ICONIC MONDAY....GUEST POST...GEORGE NELSON BUBBLE LAMP...

Today's Iconic Monday post is brought to you by my good friend and fellow blogger, Kelly James from Jax Does Design.   Thanks so much Kelly for stepping in while I'm away!

The George Nelson Bubble Lamp is probably the most iconic lamp in the history of modern design. Created by George Nelson for Howard Miller in 1947, the Bubble Lamp is still as popular today as it was over half a century ago.

Photo by Douglas Friedman
Image from Douglas Friedman Photographer

The design for Nelson’s bubble lamp was was inspired by a silk covered lamp. When he saw the price tag {a whopping $125), Nelson decided  he could make his own lamp for a lot less money – just like any good DIYer :-) And he did! The original Bubble Lamps were made from a self-webbing plastic that was originally used in the military. It was easy to produce, and created durable lamps that were very similar to paper lanterns and gave warm, even light. And priced from $14.75 to $90 when they went on the market in 1952, they were much more affordable than the silk variety.

The Bubble Lamp comes in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. These are a couple of pages from a vintage catalogue circa 1968 (via atomicpear’s photostream on Flickr).

Bubble Lamps have always been made by hand at the Bubble Lamp Factory in rural Michigan. In 2000, Modernica took over production from Howard Miller. But the process is still the same – first, pieces of wire are bent and attached to a ring one at a time. {Images from the Modernica blog}


A completed frame.

Then multiple layers of vinyl are sprayed onto the frame.

And voila, a completed Bubble Lamp!

The completed lamps are hung to dry and cure.

* To read more about how Bubble Lamps are made and to see more pictures, check out the Modernica blog *

Over time, the white vinyl acquires a yellow patina.

Image via The City Sage

Bubble Lamps truly are timeless. Here’s a Saucer Bubble Lamp hanging above the dining table in a 1953 ad for Republic Steel Kitchens:

Image via Mid Century Home Style

And here it is in a dining room today:

Image via Rex Kelly mid century via Plush Palate

A pair of Saucer Bubble Lamps are as much at home in this blue & orange mid century modern bedroom…

Image via retro renovation

…as these Cigar Wall Sconces are in this breezy beach bungalow.

Architect, Glenn Keyes Architects | Designer and home owner, Amelia T. Handegan
Image via Architectural Digest

A Round Bubble Lamp then…

Image via myspace

…and now…

Designer Charles Mellersh Design Studio | Photographer Chris Tubbs
Image via Remodelista

Image via House Beautiful

There’s a really interesting story about the Opdhal Residence, the home of Joyce and Richard Opdhal and this Round Bubble Lamp. {Click here to check it out}

Architects Edward Killingsworth | Photo by Catherine Ledner
Image via dwell

And one last Bubble Lamp in yet another shape:

Homeowners Brian Sevy and Michael Richardson | Designer Michael Richardson | Photographer Ivan Hunter Photography | Image via Style At Home

And if that’s not enough Bubble Lamps for one day, I just finished creating my own version of a bubble light. Head over to JAX does design to check it out!

Thanks to Lisa for having me as a guest poster today. It was a great learning experience for me, because I really didn’t know much about George Nelson Bubble Lamps before. Hope you learned a little something from my post too :-)