WAS [the newsletter] #11

I’m Paige Wassel. WAS the Newsletter is your weekly dose of design inspiration, coming to you directly from the 50-yard line…UHG……..

(btw…I refuse to learn the rules of football because I am stubborn and against the religion of SPORT but I will eat wings).

A PA(I)GE FROM MY LIFE

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, here’s a paean to what I love:

FLOWERS! If you live in Los Angeles or SF and want a stunnin’ arrangement, I highly recommend ordering from @perryflorals ❤️ She is a talent and also an old/dear friend of mine. You can place an order directly on her site PerryFlorals.com!

A GOOD ASS MASSAGE. Go to the grungiest place in town and get a rub down (lol not like that). I can’t give away where I go as I like to show up ugly and leave even uglier.

TAKEOUT/DELIVERY + A LITTLE FLOWER (that other kind if you know what I mean). Here are some of my top places I like to order from in LA while I lay on my sofa and watch The Bachelor.

Triple Beam Pizza

Sogo Roll Bar

Fat Dragon

Canter’s Deli

Playita Mariscos

Little Kingston Jamaican Restaurant

Could go on..

THIS WEEK’S THRIFTED FINDS – MINNEAPOLIS

If you listen to Miley’s advice—and why wouldn’t you?—you already know you can buy yourself flowers. If you extend her analogy, she’s also saying you can incorporate stunnin’ design in your space without a significant other’s income, thanks to thrifting. (But that’s hard to write into a rhyming lyric.) That’s why I’m shopping in MINNEAPOLIS this week. They have insane thrifting. Here’s the best of what I’m seeing:

Incredible Vintage Set of Danish Teak Side Tables by Henning Nørgaard for Komfort

Vintage Danish Teak Stacking Stool

Amazing Industrial Bar Cart

Walnut Bentwood Chair – attributed to Norman Cherner

Vintage Steelcase Office Chair

^^ to reupholster ^^

You don’t need a lifetime commitment to up your decor; you just need access to a truck for an afternoon.

I’M A LOVER, NOT A HATER

Let’s shake it up today. Instead of sharing design trends that I’d like to see perish in a fire, I’ll tell you how to tweak the biggest trends from the past few years to make them into something enviable. Because I am all about love (kind of).

So, let’s do this and not that:

Patterns, textures, and colors over stupid pillow shapes. Okay, I know you think those little round velvet pillows from West Elm or Anthro seem quirky and fun. What makes them fun is the notion that they’re different. But novelty can take you only so far, and everyone has hopped on this trend. My suggestion is you hit up Etsy for that which is unique. Find interesting patterns and textures in pillow covers, as that’s the most unique and expedient way to up your sofa’s game for the longer haul.
Warm MCM-style wood over shiplap. If you love the look of shiplap, please let’s do it in a natural wood tone. That style will evoke more of a Mid-Century Modern feel over that of a modern farmhouse. Having color and warmth will change the entire mood of the room.
Objects over words. Let’s stop being so literal with what we hang on our walls. You’re more creative than hanging an EAT sign in your kitchen, right? A great way to evoke the same feeling is to hang larger-scale art with an object on it. So many objects are simple to DIY with a big canvas or large sheet of paper. Me, I love chairs, so I took a canvas and painted a chair on it, then I framed it with a frame I found at Goodwill. I hung it behind my couch in Chicago and I got compliments on it every time new people came over. (And how hard would it be to paint a tomato?)
Warm lighting over exposed LED strips. I actually do like LED strips, but not when they’re exposed. They’re not cute. A nice alternative is a can light that you aim at a plant or behind your couch. Another suggestion is a hanging pendant lamp—you don’t even have to hardwire it in. Just use a Command Strip or a hook. Again, if you don’t want to play with electricity, hang matching sconces with the battery-powered bulbs. The benefits to all these alternatives are that they add warmth, they look expensive, and they’re not what everyone else is doing. Win/win/win.
Track curtains over a barn door. When you don’t have room for pocket doors, I understand the appeal of barn doors. But a more sleek, modern alternative is installing a hidden curtain track and neutral pinch-pleat curtains. Track curtains are elegant, sophisticated, and they look expensive, all properties that barn doors do not possess.
Anything over that GD painted arch. People love to paint that arch shape on their walls, especially over a bed. The better alternative here is to paint half the wall a different color. This way, it’s not a weird shape, it adds dimension, and it won’t limit you if you decide to move your bed. Plus, you can top it with a little shelf for displays. If you specifically like the arch because you can’t afford a new headboard, look for a used fabric headboard and recover it yourself with nice fabric. You don’t have to be a seamstress—all you need is a fabric stapler.