Did you ever see an object, and realize it’s been waiting to be found? For me, that’s the disco ball at the Hotel Jane.
The ballroom at the Jane is Studio 54 meets Miss Havisham… in Buenos Aires. And the centerpiece is my beloved — a ponderous disco ball doing its best Death Star imitation. Age spots, rows of missing tiles, you could practically hear it creaking as it swayed from the rafters.
I could feel decades of reflected confetti, and spilled drinks, dashed hopes, and and hundreds of tiny dancers shimmering on its surface. Here was my entire aesthetic in a single object — Celebratory Decay.
I’d like to go in and reclaim it, as we were obviously lovers in a former life, but jail time would impede my ability to enjoy the new bedroom. So for now I’m going to try to recreate it. The precious.
Admittedly, I have no idea how to start. Is a giant disco ball too heavy for San Francisco ceilings the inevitable earthquake waiting? How do you antique a disco ball? Ideas? Just soak it in gin and the tears of NYC debutantes for a few weeks?
I’m all ears if you happen to be a disco ball expert (and if there’s a certification for that, I’ve been living my life wrong).
In the meantime I’ll keep you posted on our follies as they unfold. You send the NY debs my way. Cigarillos on me, girls.
Photo by Brandon Blattner
Miss Havisham is my favorite literary character. Ever.
I think “antiqued disco ball” could be the mic drop of the DIY world.
^ Agreed.
If you can get the loose tiles, I imagine that scuffing up their backs with a nail file then soaking or brushing them in acetone may patina the backs so they look aged from the front. Then maybe a pewter stain on the back? I believe you’ve got some experimenting to do. :-)
I’m a preschool teacher, and we have a disco ball that we use to explore light and reflection. It’s a giant Styrofoam ball with tiny mirrors glued all over it. That would certainly not be too heavy, but when the mirrors fall off, you see white Styrofoam. That is not the aesthetic you are going for. :(
^ I was going to suggest the same type of thing. The tiles falling off would help with the aged look. Maybe a coat of spray paint on the ball prior to the application of the tiles could help take care of the styrofoam glaring through?
Paint, perhaps, but regular spray paint will melt Styrofoam. I think acrylic paints might work?
Maybe instead of Styrofoam, paper mache?
A paper mache base sounds like a really good light-weight solution!
As for the mirror tiles, Apartment Therapy has a *great* mirror-aging DIY – http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-create-a-4-127227
I’m not a big crafter, myself–there may be other methods that are less idiot-proof but even more impressive.
Although I never officially debuted, I’ll come cry over your disco ball anytime!
Also, a design, carpenter, jack of all trades friend of mine has serious experiencere re-purposing discoballs. He might be able to give you some advice – http://made-in-chinatown.com/post/3971055986/i-won-this-by-submitting-this-to-this-contest