Flowerpot in Eternal Bloom

The iconic Flowerpot lamps were designed by the thriving, Danish designer Verner Panton in 1969. Panton was known as a pioneer when it came to interior design, where his colourful and inspiring personality was reflected in his designs. His use of colour, shapes, and light led to the creation of new theories about the function of light and how lighting could influence its surroundings.

The marvellous Flowerpot pendant was originally designed for use in restaurants, but alongside the Flowerpot table lamp, it didn’t take the lamp long to find its way to private residences. In 2003, the Danish company &tradition brought the Flowerpot lamp back into production, allowing the lamp to make a serious comeback that made it more popular than ever.

Spectacular presentation of an iconic lamp


In connection with a series of furniture expos back in the 60s and 70s, the German company Bayer rented a yacht once a year and turned it into a showroom for renowned, modern designers. The purpose was to advertise different products that had something to do with interior design.

Verner Panton was entrusted with the task of designing the exhibit twice, under the names “Visiona” and “Visiona 2”. At the last exhibit in 1970, he created a “Fantasy Landscape”, comprising a series of lively, colourful, and organic shapes.

In spite of only having a few months to prepare, Verner Panton managed to create a spectacular exhibit with remarkably varied elements. Each room contained a wide selection of furniture, lighting solutions, textiles, and wall decorations. All elements were developed specially for the expo, and his installations are considered some of the most impressive presentations in design history to this day.

Visitors to the exhibit walked through the staged rooms with low ceilings and marvelled as their senses were bombarded with colours, touchable surfaces, smells, and sounds. In one of the rooms, you could lounge on upholstered rubber balls while another offered a chance to see perforated sculptures made of hard foam, topped off with pillows of various colours. Wherever you went on the boat, there were clusters of Flowerpot lamps in different colours. This was the first introduction to the Flowerpot pendant, as Verner Panton used the spectacular exhibit as a chance to showcase his work. The name came from the creation itself: a flower of light.

A glowing success

After the exhibit, Verner Panton and Louis Poulsen (who were the first to manufacture the Flowerpot) received so many inquiries about the lamp that they could barely keep up. Building on the success of the pendant, Verner Panton ended up designing the Flowerpot table lamp and garden lamp. He even started drawing more lamps based on the same simple principle of hiding the light source in order to avoid blinding and ensure the reflection of light in the shapes of the lampshade.

This resulted in the beautiful Wire table and floor lamp, not to mention the popular VP Globe, which is now manufactured by Verpan.
The Volkswagen of lighting

The Volkswagen of lighting

The humoristic and optimistic lamp was clearly inspired by the flower power movement in the mid-60s. The movement was all about peace, love, and harmony, and it was driven by a generation that questioned the formal values that cost them personal freedom. The so-called flower children rebelled against the norms, materials, and family ideals of the generation before them. The symbol of the movement was a flower, and Verner Panton managed to capture the essence of this period in his Flowerpot lamp, creating an iconic tribute to the flower power movement.

His colour selection propelled him to success, and the lamp quickly became popular. When you look at how many Flowerpot lamps are still in use in private and commercial interior design, it isn’t hard to understand why it eventually became known as “the Volkswagen of lighting”.

Flowerpot meets trending colours


The wonderful lamp is available in a variety of beautiful colours, but at Lampmasters, we wanted our own Flowerpot in a colour of our choosing. To realise this goal, we collaborated with &tradition to create our own version of the Flowerpot VP3 Table Lamp and the Flowerpot VP1 Pendant in a modern, dusty green.

The latest addition to the family is the Flowerpot VP9 Portable table lamp, which is also available in Soft Green. The iconic design has been paired with modern technology, and the lamp is now fitted with a built-in LED element and a USB-rechargeable battery. The lamp also has an IP44 rating, so you can bring the portable light out onto the terrace with you.

Choosing a colour is never easy, but after thorough consideration and in-depth research into the current trends in interior design, we settled on a green colour with yellow undertones, inspired by the rolling hills. It looks like a gift from the earth and fits perfectly into our societal interest in selfcare, wellbeing, and reuniting with nature – our desire to bring nature into our homes to create spaces where we can retreat and recharge.

The new lamp adds a touch of personality to your interior design, all the while contributing a light that doesn’t blind, no matter whether you place it in a private or commercial context. The neutral, sophisticated colour cultivates a feeling of peace and quiet, which is easily integrated into Scandinavian décor.

At Lampmasters, we have no doubt that the combination of the calm colour and Verner Panton’s glorious Flowerpot design will become a hit in its own right.

See the gorgeous Flowerpot VP3 Table Lamp in Soft Green here.