PH Chair designed by Poul Henningsen

The PH Chair: Seriously Good Seating

The Poul Henningsen (PH) designed PH Chair is an example of Scandinavian design at it’s very best. With a framework constructed of just two tubes of curved steel, the PH Chair is minimal, durable and versatile. 

Perhaps initially inspired by the humble ‘bistro chair’, Poul Henningsen’s PH Chair advances on the concept of a traditional ‘bent wood’ chair by replacing the wooden frame with steel, thus making it considerably more durable and stable. The wooden or cane seat expected to be found on a ‘bistro chair’ also receives an upgrade at the deft hand of Henningsen. The PH Chair produced by PH Furniture has been realised to feature a comfortable padded seat finished in black, walnut, mocca, non dyed or Indian red coloured leather or alternatively black or grey Hallingdal fabric. The PH Chair is not a design created to last just for a few seasons, but rather a design intended to be an investment piece that will last for generations. 

Poul Henningsen’s PH Chair produced by PH Furniture is constructed of gentle lines which carefully support the back, encouraging those using the chair to sit in an upright position. Poul Henningsen considered very carefully the application for every piece of furniture he made.  While Poul Henningsen’s PH Lounge Chair and PH Pope Chairs are designed for rest and recuperation, the PH Chair was created for situations that require it’s user to remain alert and attentive. 

Devoid of sharp edges, harsh angles and hard lines, the PH Chair exudes a sense of softness to it’s fluid yet strong design. The two simple metal tubes that make the frame of this chair touch only in one place, this is a feature that is only made possible due to the precision engineering that is fundamental to it’s manufacture. The outcome of this careful construction is a chair that is free of obtrusive joints that retains an open, airy design featuring exceptional qualities of stability and strength.

The wonder of the PH Chair is that it conveys a sense of lightness and freedom thanks to it’s minimal nature, yet it is eminently sturdy and practical. The PH Chair is a chair that looks and feels luxurious yet is designed to be used as an every day essential piece of furniture inside the environment in which it is placed. This fundamental fusion of beauty and function lies at the very heart of Poul Henningsen’s design philosophy.

In the contemporary home environment of the 21st Century, PH Furniture’s PH Chair is perfect for use in the dining room, kitchen or hallway. The PH Chair also has multiple applications in commercial and corporate situations: in the lobby, meeting room, canteen or hotel room. 

Poul Henningsen’s ambition was to evolve through design practical everyday objects and environments in order to enhance the quality of life of those who experienced the things he created. The PH Chair is a perfect example of Poul Henningsen succeeding with this noble ambition that underpinned his working life. Designed to be appreciated for it’s comfort and beauty in the present and it’s ability to deliver those things for many years in to the future: the PH Chair is not simply a chair, but also a design piece that transcends it’s practical functionality to become an enduring icon of Danish Mid-Century Modern furniture.

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