Discarded nitrous oxide canisters are collected from the streets of London for this product. Traditionally part of the catering industry, and more recently consumed a semi legal high, they are a common sight scattered across urban parks, gutters and pavements outside nightclubs.

“I've been seeing these canisters littering the streets for ages as I cycle around London and thought it was an incredible waste of a beautifully engineered single-use component. Then the idea for a chandelier came from fellow designer Rupert Matthews some time ago and this bubbled away in the back of my mind until last summer. There was a BBC news article about the clear up after Brighton Pride where over 150 sacks of them were retrieved from the beach. We seemed to have reached ‘peak laughing gas’. It seemed a fitting project that I design and develop something beautiful and luxurious. A celebration of the illicit.”

Each NOS SPHERE 228 chandelier uses 228 of these recycled canisters, which are machined, threaded, polished and assembled by hand. They are then given a second life in a chandelier of dancing light. At a glance, the effect is a cloud of pristine mirror finish jewels, but look closely and you can see fine scratches or surface blemishes; subtle evidence of their recycled origins and a textural fingerprint.

The canisters have a ready made droplet shape that lends itself to a hanging sculpture. The reflective surface provides a mirror ball quality that plays to the strengths of the canister. The large perfect sphere has just the right amount of scale and “difficult” about it to produce a valuable, luxurious feeling final piece which is a nice contrast to what is a discarded item found in the gutter. A single narrow-focus recessed LED spotlight was chosen to illuminate the chandelier providing some drama and ensuring a dappled silhouette below it, magnifying any subtle movement.

There are currently two sizes; the NOS SPHERE 228, which has 228 canisters, and the NOS SPHERE 348 which with 348 canisters is nearly twice the size. The standard canister finish is polished zinc, however special finishes are available on request such as polished gold plate for really luxurious environments. Commissions are also undertaken.

Ceiling fixing design will vary depending on the requirement for slab or suspended ceiling types. Assembly is carried out on site.

NOS SPHERE 228 Specification

Diameter - 370mm
Drop height - typically 700-900mm but tailored to location
Light source - 10w, dimmable, narrow beam LED spot light

NOS SPHERE 348 Specification

Diameter - 450mm
Drop height - typically 800-1000mm but tailored to location
Light source - 10w, dimmable, narrow beam LED spot light

Other sizes and finishes available on request. Bespoke projects can also be undertaken.
Prices available on request and are subject to ceiling type, drop height, finish and ease of access. Excludes electrical work.

Design: Matthew Kavanagh

Order one here

Making shots

We’re very pleased to see NOS SPHERE and Matthew Kavanagh featured in the Financial Times.