In 1947, Nelson was inspired by a white spherical lamp that he saw in his travels. However, this lamp that he desired was made in Sweden, covered in stretched silk, and was too expensive for him to buy and too difficult to reproduce. That is why he decided to design his own light instead. Recalling a newspaper photo of sailing ships being sprayed with a special lacquer for protection in storage, he gained inspiration for an affordable and durable material for his lamps. Within several days, he made a deal with the manufacturer of the spray and created his first bubble lamp prototype.
Aside from this unconventional material, Nelson created a spherical metal cage that would hold its shape under tension. In the end, the lamp required few tools, no welding costs, and an affordable layer of the spray lacquer and a thin layer of plastic. With that, the George Nelson Bubble Lamp became an affordable, easy to produce fixture that was unlike any other.