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 Snake Stool Counter - chrome steel tube Black leather upholstery Bar height
By Poul Henningsen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
PH Snake Stool Counter - Authentic Poul Henningsen Design in Sculptural Scandinavian Craftsmanship The PH Snake Stool Counter is a rare, iconic design by Poul Henningsen - an elegan...
Chrome
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
PH Snake Chair Counter - chrome steel tube White leather upholstery Bar height
By Poul Henningsen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
PH Snake Chair Counter - Authentic Poul Henningsen Design in Sculptural Scandinavian Craftsmanship The PH Snake Chair Counter is a rare, iconic design by Poul Henningsen - an elegan...
Chrome
PH Stool, wood legs, black oak veneer, extreme walnut leather seat
By Poul Henningsen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
The PH Stool is perfectly proportioned to match the PH Dressing Table or stand-alone as a functional sculpture. The PH Stool is available in mahogany, bla...
Leather, Oak
PH Snake Stool, chrome, yellow painted satin matt, wood seat, visible tubes
By Poul Henningsen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
The PH Snake Stool is completely true to the original design and the use of chromed steel tubes, however updated for the 21st century to be available with wood seating in five colorw...
Chrome
PH Snake Stool, Chrome, Leather Extreme Walnut, Leather Upholstery, Visible Tube
By Poul Henningsen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
The PH Snake stool is completely true to the original design and the use of chromed steel tubes, however updated for the 21st century to be available wi...
Chrome
Ph Stool, Wood Legs, Black Oak Veneer, Extreme Black Leather Seat
By Poul Henningsen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
The PH Stool is perfectly proportioned to match the PH Dressing Table or stand-alone as a functional sculpture. The PH Stool is available in mahogany, bla...
Leather, Oak
Ph Stool, Brass Legs, Black Oak Veneer, Extreme Black Leather Seat
By Poul Henningsen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
The PH Stool is perfectly proportioned to match the PH Dressing Table or stand-alone as a functional sculpture. The PH Stool is available in mahogany, bla...
Leather, Oak
PH Stool, Brass Legs, Black Oak Veneer, Extreme Walnut Leather Seat
By Poul Henningsen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
The PH stool is perfectly proportioned to match the PH dressing table or stand-alone as a functional sculpture. The PH stool is available in mahogany, bla...
Leather, Oak
PH Snake Stool, Chrome, Leather Extreme Black, Leather Upholstery, Visible Tubes
By Poul Henningsen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
The PH snake stool is completely true to the original design and the use of chromed steel tubes, however updated for the 21st century to be available wi...
Chrome
PH Snake Stool, Chrome, White Painted Satin Matt, Wood Seat, Visible Tubes
By Poul Henningsen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
The PH snake stool is completely true to the original design and the use of chromed steel tubes, however updated for the 21st century to be available with wood seating in five colorw...
Chrome
PH Stool, Brass Legs, Natural Oak Veneer, Extreme Walnut Leather Seat
By Poul Henningsen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
The PH Stool is perfectly proportioned to match the PH Dressing Table or stand-alone as a functional sculpture. The PH Stool is available in mahogany, bla...
Leather, Oak
PH Stool, Brass Legs, Natural Oak Veneer, Extreme Black Leather Seat
By Poul Henningsen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
The PH stool is perfectly proportioned to match the PH dressing table or stand-alone as a functional sculpture. The PH stool is available in mahogany, blac...
Leather, Oak
PH Stool, Brass Legs, Mahogany Veneer, Red Lamb Leather on Panels and Seat
By Poul Henningsen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
The PH stool is perfectly proportioned to match the PH dressing table or stand-alone as a functional sculpture. The PH stool is available in maho...
Leather, Mahogany
PH Stool, wood legs, natural oak veneer, extreme black leather seat
By Poul Henningsen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
The PH Stool is perfectly proportioned to match the PH Dressing Table or stand-alone as a functional sculpture. The PH Stool is available in mahogany, bla...
Leather, Oak
Ph Stool, Wood Legs, Mahogany Veneer, Red Lamb Leather on Panels and Seat
By Poul Henningsen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
The PH Stool is perfectly proportioned to match the PH Dressing Table or stand-alone as a functional sculpture. The PH Stool is available in mahogany, bla...
Leather, Mahogany
PH Snake Stool, Chrome, Leather Natural Un-Dyed, Full Leather Upholstery
By Poul Henningsen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
The PH snake stool is completely true to the original design and the use of chromed steel tubes, however updated for the 21st century to be available wi...
Chrome
PH Snake Stool, Chrome, Green Painted Satin Matt, Wood Seat, Visible Tubes
By Poul Henningsen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
The PH snake stool is completely true to the original design and the use of chromed steel tubes, however updated for the 21st century to be available with wood seating in five colorw...
Chrome
PH Stool, wood legs, natural oak veneer, extreme walnut leather seat
By Poul Henningsen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
The PH Stool is perfectly proportioned to match the PH Dressing Table or stand-alone as a functional sculpture. The PH Stool is available in mahogany, bla...
Oak, Leather
PH Snake Stool, Chrome, Leather Extreme Indianred, Full Leather Upholstery
By Poul Henningsen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
The PH snake stool is completely true to the original design and the use of chromed steel tubes, however updated for the 21st century to be available wi...
Chrome
PH Snake Stool, Chrome, Leather Natural Un-Dyed, Leather Upholstery, Visible
By Poul Henningsen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
The PH Snake stool is completely true to the original design and the use of chromed steel tubes, however updated for the 21st century to be available with wood seating in five colorw...
Chrome
PH Snake Stool, Chrome, Black Painted Satin Matt, Wood Seat, Visible Tubes
By Poul Henningsen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
The PH Snake stool is completely true to the original design and the use of chromed steel tubes, however updated for the 21st century to be available with wood seating in five colorw...
Chrome
PH Snake Stool, Chrome, Leather Extreme Mocca, Full Leather Upholstery
By Poul Henningsen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
The PH Snake Stool is completely true to the original design and the use of chromed steel tubes, however updated for the 21st century to be available wi...
Chrome
PH Snake Stool, Chrome, Red Painted Satin Matt, Wood Seat, Visible Tubes
By Poul Henningsen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
The PH snake stool is completely true to the original design and the use of chromed steel tubes, however updated for the 21st century to be available with wood seating in five colorw...
Chrome
PH Snake Stool, chrome, leather extreme indianred, leather upholstery, visible
By Poul Henningsen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
The PH Snake Stool is completely true to the original design and the use of chromed steel tubes, however updated for the 21st century to be available wi...
Chrome
PH Snake Stool, Chrome, Leather Extreme Black, Full Leather Upholstery
By Poul Henningsen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
The PH snake stool is completely true to the original design and the use of chromed steel tubes, however updated for the 21st century to be available wi...
Chrome
PH Snake Stool, chrome, leather extreme walnut, full leather upholstery
By Poul Henningsen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
The PH Snake Stool is completely true to the original design and the use of chromed steel tubes, however updated for the 21st century to be available wi...
Chrome
Ph Snake Stool, Chrome, Leather Extreme Mocca, Leather Upholstery, Visible Tubes
By Poul Henningsen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
The PH Snake Stool is completely true to the original design and the use of chromed steel tubes, however updated for the 21st century to be available wi...
Chrome
$550
H 17.5 in W 21.5 in D 14.1 in
Mid-Century Modern Lucite Waterfall Bench Stool With Faux Snake Skin Upholstery
By Charles Hollis Jones
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Mid-Century Modern Lucite stool with faux snake skin upholstery. Elegant and chic, this gleaming lucite stool is attributed to Hollis Jones. Original chrome-plated casters, the lucit...
Upholstery, Lucite
Sold|$680
H 14.18 in Dm 16.93 in
Mid-Century Modern Hexagon Oak Stool with Lambswool Seat & Bobbin Legs, 1950s
By Flemming Lassen, Henning Kjærnulf, Viggo Boesen
Located in Odense, DK
This elegant stool is a refined example of Danish Modern design, crafted by a skilled Danish cabinetmaker in the 1950s. The piece is distinguished by its hexagonal seat and softly sh...
Lambskin, Sheepskin, Wool, Oak
$1,186
H 36 in W 21 in D 24 in
Customizable Walnut Finish Counter Stool with Beige Upholstery, Sotto Design
By Uultis Design
Located in Miami, FL
A Sotto counter stool designed by Uultis Studio with walnut finish, upholstered in beige fabric. The Sotto counter stool is a refined addition to your kitchen island or high-top dining area, bringing a balance of comfort and elegance. Designed by Uultis Studio, this stool features a walnut-finished teak frame that radiates warmth and sophistication. The seat and backrest are upholstered in a wheat-beige fabric with a subtle plain weave, offering a neutral yet textured appeal that complements a wide variety of interior styles. The medium-density foam cushioning provides support for extended use, making it ideal for both casual meals and social gatherings. Its sleek design includes clean lines and a thoughtfully positioned footrest, ensuring both style and practicality. With its counter height, the Sotto stool...
Upholstery, Fabric, Teak
$14,501 / set
H 27.2 in W 21.6 in D 14.5 in
Pair Contemporary Counter Bar Stool Black Metal & Black Leather
By Jover + Valls
Located in Alcoy, Alicante
Counter stool in black smoke polished steel and black saddle leather. The phrases "Less is more" and "God is in the detail" from the German-American architect and industrial designe...
Steel
Clean Lined Zebra Hide Chrome Bar Stools 30" Height
By Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Located in Atlanta, GA
Set of Three Clean Lined Chrome and Zebra Hide Bar Stools, American, circa 1960s. They measure 30" height. You can measure your counter height and ideally you want around 8-10" of cl...
Metal, Chrome
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
$1,513Sale Price|20% Off
H 16.93 in W 22.25 in D 14.38 in
Scandinavian Modern Wood Stool with Yellow Chenille Seat, 1950s
Located in Barcelona, ES
Eyecatching Scandinavian Style Beechwood Stool with Mustard Yellow Velvet Upholstery, 1950s New upholstery. This Mid-Century Modernist rectangular stool or small bench was handcrafte...
Wood, Beech, Fabric
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
Olive Green Leather and Walnut Counter Height Stool
By Brett Paulin
Located in Toronto, Ontario
The Khwarizmi stool is crafted from solid walnut to construct the frame with brass joinery details. This stool also features a handstitched leather seat cushion with a padded leath...
Leather, Walnut
Khwarizmi Counter Height Walnut and Upholstered Leather Stool
By Brett Paulin, Alex Stap
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Indulge in the luxurious comfort of the Khwarizmi Stool. Handcrafted using walnut wood, this stool is a unique statement piece that will take center stage in any living space. The It...
Brass
$912
H 16.54 in W 22.45 in D 18.9 in
Modernist Tubular Stool, Ivory Leather, Chrome-Plated Steel, Slezák, 1930s
By Robert Slezák
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
Modernist Bauhaus - Art Deco chrome tabouret. Completely restored, new upholstery and leather. Maker: Slezák Company Source Czechia Period: 1930-1939.
Chrome
$680
H 14.18 in Dm 16.93 in
Mid-Century Modern Hexagon Oak Stool with Lambswool Seat & Bobbin Legs, 1950s
By Henning Kjærnulf, Viggo Boesen, Flemming Lassen
Located in Odense, DK
This elegant stool is a refined example of Danish Modern design, crafted by a skilled Danish cabinetmaker in the 1950s. The piece is distinguished by its hexagonal seat and softly sh...
Lambskin, Sheepskin, Wool, Oak
Danish Mid-Century Poul Henningsen Ph Snake Stool
By Poul Henningsen
Located in Norwalk, CT
The PH snake stool was designed by Poul Henningsen as a counterpart to his world-renowned Danish mid-century PH lighting line. With a twisted chrome bas...
Chrome