PH 2/1 Table Lamp

The PH 2/1 Table, designed by Poul Henningsen, gives soft, harmonious light through mouth-blown three-layer white opal glass. Based on his 1925 three-shade system — a logarithmic spiral for even, glare-free light — it pairs a 20 cm top shade with the 1/1 lower shades. The first lamp in the system won a gold medal at the 1925 Paris exhibition.

Henningsen spent years studying how shade curves, angles and materials shape the quality of light before that Paris debut. His conclusion — that shades drawn on a logarithmic spiral reflect light at a constant angle, layering it downwards without glare — became the foundation for a family that eventually numbered in the hundreds of models, produced with Louis Poulsen from 1926 onward. The three-layer opal glass used here is a refinement of that idea: the middle layer diffuses, while inner and outer layers smooth the glow, so the lamp reads as a single luminous object rather than a shaded bulb. The 2/1 designation marks the smallest table format in the system — a 20 cm top shade over the most compact lower-shade set.

That small footprint makes it one of the most adaptable PH lamps for everyday rooms. It sits comfortably on a bedside table, a study desk or a living-room shelf without claiming the surface, and its all-opal glow flatters compact interiors where one lamp must do the work of several — a frequent reality in city apartments across Asia. Place it where you read or unwind; the glare-free light is as kind to eyes as it is to atmosphere. See the full family in our Louis Poulsen collection, compare formats among our table lamps, or read our tips on designer lighting for small apartments.

Light source: G9, 1 bulb, max 33 W. IP20, indoor. Bulb not included — we recommend a G9 LED (3.3 W, 330 lm).