Design Icon: The George Nelson Bubble Lamp
The George Nelson Bubble Lamps, first designed in 1947, mark a pivotal moment in design history. Combining sculptural beauty and practical utility, this revolutionary designer altered the trajectory of lighting design by reimagining conventional forms in a modern way.
George Nelson (1908–1986) was an American designer, architect, writer and visionary who powerfully influenced mid-century design and American modernism. After graduating in architecture and fine arts from Yale in 1931, Nelson travelled across Europe, where he was profoundly inspired by leading figures in the modernist movement. It was this movement that shaped his design philosophy from thereon in.
Upon his return to the United States, and with few architectural projects to be involved with, he instead took on product, graphic and interior design.
It was during his tenure as Director of Design at Herman Miller, the esteemed American furniture company, that Nelson began to develop the ground-breaking bubble pendants in the late 1940s, changing the landscape of modern lighting forever.
The Nelson Bubble Lamps: The Form
These iconic bubble pendants represent George Nelson’s enduring legacy with a functional design that speaks to both intellect and imagination.
But it wasn’t just this aesthetic that continues to shape the design world, it was the innovation behind it.
Nelson found inspiration for his pendants from a set of silk-covered Swedish hanging lamps he wanted for his office.
After he discovered such traditional materials were unaffordable and scarce at the time, he turned to a new plastic polymer, developed by the US military, which could be sprayed onto a steel wire frame.
This translucent white spray technique created a smooth surface that looked like silk but was far more durable, lightweight and affordable.
The result was beautiful, sculptural lighting forms that drew from the simplicity of elemental, organic shapes. They married form, and function, bolstered by a joyous post-war optimism, that innovation could overcome limitations.
“Good design, like good society, must be the product of innumerable acts of consideration.”
George Nelson, How to See: A Guide to Reading Our Man-Made Environment
Inspired by the clean lines of geometric shapes and symmetry, Nelson designed the pendant shapes to serve both an aesthetic and practical purpose, reflecting the modernist ideals of the mid-20th century.
Emphasised in this movement were simplicity, functionality and the strong belief that good design should be accessible, timeless and applicable to everyday life. The practical needs of life and living stood firmly next to the desire to create lighting of beauty and thus, the bubble pendants took their form.
Bubble Lighting Pendants: The Function
The geometric, symmetrical form of a George Nelson pendant lamp makes them perfect for sitting rooms and bedrooms. The smooth translucent material and the fully enclosed design ensures each lamp gives off a soft glow; diffusing light evenly in your home, all without glare.
The clean, organic shapes of the pendant lights are ideal for pared-down Scandinavian interiors, bringing warmth to minimalist spaces, without an overpowering presence.
When looking at one of the most popular designs, the Nelson Ball Bubble Pendant Light, this pendant offers mains dimming so you may control the brightness of the light to suit your mood or task.
Choose from bright and functional to softer, ambient hues at a touch and witness the pendants transform into glowing sculptural orbs when dimmed down. They serve not only lights but artistic and architectural pieces to observe and enjoy, just as their designer intended.
The variety of shapes in the bubble pendant collection offers a form for nearly all interior styles, from mid-century modern to minimalist, spanning taste, aesthetic and time.
The Nelson Bubble Lamps Legacy by HAY
There is no doubt that the Nelson bubble lamps are design classics, still being manufactured and sold with unceasing popularity to this day.
At Holloways of Ludlow, we pride ourselves on working with HAY, the manufacturers of the bubble pendants who fastidiously use the original production equipment, techniques and materials to craft them as originally intended.
HAY is committed to preserving the vision of George Nelson, making them as relevant and revered today as when they were first introduced all those decades ago.
Our timeless selection of Bubble Lamps spans the most popular Saucer and Ball shapes as well as the Pear, Cigar, Lantern and beyond.
So, whatever your space, consider owning a part of design history — a functional piece of modernist art to own and observe time and time again.
