WAS [the newsletter] #21

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I’m Paige Wassel. WAS the Newsletter is your weekly dose of design inspiration, now served legally in all 50 states.

You’re always telling me you love when I share finds, so I have a special list for you today… well kinda. It’s Amazon. I know. Look at it this way.. you don’t have to fight your fellow tastemakers for the stunning MCM sideboard on Facebook Marketplace in Charleston. It’s about the little things this week. The easy way out. Anyways, here’s a short list of everything I currently dig, and these items are just a click away for all:

PORTABLE RICE COOKER

I make rice every Sunday. Rice Sunday’s. It doesn’t quite roll of the tongue but ROLL WITH IT!! I don’t know how anyone makes rice without a rice cooker, frankly. (I bet they have a lot of burnt pans.) I love this little guy because it makes a meal for 1, well, maybe 2. It’s also cute, tiny, and there is a panda on it.

IVORY TAPER CANDLES

If you don’t fill your home with smokeless, dripless beeswax candles, do you even understand how to design a lighting concept? Everything and everyone looks better in candlelight. Have a pimple? Turn off the lights. Burn a candle.

CANDLE LANTERNS

I live in earthquake country, so it’s smart to always have emergency candles on hand. It’s even smarter to have spare mini candle baby boys on hand that I can wrap in a bow and gift to someone for a small get together in their backyard.

SLIM LAUNDRY BASKET

My closet is small. Is your closet small? If so, this thing is HANDY.

HAIR CLIPS

Sometimes I don’t feel like having bangs. When that’s the case, I clip them back with these. Also, tortoise shell looks good in everyone’s hair.

JACQUARD DYE

Lately I’ve been buying multiples of the same white shirt and then using this product to dye them fun colors. I can’t speak to the cold water chemistry that makes them work, I just know that I love the results and that is enough. Also, no one’s mad when a great product is made in the USA.

SCRUNCHIES

Big fan of a scrunchie. That is all.

MOVIN’ ON UP

Spring is a major transition time for so many of us. Maybe you’re graduating from college and getting your first place in the city. Maybe you’re graduating from that first post-college apartment into your first condo. Maybe you’re graduating into your first home. Circle of life and all.

In each circumstance, now is the perfect time to transition away from the cheaper decor you’ve held onto out of necessity. So, here are a few quick and inexpensive ways to upgrade your new space:

Buy One Size Bigger Bed Covering. If you have a twin bed, buy a full-size duvet. If you’ve got a queen comforter, buy a king. Unless you have a really stunning bed frame—which no one does when they’re starting out—everything looks better with more covering. Let the sides of the bedding elegantly drape down, especially if you’re still using cinderblocks to prop up your frame. (No judgement.)
But Maybe Don’t Have Cinderblocks. Listen, the minute you get your mattress off the floor, you’re considered an adult. Congratulations! If you want to do this without spending a mint on an investment piece of furniture, buy a cheap frame from Amazon and thrift a great headboard. It’s easy to swap out and upgrade headboards if you get bored with what you have, too.
Start Collecting Vintage Art Now. I didn’t do this until my senior year of college, but I still use and love the pieces I bought back then. I affixed them to the wall with Command Strips, so I could always rearrange them without making a million security-deposit-killing holes. Plus, they’ll look great wherever you’ll live.
Just Say No to Plastics. In the movie The Graduate, the future was supposed to be plastics. Well, that was like, fifty years ago. Your future should not include plastic pieces, so now’s the time to ditch the plastic bins and organizers as decor. If you can’t live without them, hide them in a closet. (Better yet, in a trash can.)
Ditto on the Flimsy Plastic Mirror. You can do better now and a decent mirror will elevate your whole space. Plus, you can get one anywhere, from Facebook Marketplace to Ikea to thrift stores.
Toss Your Old Pillow Covers. Why did everyone head to college with little aqua throw pillows? I don’t know, but all of us did. Now’s the time to ditch the old covers, but keep the inserts. Choose more mature colors and fabrics and it will make the whole room look more expensive.
Invest in One Nice Piece. I know budgets are tight when you’re transitioning, but if you can invest in one quality piece, do so, then build your whole room around it. Buy a quality item and you’ll have it forever. Maybe eventually it will end up in the rec room or the guest room—someday you’ll have rec rooms and guest rooms—and you’ll still be glad you made the investment.