Light, Atmosphere, and Danish Design: A Conversation with Malene Lytken

The Story Behind Danish Lighting Design

Light shapes how a room feels - and in Denmark, it shapes how we live. From long winter evenings to quiet mornings, Danish lighting design has always been about creating atmosphere, comfort, and calm. Design historian Malene Lytken has spent years exploring that story, tracing how iconic lamps came to life and why they still matter today.

In 1920s Copenhagen, a young architect named Poul Henningsen began experimenting with light - not just with lamps as objects, but with how light actually behaves in a room. That exploration would go on to define more than a hundred years of Danish lighting design and inspire generations of designers after him

Design historian and author Malene Lytken has dedicated much of her research to this story. In her book Danish Lights: 1920 to Now, she follows the evolution of Danish lighting through iconic designs, shifting technology, and the way people actually live with light at home

For Malene, light is deeply personal. She explains that in Denmark, lighting has always been about atmosphere as much as visibility - creating pockets of coziness, layered illumination, and warm places to gather. Instead of one bright overhead source, Danes tend to use multiple lamps spread throughout a space, each one adding a gentle pool of light and a feeling of calm presence

Her research spans conversations with designers, manufacturers, historians, and craftspeople. She has traced how lamp design evolved from early electric experiments, through mid-century modern classics, to today’s cordless, LED-driven forms. Even as the technology has changed, one thing remains: a love of warm light and human atmosphere

Malene also reminds us that Danes burn more candles than almost any other nation - another gentle testament to how much light matters in everyday life. Whether from a lantern, a table lamp, or a simple candle, light is part of how homes become comforting and alive.

Danish Design Space carries pieces shaped by this same philosophy - objects designed not just to be seen, but to create feeling. Light, like design, is less about appearance and more about how it makes us feel in the spaces we live.