Formerly CEO of Carlsberg and Royal Scandinavia (the Danish industrial holding company for several brands across porcelain, glassware, accessories, cutlery and jewellery manufacturing including Georg Jensen, Royal Copenhagen and Holmegaard), Flemming Lindeløv is now Chairman of Toneart A/S, the holding company for the PH Furniture and PH Pianos brands exclusively licensed to produce the furniture designs of the late Poul Henningsen (PH).
Copenhagen has long been a popular destination for those interested in Scandinavian art and design, as well as the many other diverse attractions the capital city of Denmark has to offer.
Poul Henningsen (1894 / 1967) began to design furniture as early as the 1919 and from this very early stage it was clear that PH thought differently to the designers who had crafted the aesthetic world in to which he was born. A trained architect, PH’s inspirations were often closer to home than the drawing board or the workshop and driven by resolving practical problems of product and design rather than intellectual theories.
In the first of a series of posts about Poul Henningsen (PH), PH Magazine explores further the life of the designer, the inspiration behind his furniture creations and their legacy.
The earliest ‘mirrors’ known to be used were actually pools of water, though of course they were not the most reliable source of reflection. Early engineering overcame the problem of relying on a puddle or lake to look at oneself, as the very first mirrors constructed of glass with a metal backing can be traced back to the ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks, all of whom fashioned their own versions of ‘looking glasses’.
As with many of Poul Henningsen’s furniture and lighting designs, the PH Pope Chair features a shape that is inspired by nature. The legs of Poul Henningsen’s PH Pope Chair resemble the roots of a tree, anchoring it firmly the ground, giving a sense of strength that goes beyond the purely physical. The PH Pope Chair is supported so unobtrusively that the main body of the chair almost seems to be floating above the floor on which it is placed.
Poul Henningsen’s furniture and piano designs sit distinctly apart from the creations of his contemporaries. Poul Henningsen (PH) was prolific in his output, creating numerous ideas for furniture, lighting and public spaces. Though the range of items PH designed is diverse, they all have one thing in common: PH’s desire to re-shape the future of the every day environment experienced by everyone in to something more functional, more practical and more beautiful.
Poul Henningsen’s furniture and piano designs sit distinctly apart from the creations of his contemporaries. Poul Henningsen (PH) was prolific in his output, creating numerous ideas for furniture, lighting and public spaces. Though the range of items PH designed is diverse, they all have one thing in common: PH’s desire to re-shape the future of the every day environment experienced by everyone in to something more functional, more practical and more beautiful.
2019 sees the Centenary Anniversary of the founding of the Bauhaus Design School in Germany by architect Walter Gropius. It can be observed that much of the furniture that was designed during the Bauhaus movement’s most prolific years are now considered to be icons of 21st Century design almost one hundred years after their inception.
The PH Lounge Table designed in 1932 by Poul Henningsen (PH) is the perfect addition to any lounge space where a table is required to gather around or for display. Taller than a low coffee table, the PH Lounge Table lends itself to a wide variety of settings, since it is the correct height to complement taller lounge chairs, such as the Poul Henningsen designed PH Pope Chair and PH Armchair. More formal than a coffee table but smaller than a dining table, the PH Lounge Table is the perfect table on which to place one’s reading book, magazines, newspapers,...
Many of Poul Henningsen’s furniture designs are based on the concept of curved tubular steel: such iconic Poul Henningsen pieces include the PH Snake Chair and PH Snake Stool, the PH Desk, the PH Lounge Chair, the PH Chair and the PH Pope Chair. Complementary to these is the PH Dining Table, which also features chromed tubular steel legs to create a timeless design for a dining table that is both practical and elegant.
What is the significance of a table? And why does the design detail of such a relatively simple piece of furniture really matter? Poul Henningsen (PH) was a designer and architect who believed that the small details of even the most ‘every day’ furniture really mattered. Although it’s presence may be quiet and it’s appearance refined and understated rather than flamboyant…a table is not just a table.
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