walnut Wood Leather Milk Color Bench Customizable Upholstery and Wood
By Pescetta
Located in IT
Saber legs walnut wood milk light color seat bench, Customizable upholstery and wood. Other colors and upholstery are available. Italian artisanal production by Pescetta Home Decoration. Walnut wood bench...
Leather, Walnut
French Solid Oak Bench / Low Table, C. 1970.
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Elegant solid oak bench of French origin, with thick slab resting on three sculptural supports. The restrained, architectural form allows the piece to function equally well as a low ...
Oak
$881 / item
H 17.33 in W 23.63 in D 14.97 in
Contemporary pi Stool, Fumed Oak Frame, Black Danish Cord Seat
By par-avion co.
Located in Norwich, GB
Our iconic pi stool range draws it's inspiration from the 20th century modernist idiom, Scandinavian Modern design, Danish furniture, and Japanese aesthetics....
Papercord, Wood, Oak
Montgomery Woven Leather Bench 60in
By Crump and Kwash
Located in Baltimore City, MD
Montgomery Bench by Crump and Kwash Solid wood frame / handwoven vegetable tanned leather seat / no VOC oil finish Dimensions: 18 H x 16 D x 60 ...
Leather, Maple, Oak, Walnut
Mahogany Bench on Carved Legs
Located in Woodbury, CT
About the size of a dining chair, this little bench tucks neatly under a sideboard or table until such time that it is needed. On four well-executed cabriole legs with deeply carved ...
Upholstery, Mahogany
$5,800
H 21 in W 45 in D 16 in
Karl Springer Style Large Waterfall Bench in Leopard Velvet & Black Leather
By Karl Springer
Located in Saint Louis, MO
Bougie leopard velvet with black leather piping 1970s Karl Springer Style Waterfall Bench coming through. Instantly delivers a sexy lux vibe to any space. Treat yourself to this deli...
Leather, Upholstery, Velvet
$2,493Sale Price / item|35% Off
H 18.9 in W 23.6 in D 15.7 in
Contemporary Rosewood and Leather Piano Bench, Handcrafted, Fixed Height
By KAUNUS
Located in CASTELLÓN DE LA PLANA, VC
Mitsuko bench is the ideal piece to accompany your piano and also to use in any interior design. Design your own Stool by choosing between leather or e...
Leather, Rosewood
$4,881 / set
H 17.45 in W 472.45 in D 13 in
Pair of pi3 benches in Fumed Oak and Natural Danish Cord Seat
By par-avion co.
Located in Norwich, GB
Contemporary bench in FSC British fumed oak with FSC natural Danish cord handwoven seat. Dimensions are approximately 120cm L x 44.3cm H x 33cm D. Available as a pair. This set is...
Papercord, Oak
$4,895
H 20 in W 48.25 in D 12.13 in
Arts and Crafts Hall Bench or Window Seat of Oak with Turned Legs from England
Located in Austin, TX
A fine English hall bench or window seat or stool of oak from the Arts and Crafts period, featuring turned bolsters at opposing ends over a long plank seat and set upon four turned l...
Wood, Oak