The Style Guide · 70s Retro & Disco
Groovy 70s Glam Maximalism: How to Get Roscoe's Disco Look
Step into Roscoe's world, where every surface catches the light and 1977 never ended.
What is Groovy 70s Glam Maximalism?
Groovy 70s Glam Maximalism is disco's living room cousin, a style that treats every day like Saturday night at Studio 54. This is maximalism through the lens of the late 1970s, when excess wasn't just accepted, it was expected. Roscoe embodies this philosophy completely: if a surface doesn't reflect, refract, or shimmer, it simply doesn't earn its place. The look layers jewel-toned velvets with chrome, lucite, and mirror finishes until the room itself becomes a light show. It's tactile, theatrical, and unapologetically indulgent.
This aesthetic emerged from the collision of several 1970s design movements: the tail end of Space Age futurism, the opulence of Hollywood Regency, and the hedonistic energy of disco culture itself. Designers like Vladimir Kagan and manufacturers like Pace Collection were creating furniture that looked like it belonged on a spaceship or in a nightclub, often both. The era's obsession with new materials, particularly plastics, acrylics, and metallics, gave birth to furniture that seemed to defy gravity. Meanwhile, disco clubs were teaching a generation that more light, more shine, and more drama was always the right answer.
People are drawn to Roscoe now because this style offers permission to be joyfully, gloriously extra. In a world of beige minimalism and safe neutrals, Groovy 70s Glam says your home can be a party. It's also surprisingly livable: those deep velvet sofas are incredibly comfortable, chrome and lucite read as timeless rather than trendy, and the emphasis on mood lighting means your space always feels intentional. This isn't a museum to the 70s, it's a love letter to the idea that your home should make you feel like the most interesting person at the party.
The signatures
- Aubergine and plum velvets as the foundational texture
- Chrome, mirror, and lucite reflecting light from every angle
- Curved, low-slung furniture with Space Age silhouettes
- Layered lighting that creates constant shimmer and glow
- Geometric patterns in high contrast, especially op-art
- Pops of tangerine and gold that catch like spotlights
Anatomy of the look
Color & Paint
Roscoe's walls wear aubergine like a velvet smoking jacket, deep enough to make everything else pop but never reading as black. This isn't a timid accent wall situation—commit to wrapping the room in this jewel tone. The color creates instant intimacy and makes chrome and mirror finishes absolutely sing. One wall might go even darker, almost black-plum, to create depth.
Walls & Pattern
Pattern here is geometric, high-contrast, and slightly psychedelic. Think op-art stripes, oversized geometric wallpaper in metallics, or even a mirrored tile accent wall that multiplies the light. Roscoe loves pattern that plays with perception, that makes you look twice. If wallpaper feels like too much commitment, large-scale art with geometric patterns in gold, chrome, and aubergine tones achieves the same effect.
Furniture & Shapes
The furniture is all curves and low profiles, nothing stiff or traditional. We're talking semi-circular sofas, tulip-base side tables, and anything that looks like it might levitate. Chrome frames, lucite legs, and sculptural silhouettes are essential. Every piece should feel a little futuristic, a little space-age, even if it's deeply rooted in 1970s design vocabulary.
Textiles
Velvet is the hero textile, appearing on sofas, cushions, and even curtains, always in those deep jewel tones. But Roscoe also loves a shag rug in cream or taupe to ground all that shine, and metallic throws or pillows in gold lamé or silver lurex. Texture contrast is key: the matte depth of velvet against the cold smoothness of chrome, the softness of shag against hard lucite edges.
Lighting
Lighting in Roscoe's world is layered, dramatic, and always a little theatrical. Arc floor lamps with chrome finishes provide ambient light while making sculptural statements. Table lamps with smoked glass or geometric bases add pools of warm glow. And of course, there's always a disco ball or two, catching and scattering light like a permanent party.
Collections & Accessories
Accessories are all about shine and geometry: chrome sculptures, lucite obelisks, vintage bar carts loaded with glassware. Roscoe collects things that catch light, vintage sunburst mirrors, faceted crystal pieces, even metallic ceramic vases. Every accessory should feel a little bit like jewelry for the room, adding another layer of shimmer and visual interest.
Plants & Flowers
Plants here are architectural and dramatic: a large bird of paradise in a chrome planter, a fiddle leaf fig in a gold-finished pot, or even dried pampas grass in a lucite vase. Roscoe isn't precious about greenery, he wants statement-making shapes that add to the room's sculptural quality. Fresh flowers lean toward dramatic blooms like protea or anthuriums in bold, saturated colors.
The recipe
The Roscoe Formula
- 160% deep aubergine velvet as your base, on major upholstery and walls
- 230% reflective surfaces in chrome, mirror, and lucite to multiply light
- 310% hot accent pops in tangerine and gold lamé for disco energy
- 4Layer at least three light sources per room, all on dimmers for mood control
Paint picks
Velvet Rope #4B2E5A
Main wall color throughout, creates the signature jewel-box effect
Liquid Chrome #C0C0C0
Trim, ceiling details, or one accent wall in high-gloss for maximum reflection
Disco Fever #FF7A3D
Inside of bookshelves, back of a bar area, or bathroom vanity for a surprise pop
Champagne Supernova #E8B84B
Ceiling in a powder room or as metallic accents on door frames and molding
Room by room
Living Room
This is Roscoe's natural habitat. Anchor with a curved velvet sofa in aubergine, add a lucite coffee table to keep sightlines open, and layer in chrome floor lamps and a disco ball. Keep one wall slightly lighter or add a large mirror to prevent the deep colors from feeling too enclosed.
Bedroom
A velvet upholstered bed in plum becomes the focal point, flanked by mirrored or chrome nightstands. Keep bedding in lighter tones, cream or champagne with metallic threads, so the room feels restful rather than overwhelming. A small chandelier with faceted crystals adds that essential shimmer without harsh overhead light.
Kitchen & Dining
In the dining area, chrome or lucite dining chairs around a glass table keep things airy while staying on theme. Add a gold bar cart, velvet seat cushions, and a statement pendant light with geometric shapes. The kitchen itself might keep cabinetry neutral but add aubergine tile backsplash and gold hardware for Roscoe-approved glamour.
Bathroom
Go bold with aubergine walls, then add a large lit mirror with chrome frame and gold fixtures. A small disco ball hung in the shower or near the tub adds playful shimmer. Plush purple towels and a shag bath mat in cream complete the look without overwhelming a smaller space.
Small Spaces & Rentals
Focus on removable elements: velvet throw pillows, a chrome floor lamp, a large mirror propped against the wall, and metallic accessories. Use peel-and-stick metallic wallpaper on one wall or inside a bookshelf. The key is creating pockets of shimmer rather than committing every surface.
Get it on any budget
Under $200
Under $500
Splurge
Renter-friendly
- Use freestanding chrome or gold floor mirrors instead of installing mirrored tiles, they create the same light-multiplying effect and move with you
- Opt for peel-and-stick metallic or geometric wallpaper on one accent wall or inside open shelving for removable impact
- Invest in statement lighting like chrome floor lamps and plug-in pendant lights rather than replacing fixed fixtures
- Layer velvet and metallic textiles heavily through pillows, throws, and curtains to transform the space without touching walls or floors
Easy to avoid
- Using too many different metallics without a dominant one, pick chrome as your main and let gold be the accent, or vice versa
- Forgetting to add lighter elements, all that aubergine and chrome needs cream, taupe, or champagne tones to breathe
- Skipping the dimmer switches, this style lives and dies by mood lighting, harsh overhead light kills the magic instantly
- Being timid with the velvet, one velvet pillow won't cut it, you need substantial velvet upholstery to anchor the look properly
FAQ
How do I do 70s glam without it looking like a costume?
The key is restraint in your color palette even while being bold in texture and shine. Stick to aubergine, chrome, and one or two accent colors rather than using every 70s color at once. Invest in quality pieces with clean lines rather than anything too literally retro or novelty. The goal is capturing the era's glamorous spirit, not recreating a period room.
Can I mix 70s glam with other styles?
Absolutely, Roscoe plays well with Art Deco, Hollywood Regency, and even contemporary minimalism. The chrome and lucite elements are surprisingly timeless and blend with modern pieces. Just keep your color story consistent, those jewel tones and metallics can anchor pieces from different eras as long as they share that sense of luxury and shine.
Is velvet practical for everyday living?
Modern performance velvets are remarkably durable and easy to clean, far more practical than their vintage counterparts. Look for velvet labeled as performance or stain-resistant, which can handle spills and daily use. The pile actually hides minor wear better than flat-weave fabrics. Just avoid velvet in very high-traffic areas or homes with pets who shed heavily, where the texture can trap hair.
How much mirror is too much mirror?
If you're feeling dizzy or can't find a place to rest your eyes, you've gone too far. Generally, one large mirror per wall maximum, and never place mirrors directly opposite each other creating an infinity effect unless that's specifically what you want. Mix mirrored surfaces with matte velvet and solid walls to create balance. The goal is strategic shimmer, not a funhouse.
What if I can't paint my walls aubergine?
Bring the color in through large-scale upholstery, heavy velvet curtains that cover most of the wall, or large pieces of art with deep purple tones. A large area rug in aubergine or plum can also anchor the palette. You can even use temporary wallpaper on one wall or create a fabric wall hanging. The key is getting enough of that jewel tone into the space to set the mood, regardless of the actual wall color.
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