WAS [the newsletter] #1

YA KNOW?

Hi, I’m Paige Wassel! I’m assuming you know who I am as you did sign up to now hear my thoughts in writing. Do you really want to hear me talk this much? Well anyways, this is my first WAS (The Newsletter), where taste rules and orange green is the new pink black.

A LITTLE RUN DOWN

I’m a set and prop stylist based in LA. I have a YouTube channel where I let it fly when it comes to how I feel about various home décor trends. Between the two, I’m often asked what my favorite color is. It’s an odd question to ask someone who isn’t seven years old. Or didn’t work at Pantone in 2017.

That said, surprise, it’s green. I love it because green, like black, is actually NEUTRAL. (Even people who hate green accidentally have green in their homes – UGH Fiddle Leaf Fig UGH.)

In my Chicago place which I currently rent out in exchange for California sunshine, I used Sherwin William Garden Path in a couple of rooms, which is a deep, smoky, green that made the rooms feel all foresty, in a Castelvetranro olive kind of way.

If green is your scene, here are some fun as heck ways to use green in your space:

A PA(I)GE FROM MY LIFE

Since this is my first newsletter and maybe you’ve seen me on YouTube, maybe not, thought I’d go exactly where I never ever go and share a little about myself.

I like tomatoes, basil, with a splash of water, olive oil, salt and pepper
I don’t loooove hugs but I do like them from… men… what does this mean?
I love wine and people telling me what wine to drink, hi Canta Club
I’m allergic to coffee
Hobbies include: eating, drinking, laying, sitting, decorating, re-arranging, giggling, performing (for anyone who will watch), first one up to do karaoke (go to song: That’s Amore), constantly talking (actually won’t STFU), walking the reservoir, my iPad, drinking ‘tinis at The Dresden, that is all and nothing else.

Finally spilling a little tea for someone hiding behind the YouTube editing tools that I have yet to master (yes, I know my sound quality is terrible).

THIS WEEK’S THRIFTED FINDS – CHICAGO

Each week I will feature thrifted finds from a city of my choice (one day, it could be you!)

If you want a one-of-a-kind home, you’ll want to find one-of-a-kind pieces. But you don’t have to break the bank to bring home your unique slant on style. This week, I’ve found some stunnin’ stuff right here in my hometown, CHICAGO!

Vintage MCM Steelcase Desk Chair
Vintage Yellow Desk Light
Vintage Art Deco Dental Cabinet
Tulip Table + Chairs
Vintage Armoire
Art Deco Dresser

I’ll say it over and over again—you don’t need wads of cash to improve your space, you just need a discerning eye and caffeine.

HOW NOT TO BE SAD

You know the feeling when you’re crushing it in some aspect of your life? Maybe you’re getting lots of green lights at work, landing new clients. Maybe you’re reaching a personal best at the gym (or just walking the block listening to that same song on repeat thinking about your last situationship that FRIENDZONED YOU). You should be flying high, but the minute you step inside your front door, your happiness evaporates.

When this happens, it’s not that you’re depressed.

You’re not sad, but your house is.

It’s important that the space you live in feels good. So, today we’re talking about your sad, sad home and ways to make it feel less sad. I’m a designer, not a therapist, but if you make some easy, inexpensive changes, your flora just might start to feel fina.

Let’s break down why your home is sad, with an eye toward fixing it:

You don't like your furniture. You could live in a plain, builder-grade house with no architecture or unique features. Yet that won't affect you nearly as much as if you have a terrible sofa or a boring coffee table. One of my favorite and easiest suggestions is that if you don't love your sofa, drape a blanket over the back of it. It immediately changes the look. Hate your coffee table? Camouflage it with interesting stacks of books and tchotchkes. These quick, easy fixes won't cost you a dime.
You don't regularly rearrange your furniture. When you move stuff around, it does something to your brain that makes you feel like you're in a new space in a way without having to buy or do anything. I am constantly talking about THE INTERIOR DESIGN HIGH. Always chasing that high. Better than drugs and alcohol though, right? So if your home is feeling a little blue, Dr. Wassel (lol Dr. Wassel) prescribes you to roll up your sleeves and your rugs, switch the sofa with the chairs, or try a different layout.
You’re not maximizing the little things that give you a dopamine high in your house. For example, I open every single blind and curtain in my house first thing each morning because I need all the light all the time. If it's a nice day, I open every window because I want the fresh air. And every single day, I play music. I wake up in the morning and I put music on immediately. Music is so helpful for gathering the energy to get out of bed to get moving in my day. I said I would never share my playlists because my music taste is, ummm… basic, old, Italian, consists of musicals or anything I know the words to. You may think I’m cool, but I’m actually also BASIQUE.

PLAYLIST: from here to there (my breakup playlist ha)
You don’t make your bed. Do this—make your bed every single day. I don't go a single day without making the bed because it makes the room feel welcoming when I’m ready to hit the hay. When your space feels put together, you become happier and more productive. I don't know the specific science; I just know it works. If you are here to trust me, then TRUST.
You don’t incorporate enough color. Color helps lighten your mood. Even if you aren’t a huge fan of color, you need to incorporate it in art or throw pillows, or at least in a gd fruit bowl. There has to be one moment of color in your life a day—put on a red sweater, drink from a yellow coffee mug, paint your nails chartreuse, but there should be some touch of color somewhere. For your mental health.

Now that you know what makes your home sad, here’s your sad home salvation:

Create spaces for being together as well as being apart. Everyone with an open concept floor plan learned that lesson during the pandemic. Doesn’t matter how social you are, you need a little area to decompress and gather yourself.
Create separate spaces for specific activities. I grew up in the Chicago suburbs and my childhood home had a TV room and a living room. That was so smart because my parents are big readers and they don't watch a ton of TV. They didn’t want to hear the constant drone of what the bratty teens were watching (we wouldn’t have shared the remote anyways), so they created a smaller room for themselves. If I ever have kids, I plan to recreate this because I know I’ll want an area to have my coffee on Saturday mornings and not watch Cocomelon.
Wait, have you heard the music from Gracie’s Corner? I would watch Gracie’s corner if I had kiddies – THE PHONICS SONG
Follow the Tao of Miley and buy yourself flowers. You don’t even have to buy them. Go clip a branch from your tree in your front yard and put it in a vase. Pick a flower from the side of the road (if it's not from someone's yard). When you’re at Trader Joe's, grab some tulips, you can never go wrong with tulips. This small step can elevate your mood and your space.
Buy a rug. If you're going to have a sofa, you should 100% have a rug. Something very plain and simple is just fine. You can even get a jute, as that's always the cheapest way to go. Having a rug is important because it’s the room’s anchor. Texture and coziness on the floor is what you want, and in the words of the Dude, a rug really ties the room together. P.S., the same rule applies to your bedroom. Those are the two rooms where you absolutely need a rug. You’re going to get out of your warm bed and your little feet are going to touch that soft, nice rug and, boom! Your depression is cured.