I’m Paige Wassel. WAS the Newsletter is your weekly dose of design inspiration, thirty and flirty and thriving…….bishes.

Today we’re doing a retrospective of my home updates. I’m sort of in my feels watching this back because it’s a little surreal to see where I was and how far I’ve come. Am I less bloated? No. Am I happier? Yes.

Here’s the thing—design doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It’s part and parcel of where you are in your life. In the beginning of this series, I was going through SHIT and my style was, well, in progress. Join me on the video evolution of where I was to where I am.

If you want a good binge, watching these in order is prettttyyyy dang fun. Here is a link to the full “Home Update” series itself if you are looking to bed rot.

I move into my new LA place with (almost) nothing but a roll of tape to mark off where my furniture will eventually live and a camera to record my progress.

My reupholstered sofa from the first video has arrived! But the whole house is still empty. I don’t love living in a place that’s so sparse, but it’s proof of concept that it’s worth it to wait to buy pieces I’ll really love. And if that doesn’t work, finding filler pieces to eventually resell.

We’re still pretty bare, but my newly reupholstered chairs have arrived. Spoiler alert: they don’t last long, because I decide I want another couch instead. Here’s a good example of practicing what I preach, reselling and replacing with something else up-cycled. (P.S. Don’t get too attached to the barstools, either.)

I find the perfect-fit outdoor table to nestle under the avocado and orange trees in my tiny yard. Then I sand it… and eventually sell it. (Are you sensing a theme?) I’ll have the big reveal of the new table this Sunday.

My new MCM wall unit arrives, which I buy from someone who contacts me on Instagram. And the new barstools (set #2) arrive and I love them. The place is starting to come together. Kind of.

I demonstrate how to reupholster my outdoor chairs and I install a vertical garden. (Don’t get too attached to the plants, though. RIP, and sorry I don’t have a green thumb.)

I find an ottoman and reupholster it myself. It’s starting to look more like a home in here, but I’m still on the hunt for more. I don’t think I love the ottoman at first, but it does grow on me.

This is a behind-the-scenes peek at growing my small business as I launch my WAS pillow line with Kate. Also, I find a rug that really ties the room together. (For now.) And I realize the bedroom needs work.

Kate and I build a bedframe… wrong, every step of the way. The big stress isn’t even caught on film, which was moving in the armoire, which wouldn’t have happened if it were even a single inch larger. Now, thoughts turn to art.

Your first look at us styling Kate’s new home, plus I sell the chairs, reupholster a second couch, and launch a line of tote bags. I’m exhausted. Thought I was experiencing burn out.. come to find I HAD MONO.

The upholstered couch reveal, along with prototypes on shower curtains and tote bags. But the real hot goss is me spilling secrets on my new dating life. Idk what sparked that but hey.

I debut the bathroom paint job, which makes me dislike the vanity mirror. The vibe is off. I repaint it, which causes more controversy than expected. The big reveal is the new bangs. I don’t know how I feel about them, but I do like the celebrity doppelganger comparison.

I move a little Craftsman desk to the bedroom and find an IKEA bedside table. There’s some existential angst about burnout in here, too. (P.S. I knit now, well kinda.) (And don’t get too attached to the Craftsman desk.)

Mono diagnosis revealed. I guess that’s why I’ve been exhausted. I also restyle my bedroom, hit the fabric mart, and make my own curtains. Also, STRESS.

I realize some of the stuff I bought in the beginning was too influenced by my old style and I wasn’t feeling it. So I come full circle… with new barstools (set #3), a new shower curtain, a possible new rug, and more. Sunrise, sunset.

Make sure to check out the new video on Sunday where I’ll replace the rug and the outdoor table! Remember, style isn’t static. Design is an ever-changing cycle, so thanks for hanging out with me as I continue to evolve.

KATE’S PAINT COLOR OF THE WEEK

Benjamin Moore: Garland Green

Finish: Any

Room Light Level: Bright

xx,
P