Poul was not only a recognsied as a Danish author, critic, architect but also as a  designer, with his most reputable contribution to Danish design was in the area of lighting.

He designed the PH-lamp in 1925, which, like his later designs, used carefully analyzed reflecting and baffling of the light rays from the bulb to achieve glare-free and uniform illumination. His light fixtures were manufactured by Louis Poulsen. His best-known models are the PH Artichoke and PH5. Poul Henningsen’s pioneering work combined the relations between light structures, shadows, glare, and color reproduction—compared to man’s need for light remains the fondation of the lighting theories still practiced by Louis Poulsen.

Other contributiong designs to the field of lighting included the PH Grand Piano, examples of which are included in several prominent twentieth-century design collections, including that of the Metropolitan Museum in New York City. He also designed Glassalen for Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen.

Despite his many talents, and a long line of different products, PH lamps probably remain his most famous design. His efforts to create the optimum lighting were, according to many, fully successful due to his notion that the light should always come before the appearance, with the shape of the lamps accommodating the lighting and not isolated aesthetic appearance.

PH started his first design studio in 1919 and it was here that the vast majority of his lamps were created, with the first one being produced in 1924. Over the decade, the popularity of Poul Henningsen designs increased, with the timeless classics such as the Artichoke and PH-5 still hanging in many homes today, both in Denmark and around the world.