WAS [the newsletter] #34

The Big Reveal

I’m Paige Wassel. WAS the Newsletter is your weekly dose of design inspiration, served on a silver platter.

I’m super excited to do Basma’s bedroom reveal in the second episode of Let Me Decorate Your Home. I love the results, but more important, so did she. And I’m glad that she pushed me outside of my comfort zone with blue. (Who knew I liked blue?)

The biggest lesson I learned from this experience—other than to measure twice—is that you guys want more Basma. I don’t blame you; she’s pretty great. So I did a quick interview with her and here’s what she had to say:

Tell us about where you're from and how that influenced your design style (within interiors, fashion, etc.)

I’m from Jeddah, a Saudi Arabian city by the Red Sea where I was born and raised. I do think the Middle East in general has influenced my design and fashion style in its patterns and colors. With my love for big chunky silver jewelry, patterns in design, and embroidery that would remind me of our traditional clothing, and in general a pull towards an eclectic design and a colorful palette.

Who influences or what influences your taste the most?

My mom, grandma, and my uncle are my biggest influences. Growing up, my mom was very big on interior design and fashion. Her style in interiors was eclectic; she gravitated towards patterns, florals, wallpaper, and art. She was always redesigning, reupholstering, and updating our home. To this day, she influences me so much and she’s why I’m all about using warm lighting. She definitely taught me that, as well as my fashion style. My grandma was and still is a fashion icon and a Chanel bag queen!

My uncle is an interior designer. His style is very much European, but he mixes Middle Eastern influences into it. For example, he made these beautiful pillows, fabrics, and wallpaper, as well as drums with Arabic calligraphy on them. He also curates vintage wallpaper and furniture in the Middle East and Saudi. He’s also why I love maximalism, color, mixing patterns, and vintage furniture/art/design.

Describe your music taste. You helped pick the music in this series. People loved it. Can they follow you on Spotify?

I actually had a hard time answering this question and had to ask my friend for help, haha. He described my taste as “cinematic, atmospheric, sensual, wide-ranging, and rooted in texture and feeling. It sets a mood.” I’d say I gravitate toward synth, IDM, ambient, lo-fi, 4th world, jazz fusion, French, electro, underground. I like floaty music and techno—minimal, groovy, and chill. Not going to lie, I listen to almost everything but country and pop. I would love for people to find me on Spotify. I’m always creating playlists.

What did you enjoy most about designing your room?

I loved collaborating with you guys and bouncing ideas off each other. I discovered that I really love doing this and I want to do this in the future. I loved watching you guys in your element and I learned so much from you. It’s easy to get stuck in a comfort zone and you pulled me out of it.

What items in your room mean the most to you?

I think the sentimental things because I’m a softie. I love the pictures of my grandma, postcards from my friends, trinkets from my travels, and my jewelry collection because a lot of them are pieces from my family. I love the checkers game you gave me. Obviously, the blinds mean a lot to me now. The piece that everyone has been asking about is the Amelie poster. I’m a big fan of Japanese culture, and this is one of my favorite films so I thought it would be cool to find the poster in Japanese. I found it (I think on Etsy) when I googled “Japanese Amelie movie poster.”

What are you most passionate about? Design? Books? Films? People? Places?

I am passionate about all these things! I am passionate about beauty, stories, people, cultures, just life. I love design. I love being inspired by people’s faces, by people’s stories, by everything around us. I love films, especially arthouse films and foreign films. I’m passionate about going to new places and relating and learning from people from different cultures. I connect with art—creating new art, seeing people’s creations, what they’re making and what inspires them. And I love books, especially magical realism.

Tell us about your art you have been working on! Where can people buy it? Can people follow your art insta? What was your process?

Well, it all started because you commissioned me for a painting, which was based on a selection from a pool of drawings from my daily sketches “do don’t” that I’ve been working on to consistently draw every day. You picked a couple that you liked and then I painted the ones you didn’t pick as well. I made them into bigger scale paintings and brought them to life with lots of colors. Yes! Please do follow my art on Instagram or on my art account or website.

Will people see more of your space on Check Out This F***ing Home?

Yes, they will! I think people were under the impression that I live with roommates, but I do not. They will see the rest of my apartment and I feel very vulnerable that they will see the rest of my apartment without the help of my friends, but I’m excited. [Paige here and I’m promising everyone is going to love it.]