This Retro Decor Item Just Might Be the Key to a Lighter, Brighter, and Happier Space
Disco balls lit up dance floors back in the ’70s, but now they’ve since made their way into people’s homes as both decorative and functional objects. These five ideas from recent homes featured on Apartment Therapy will help you get creative with a disco ball at home, so you can add a little sparkle and shine to any corner or spot that needs it.
Liven up your living room
In a recent house tour, furniture seller Allie Launius shared her vintage-filled Texas home, which has more than one disco ball on display. Her living room is where this decorative object really shines though, and that’s due in large part to all the natural light flooding into the space. Disco balls are made from tiny reflective bits of mirror, so the simple placement of one on Launius’ hand chair allows it to capitalize on the incoming sunshine, bouncing tons of fun little light beams all over the room.
Bring a little party to your planter
Writer Madeline Diamond added a disco ball to her bathroom and to her kitchen, and she’s super happy about it. For the kitchen specifically, she added disco tiles to a glass bowl to DIY the perfect little planter with a party vibe. The fun thing about this kind of piece is you can move it anywhere that needs a little extra oomph. “Your decor will be that much groovier for it,” Diamond says. “I promise you’ll smile every time you see it.”
Give you bathroom a boost
Christine Knoerr has a beautiful brick home in Chicago filled with plants and tons of natural light. Of all the rooms in Knoerr’s home, she says the bathroom is definitely her favorite because of the plants, skylight, and — you guessed it! — a disco ball. “There are a few months where the sun hits it just right, and the whole room lights up,” she says. Sure, this may be one of the more traditional ways of displaying a disco ball, but you’re sure to get the full magic happening here as the ball moves ever so slightly, even if it doesn’t fully spin.
Sparkly statement pieces
You think hanging one disco ball looks cool? Try hanging eight of them! Galenya Krajewski considers herself a “sentimental maximalist” and has packed as much joy as possible into her 800-square-foot home in Australia. In her bathroom, instead of a traditional overhead light fixture, she’s hung (at least!) eight different sized disco balls. This treatment makes for a very sparkly statement that’s heightened by the mirror, which reflects each of the balls.
Diversify your decorative accessories
Decorating your bookshelf of media console can be fun but also a little challenging, since there are only so many types of things that fit on shelves. If you’re out of books, vases, and flowers for a given surface, try adding a disco ball to the mix. Even though her cool Dublin home features more of a “glam rock” style, interior designer Lisa Marconi makes a great case for using disco balls as tchotchkes, letting one provide a shiny contrast to the older wooden sideboard it’s sitting on.