Louis Poulsen

Since 1874, the Danish manufacturer has been shaping a unique legacy in the world of designer lighting. What distinguishes this Scandinavian approach is an obsession with functionalism: every light fixture must first provide perfect illumination before being beautiful. A philosophy that stands in contrast to the traditional decorative industry.

Choosing a Louis Poulsen luminaire: diameter, bulb base, installation height

Three measurements determine the choice, and Louis Poulsen publishes them on its product pages. The luminous flux in lumens and the color rendering index are not included.

Diameter

It determines the illuminated area and the clearance above a table. The PH 5 is available in Ø 50 cm and Ø 30 cm, the PH Artichoke from Ø 48 cm to Ø 84 cm, and the VL 45 Radiohus in Ø 17.5 cm.

The ten pieces measured

Bulb base

The brand specifies an E27 base for the Ø 50 cm PH 5 and an E14 base for the Ø 30 cm version. The bulb is not included. For models with integrated LED, it publishes the color temperature and the wattage.

E27 base luminaires

Installation height

The brand describes the PH 5 above a dining table, placed in pairs for long tables; large PH Artichoke diameters for high ceilings in halls and entrances; the PH Snowball for spaces with lower ceilings. None of these rules are strict thresholds in meters.

See the PH 5

Pendants, table lamps, wall lamps, and floor lamps: what each family solves

This collection includes 104 references as of September 14, 2026, all from Louis Poulsen.

Pendants

The diameter should be chosen before the color and finish: it determines the illuminated area and the clearance above a table.

See pendants

Table lamps

For a desk, a console, or a bedside table: total height and arm reach dictate the choice.

See table lamps

Wall lamps

The projection, i.e., the distance the luminaire extends from the wall, determines the clearance in a passageway.

See wall lamps

Floor lamps

For a reading nook or a living room corner, where no anchor point exists on the ceiling.

See floor lamps

What Louis Poulsen publishes, and what no one publishes

The three-shade principle

The PH series is based on three superimposed shades: the top one made of metal, and the two bottom ones made of blown opal glass. The brand notes that this combination directs light downward through reflection on the white inner surface of the first shade.

The brand's Heritage page, accessed on September 14, 2026, provides two dates. The collaboration between Louis Poulsen and Poul Henningsen began in 1924. The resulting lamp received a gold medal at the 1925 Paris Exhibition.

1874: a company born in wine

Founded in Copenhagen in 1874 under the name Kjøbenhavns Direkte Vin Import Kompagni, the company originally imported wine.

It was the commissioning of the city's first power plant in 1892 that shifted its focus toward lighting.

The figures the brand publishes

On its product pages, the brand publishes the diameter, the designer, the creation year, and the bulb base type: the Ø 50 cm PH 5 takes an E27 base, the Ø 30 cm version takes an E14, and the bulb is not provided. For models with integrated LED, it adds the color temperature in Kelvins and the power in watts.

What it does not publish on these same pages: the luminous flux in lumens, the color rendering index, or the weight. The choice depends on three other dimensions: diameter, bulb base, and installation position.

Ten Louis Poulsen luminaires, from the PH 5 to the Panthella

Ten pieces selected based on criteria written before selection: one model per line, never two colors of the same luminaire, all four types covered, and a designer accompanied by a year or a creative fact documented on the brand's page.

Black PH 5 pendant by Poul Henningsen for Louis Poulsen, superimposed shades

PH 5 Louis Poulsen · Poul Henningsen, 1958 Developed in 1958 to remain usable with any light source, regardless of the bulb shape.

Black PH Artichoke pendant by Poul Henningsen for Louis Poulsen, superimposed metal leaves

PH Artichoke Louis Poulsen · Poul Henningsen, 1958 72 metal leaves in 12 rows of six. Designed for the Langelinie Pavillonen restaurant in Copenhagen, based on sketches from 1927 to 1931.

White PH Snowball pendant by Poul Henningsen for Louis Poulsen

PH Snowball Louis Poulsen · Poul Henningsen, reintroduced in 1983 Eight shades mounted on three struts, unlike the more numerous ones on the PH Louvre from which it is derived.

PH Septima pendant by Poul Henningsen for Louis Poulsen, glass crown

PH Septima Louis Poulsen · Poul Henningsen · 1928 prototype Three tiers of glass inserted between the three main shades. The prototype was presented in 1928 at the Danish Museum of Decorative Art.

VL 45 Radiohus pendant by Vilhelm Lauritzen for Louis Poulsen

VL 45 Radiohus Louis Poulsen · Vilhelm Lauritzen, late 1930s Designed for the Radio House in Copenhagen, inaugurated in 1945. Ø 17.5 cm, compared to Ø 50 cm for the PH 5.

Panthella 400 table lamp by Verner Panton for Louis Poulsen, hemispherical shade

Panthella 400 Louis Poulsen · Verner Panton, 1971 400 mm hemispherical shade above a trumpet base: the light travels down, reflects on the base, and goes back up.

Black AJ table lamp by Arne Jacobsen for Louis Poulsen, adjustable shade

AJ Louis Poulsen · Arne Jacobsen, 1957 Designed for the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen along with other furniture and decor pieces. The hotel opened in 1960. The shade can be adjusted to regulate light distribution.

Black NJP table lamp by nendo and Oki Sato for Louis Poulsen, articulated arm

NJP Louis Poulsen · nendo and Oki Sato A reinterpretation of the architect's lamp: two joints on the arm adjust the position.

Flindt Wall lamp by Christian Flindt for Louis Poulsen

Flindt Wall Louis Poulsen · Christian Flindt The only piece in this selection for which Louis Poulsen publishes the color temperature and power: Ø 20 cm, integrated LED 2700 K, 10 W.

PH 3½-2½ Centenary Edition floor lamp by Poul Henningsen for Louis Poulsen

PH 3½-2½ Centenary Edition Louis Poulsen · Poul Henningsen, 1928 The brand dates the PH 3½-2½ to 1928 and describes it as a table lamp. This edition is a floor lamp.

Filter the collection by color, material, and bulb base

Each chip opens the filtered grid to a facet of the catalog. The bulb base is included here because it is one of the three dimensions upon which the choice is made.

By color

By material

By bulb base

Louis Poulsen lighting dimensions: diameter, designer, date

Louis Poulsen publishes dimensions followed by an asterisk on their product pages. Others have been collected on our fact sheets: of the five diameters also published by the brand, both sources provide the same value, which makes our measurements verifiable one by one. "Not published" means that the brand does not provide the value: neither in the body of the page nor in the size selector.

Piece	Type	Dimension	Designer	Documented date	References in its family
PH 5	Pendant	Ø 50 cm*	Poul Henningsen	1958	21
PH Artichoke	Pendant	Ø 48 cm*	Poul Henningsen	1958	6
PH Snowball	Pendant	Ø 40 cm	Poul Henningsen	reintroduced in 1983	2
PH Septima	Pendant	Ø 50 cm	Poul Henningsen	prototype 1928	1
VL 45 Radiohus	Pendant	Ø 17.5 cm*	Vilhelm Lauritzen	late 1930s	4
Panthella 400	Table lamp	Ø 40 cm*	Verner Panton	1971	14
AJ	Table lamp	not published	Arne Jacobsen	1957	9
NJP	Table lamp	not published	nendo and Oki Sato	not published	3
Flindt Wall	Wall light	Ø 20 cm*	Christian Flindt	not published	1
PH 3½-2½ Centenary Edition	Floor lamp	not published	Poul Henningsen	1928, table lamp	2

Louis Poulsen designers: Poul Henningsen, Arne Jacobsen, Verner Panton

Out of 104 references, 100 carry a designer name on their sheet. Four do not: two Toldbod 155s and two Skots. The 54 references by Poul Henningsen are the 54 pieces in this collection whose names start with PH.

Designer	References in this collection
Poul Henningsen	54
Verner Panton	14
Arne Jacobsen	12
Vilhelm Lauritzen	11
nendo and Oki Sato	3
Finn Juhl	3
Olafur Eliasson	1
Christian Flindt	1
Gabriel Tan	1

Frequently asked questions about Louis Poulsen lighting

What does the number of a PH light mean?

Louis Poulsen does not publish a rule for reading these numbers, and the catalog prohibits a simple one: the PH 5 measures Ø 50 cm, but the PH 3/2 measures Ø 28.5 cm and the PH 3½-2½ Ø 33 cm.

Which bulb for a PH 5?

The brand indicates an E27 socket on the 50 cm PH 5 and an E14 socket on the 30 cm version. The bulb is not supplied with the light.

What diameter pendant above a table?

Louis Poulsen describes the PH 5 as being placed above a dining table and, for long tables, installed in pairs.

How many lights are in this collection?

104 as of September 14, 2026: 45 table lamps, 39 pendants, 17 wall lights, and 3 floor lamps.

How long has Louis Poulsen been making lights?

The company was founded in Copenhagen in 1874 under the name Kjøbenhavns Direkte Vin Import Kompagni, to import wine. It switched to lighting after the commissioning of the city's first power plant in 1892. The collaboration with Poul Henningsen began in 1924.

Which piece for a low ceiling?

The PH Snowball. The brand describes it as a reduced-diameter version of the PH Louvre, with eight shades instead of more, intended for spaces with lower ceilings.

To go further

The PH series

Related collections

The catalog

Dates, diameters, sockets, and optical principles collected from louispoulsen.com on September 14, 2026. Reference counts collected from the catalog on the same day.