Nelson Bubble Lamps
An assortment of lights in various spherical silhouettes, the Nelson Bubble Lamps add a touch of softness and luminosity to interiors. Designed by George Nelson in 1952, these elegant fixtures are fashioned from a sturdy, lightweight steel frame yet have a delicate, floating quality, whether in ceiling-hung, floor, table, or wall-mounted variations. Nelson was inspired by a set of silk-covered Swedish hanging lamps that he wanted to acquire for his office, but he found the price to be prohibitive. An ingenious and resourceful designer, he went on to create the first set of Nelson Bubble Lamps using a translucent white plastic spray, a technique developed by the U.S. military at the time. Nelson drew from elemental, organic shapes in making variations like the Apple Bubble Pendant, the Pear Wall Sconce, the Lotus Table Lamp, and the Saucer Pendant Lamp, among others.
George Nelson designed the Bubble Lamp series in 1952, inspired by a set of Swedish silk-covered hanging lamps he admired but couldn't afford. His solution — a translucent plastic polymer skin sprayed over a steel wire armature — became one of the most recognizable lighting forms of the 20th century.
The collection spans nine distinct shapes: Ball, Apple, Pear, Cigar, Propeller, Saucer, Orbit, Roll, and Angled Sphere. Each is a pendant light (hardwired ceiling mount) that produces a soft, warm, shadow-free glow. Most shapes are available in small and medium sizes. The Roll and Angled Sphere were rediscovered from the George Nelson Foundation archives and reintroduced in 2018.
GRShop carries Herman Miller in Canada. Several shapes are on display in our Victoria showroom. We can assist with sizing, mounting height, and electrical requirements — contact us if you're unsure which shape or size fits your space.