We are huge fans of great lighting design here are Cloudberry Living, so we are delighted to be representing the iconic Danish lighting brand Louis Poulsen in Cornwall. Our customers are often surprised and delighted to see our wonderful window which features a row of PH 5 Mini Pendant Lights in pastel shades.

The company has a long history of lighting design and manufacture. Louis Poulsen’s story began in 1874 in Copenhagen. Since then the company has collaborated with prominent Danish designers to create timeless, high quality lighting  for  both residential and commercial interiors worldwide. Honouring the Danish design tradition that form follows function, light is seen as a material which can be shaped.

When Denmark’s second power station was opened in Copenhagen, Ludvig R. Poulsen opened a shop selling lighting and electrical supplies. Four years later, Louis Poulsen joined the family business as a shop assistant. He took over the business after his uncle’s death in 1906.

1924 was a pivotal year when a lifelong collaboration with the designer Poul Henningsen began. In the late 30’s, the well-known and talented Vilhelm Lauritzen designed the iconic VL 38, VL 45 & VL Studio lights for the new headquarters of The Danish Broadcasting Corporation. During the wartime period, Poul Henningsen designed a blackout lamp for the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen which allowed the gardens to remain open after dark.

In 1958, a design classic was introduced, the PH 5 Lamp by Poul Henningsen. Since its introduction, Louis Poulsen’s all-time bestseller is a timeless and unique glare-free design which makes it perfect for above a dining table. The high quality and iconic design ensures the light is treasured by families and is often handed down from parent to child. A PH 5 is an investment piece. The PH 5 Lamp is based on the principle of Poul Henningsen’s reflective three-shade system, which directs the majority of the light downwards. It emits a lateral light as well as illuminating itself, providing a soft radiance from within its core. The lower shade is fitted with a frosted diffuser glass to ensure that the downward directed light is softened and glare-free.

A year later the company began collaborating with the charismatic Danish architect, Verner Panton. With a playful approach to design, he created the Topan lamp and the iconic Panthella. Originally designed in 1971, the Panthella has since become recognised as one of Verner Panton's most significant designs. The soft, organic shape of the table lamp, combined with the opal white colour is not only beautiful but also functional, providing a pleasant diffused and reflected light. The Panthella 250 Portable Lamp is a portable version of the popular Panthella Table Lamp, its USB chargeable and can be used outdoors.

The SAS (Scandinavian Airlines System) Hotel opened in 1960. Arne Jacobsen was not only the architect, but also designed the interiors including furniture, lighting, tableware and other small details.  This included the AJ Lamp, which is now one of his most famous designs. The hotel’s interior was precisely harmonised. The AJ Lamp’s straight lines and mix of oblique and right angles mirrored the design of the lobby seating and also reflected the oblique profiles in found Jacobsen’s architecture. The hotel is now considered to be one of the centrepieces of Arne Jacobsen’s work as well as that of Danish modernist architecture. 

By the mid 60’s Louis Poulsen’s business was growing fast and over the next four decades subsidiary offices opened across the world.  Louis Poulsen was first listed on the Copenhagen Stock Exchange in 1977, and throughout the eighties, the company expanded their wholesale offering, and began their collaboration with Jens Møller Jensen.

The nineties were a decade of celebrations. In 1994 Poul Henningsen’s 100th birthday and 5 years later, the 125th anniversary of Louis Poulsen were celebrated. 

Throughout the 2000’s Louis Poulsen won awards globally both as a company and for its lighting designs.

2018 marked 60 years of the PH 5 Lamp, which was introduced in new colour ways to celebrate the anniversary. 2020 saw the introduction of new versions of the company’s iconic design classics. The PH 5 Lamp was introduced in new monochrome colour ways and also introduced was the Panthella Portable, a compact, portable version of Verner Panton’s much-loved table lamp.  

The summer of 2022 marked the introduction of the PH Pale Rose collection, a beautiful twist on the design classic, with pale rose coloured glass and brushed brass elements. To celebrate the Pale Rose addition, Louis Poulsen created an impressive installation at the Taveggia café in Milan for Milan Design Week.  

New this season are four contemporary Monochrome colours in a stunning matt finish: Monochrome Burgundy, Monochrome Dusty Indigo, Monochrome Pale Pewter and Monochrome Pale Blush.

Since 2018, Louis Poulsen has been part of the Flos B&B Italia Group, a leading global high-end design group.