In charming spherical silhouettes, the Nelson Bubble Lamps add a touch of softness and luminosity to interiors. The Ball Bubble Pendant is available in three sizes and its perfectly rounded form is attached to a ceiling plate with a 6 foot long cord. The Bubble Lamps were first designed in 1952, when Nelson was impressed by a set of Swedish hanging lamps. Their prohibitive price prompted Nelson to design his own in a way that made them more affordable. The result was a series of lamps with elemental, spherical shapes like a rounded apple, an elongated cigar, and a shapely pear, among others.
A Tale of Ingenuity An influential designer of mid-century modernism in America, George Nelson came across a set of hanging lamps from Sweden and loved everything about their modern aesthetic, except for their extravagant cost. "The Swedish design was done in a silk covering that was very difficult to make; they had to cut gores and sew them onto a wire frame. But I wanted one badly," Nelson wrote in his book, On Design, published in 1979.
Resin Resonates A seemingly unrelated reference soon led to an intuitive idea. He recalled, "It was a picture in the New York Times some weeks before, which showed Liberty ships being mothballed by having the decks covered with netting and then being sprayed with a self-webbing plastic". Nelson located the manufacturer of this resinous plastic and used it in the making of the bubble lamps.
A Luminous Skin The first prototype of the lamp was designed in a matter of two days. Nelson created the spherical frame with perforated rings that were inserted with steel wires, a construction that retained its shape under tension, required minimum tools and no welding costs. It was then sprayed with the resinous lacquer to form a fibrous web, and a final coat of plastic was applied, creating a smooth, translucent skin. And hence Nelson had added lighting installations to his expanding portfolio of work and introduced a beautiful, timeless lighting fixture to consumers at modest prices.
General Dimensions
W:Small 12.75" Medium 19" Large 26.75"
H:Small 12" Medium 15.5" Large 23.5"
Shipping Information
Shipping Options:
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With regular care and maintenance, your Herman Miller furniture will provide years of superior performance and satisfaction. To maintain the finish quality of your Herman Miller product, please follow the cleaning procedures provided below.
The instructions for the care and maintenance of Herman Miller products are provided to you as a service. No warranty is implied since results may vary.
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Plastic Polymer Lamp
Normal cleaning
Use a feather duster, a clean soft white cloth, or vacuum with a clean soft brush attachment as needed. For stubborn stains, clean the surface using a soft clean white absorbent cloth with a solution of mild soap and warm water. Wipe down surfaces with the damp cloth and dry with a clean soft white cloth.
Avoid using glass cleaners, abrasive cleaning compounds, ammonia, or bleach; they may damage the surface of the plastic and result in discoloration. Make sure cleaning materials are free of grit and other foreign materials.
Coated Metal Brushed Nickel Trim
Normal cleaning
Wash coated metal surfaces with a soft cloth soaked in detergent and warm water; rinse thoroughly and dry. Remove scuff marks with pre-softened paste wax, following the instructions on the label. After polishing, apply a pre-softened automotive paste wax to restore original sheen.
Do not use abrasive, acid, alcohol–based, or solvent–based cleaners; they may damage the paint finish.
The Herman Miller Warranty – Our Promise
Products and Warranty Periods
12 years - All products sold under the Herman Miller brand including Aeron chairs; Eames aluminum group chairs, executive chair, soft pad chairs, table universal base, and table segmented base; Embody chairs; Caper chairs; Celle chairs; Claw round and square tables; Envelop desk; Envelope chair; Everywhere tables; Flo monitor support and dual monitor support; Full Round Table; H Frame credenza, coffee table, and side table; I Beam coffee table; Mirra and Mirra 2 chairs; Nelson pedestal table; Renew oval and rectangular sit-to-stand tables (2-year exception noted below); Sayl chairs; Scissor chair; Setu chairs; Sled base credenzas and pedestals; Sled chair; Tablet mount; Tu storage; Tuxedo sofa, bench, museum bench, club chair, ottoman, and settee; Tuxedo Classic club chair, sofa, corner sofa, settee, corner settee; Swoop work table and coffee table are backed by our 12-year warranty, except as limited or described below.
5 years - AGL table; Ardea personal light; Bevel sofa group; Bolster sofa group; Capelli stool; Distil desk and table; Eames chaise, desk units, wire base elliptical table, Hang-It-All, lounge chair and ottoman (except white ash), molded fiberglass chairs and stools, molded plastic chairs and stools, molded plywood coffee table, rectangular coffee table, molded plywood folding screen, molded plywood lounge and dining chairs, molded wood side chairs and stools, sofa compact, storage units, two- and three-seat sofas, walnut stool, wire-base low table, and wire chairs; Flute personal light; Girard color wheel ottoman, environmental enrichment panels, hexagonal table, and splayed leg table; Goetz sofa; Hanging file folder; Nelson basic cabinet series, coconut chair, thin-edge bed, daybed, marshmallow sofa, miniature chests, pedestal stool, platform bench, platform bench cushion, swag leg group, thin edge buffet, thin edge cabinet, thin edge chest, thin edge bedside table, thin edge chest cabinet, thin edge double dresser, x-leg table; Noguchi table and rudder table; Polygon wire table; Thrive cable management clip, Mobile CPU holder, desktop power outlet, HM Connect-S300, keyboard/mouse support, magazine holder, marker/eraser holder, pencil drawer; Tone Personal Light; Twist LED task light; Wireframe sofa, chair, and ottoman; Logic Power Access Solutions; Ode lamps; Swoop lounge chair and ottoman
3 years - Eames aluminum group outdoor, lounge chair and ottoman in white ash, table outdoor, and wire base low table outdoor; Nelson pedestal table outdoor
2 year - Renew Sit-to-Stand tables power leg access option
1 year - Formwork; Nelson bubble lamps
Other Manufacturers' Products
2 years - Magis- and Mattiazzi-branded products are warranted for two years from the date of purchasse by the original purchaser.
What's Covered
Our warranty covers everything—including electrical components, casters, pneumatic cylinders, tilts, and all moving mechanisms. It recognizes the changing nature of work and the need for products that can stand up to continuous use. And it means that when warranty work is performed in the U.S. and Canada, Herman Miller foots the bill.
At Herman Miller, we work for a better world around you. Our products—and our promise to stand behind their quality 100 percent—are designed to improve your environment whether it's an office, hospital, school, home, an entire building, or the world at large.
How to Schedule Service
If you need product service or repair, please contact the Herman Miller dealer, retailer, or our online store where you purchased your product. They will be able to make the final determination whether the issue is specifically covered under the warranty and eligible for replacement or repair.