By Nigel F. Maynard
Last fall, Danish luxury lighting brand Louis Poulsen celebrated its 150-year-anniversary milestone with a new PH Snowball and Panthella 160 Portable Anniversary Editions. Together with the previously presented PH Artichoke, PH 5 and AJ Mini Anniversary Editions, they complete an exclusive collection of icons, marking the 150 th anniversary of the First House of Light.
“This selection of anniversary icons sums up the essence of Louis Poulsen perfectly,” says Søren Mygind Eskildsen, CEO of Louis Poulsen. “For 150 years, we have collaborated with some of the finest architects and designers to shape light. A legacy that is an absolute privilege and joy to continue building on.”
The curated Anniversary Editions are each a masterwork in their own right, the company says, adding that their iconic design and lighting qualities make them stand out. “What really sets the Anniversary Editions apart are their enchanting color compositions, which reflect light, enhancing their surroundings with a warm delicate white and pale rose glow, making them original collectables,” Louis Poulsen says.
PH Snowball differs in its eight shades, resembling Poul Henningsen‘s original Kontrast pendant from the 60s and the PH Louvre with its slightly elongated spherical silhouette. Introduced at the exhibition Glass, Light and Colour in 1958 at what we know today as Designmuseum Denmark, the PH Snowball will be presented in a new finish for the first time.
The white-surfaced shades of the PH Snowball Anniversary Edition are combined with a barely-there pale rose tint below and a glossy brass frame, providing a warm twist to today’s modern and classic interiors, no matter where the pendant is placed, the company says.
On each Anniversary Edition, the PH Snowball will be engraved with an individual number from 1 to 300 on shade number four. Also, a special Louis Poulsen edition of the new book First House of Light will be gifted with every purchase.
In 1971, Verner Panton created Panthella with Louis Poulsen, which stands out as one of the world-famous Danish architect and designer’s most significant designs today, mirroring the softest of light, the company says.
The Panthella 160 Portable Anniversary Edition is a downscaled and rechargeable version of the popular Panthella Table lamp, which can be taken anywhere to provide lighting. It “provides a lovely, diffused and glare-free light to any setting indoors or outdoors, reflecting an ambient white glow in its characteristic trumpet-shaped base.” The Anniversary Edition is distinguished by the top nut in eye-catching metallized brass that shines beautifully when the light is switched on and off.
The color palette for the entire 150th anniversary series is inspired by the pale rose shade on the inner side of the leaves of the original PH Artichoke from 1958. The new versions of the classic designs, with the subtle hue and glossy brass, will elevate interior spaces and homes timelessly and tastefully for generations to come.
The Anniversary Editions of PH Snowball and Panthella 160 Portable are available in selected stores and at louispoulsen.com for a limited time.