How the Disco Ball Went From a Nightclub Staple to TikTok’s Latest Decor Obsession
Los Angeles–based artist Rachel Shillander wasn’t initially inspired by disco balls when she debuted the Disco Chair in 2020. Instead it started as “an experiment in anti-materiality.” As she further explains, “Mirror is the anti-material, reflecting the materiality of everything around it, but not having a visual materiality of its own.” Rachel, who also describes herself as the “disco sweetheart of the cosmic rodeo,” was trying to make the chairs disappear into their environment, but when she placed them in the sun she discovered the disco effect in full force. “The chair became an object that was able to talk (or dance) with the sun,” she says.
“I think what we are currently seeing is the evolution of the established genre,” Rachel continues. “Artists and designers are just borrowing it from the nightclub, and putting it in our daily lives and homes.”
Social media, especially TikTok, has accelerated that evolution by giving everyone a platform to show off their interior decor style and DIY hacks, and the disco ball has come along for the ride. While fine art pieces like those from Rotganzen sell for as much as €14,000, those looking for a quick disco fix can purchase a foam and plastic version for as little as $7. “I think it has become a bit oversaturated,” admits Camille Nichelini, cofounder of Resident Objects in Los Angeles. That said, she doesn’t think that means people should stop enjoying disco balls, emphasizing that “just because it’s trendy, that doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing.”
Camille keeps her disco ball hanging from the ceiling after accidentally breaking a few that were rolling untethered around her floor. Aarica also attached hers to the ceiling, accessorizing it with a yellow chain link and color-blocked green and pink hook clips from Lowes. Others have opted for tucking their disco balls into shelves, sitting them in unoccupied chairs, or moving them around to catch the light. As for DIY’ers, small businesses, and Etsy sellers like Mirrors by Lina and Sofiest Designs, they’re going beyond the traditional orb to find expanded possibilities for the tiled mirrors, creating disco-inspired planters, mushrooms, letters, globes, mannequin heads, and more.
In one form or another, disco balls are here to stay, adding a little extra sparkle wherever they go. “It’s kind of like sprinkles on a cake,” concludes Aarica. “It’s not necessary, but it makes it look better.”
