WAS [the newsletter] #9

I’m Paige Wassel. WAS the Newsletter is your weekly dose of design inspiration, found on the second star to the right and straight on ‘til morning.

A PA(I)GE FROM MY LIFE

The most important thing to know is that even after spending time in Waco, I have not converted to the Church of the Modern Farmhouse. And now here’s some other info about what I’m thinking/doing/loving, too:

All I want is another dog. But I also want to be able to leave my house for 18 hours and not return. SO, no dog for now. BUT, if you live in Los Angeles and are interested in adopting, check out this spot — https://www.instagram.com/muttscouts
If I smoke pot… I WILL get the munchies and I WILL eat a whole sleeve of Ritz Crackers.
SOMETIMES… we hike. And when we hike, we question if wearing a legging is acceptable. For me, personally, I love a leggin’. I will wear with a blazer and call it a fit.

THIS WEEK’S THRIFTED FINDS – HOUSTON

They say one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. That rings particularly true when one (wo)man bought an $8 set of ceramic plates at Sally’s Army… that just happened to be part of Picasso’s Visage Noir series. I can never say it enough—sleep on thrifting at your own detriment. That’s why I’m shopping in HOUSTON this week and here’s the best of what I’ve seen.

Vintage Mid century Modern Chrome and Wood Desk by Pastoe

Knoll Break Room Table

Vintage Danish Modern Belgian Rosewood Wall Unit Bookshelf Cabinets

Mid Century Danish Dining Chairs

No Picassos for me this time, but there’s always next week.

MY HARD-PASS LIST (DON’T @ ME)

While styles may come and go, there are some items I know for a fact that I will never have in my home. Never liked them, never will, happy to see them all die in a fire.

Before you @ me, these are the things that I don’t like, even though they’re largely non-offensive. Even though they may come roaring back. Even though they could become the biggest thing on TikTok. Trends aren’t going to change my mind. That said, if you’re madly in love with any of the below, I’m not going to stop you from doing you. Taylor said it best: it’s your place, you make the rules. However, in my purview, these items are my design vampires, and I’m never going to invite them in the door.

Here we go:

The bathroom ladder. There are plenty of other ways to hang your towels; you don’t need to bring a ladder into the mix. The same goes for the decorative ladders anywhere in the home—if you’re not literally using it to climb the wall, then it’s a no from me.
Anything with fake gold. This encompasses all things from chair legs to bar carts to lighting fixtures. If you can’t afford or find something with real brass, don’t just default to fake gold. Regardless of how much you spent, it looks cheap. You know how imitation gold jewelry leaves a ring around your finger? Fake gold does the same (metaphorically) in your home. Choose matte black instead.
Velvet anything. Listen, I get that you love velvet. It’s soft. It’s comfortable. It hides a variety of pet marks. And I love that for you. I just don’t love that for me, especially since so much of what I see is of the cheap velour variety.
The counter-height dining table. Do you want your house to feel like a Chili’s, yes or no? Every set I’ve ever seen always looks the same, too, with the weird cherry stools and shiny pleather seats. Sorry, just lost my appetite.
Ugly cat trees. Again, don’t @ me. Obviously your pet is part of your family. Would you put your nana on a piece of furniture made of carpet remnants and old cardboard tubes? No. Then why subject your cats to it? Check out Your Home, Catified to see chic ways to hang with your best friend.
Anything Z. Gallerie. I said what I said.
Poorly up-cycled furniture. I am all about reducing, reusing, and refinishing. That said, when you run across a quality piece that’s stood the test of time, solid with dovetail joints, I suggest you refinish it to bring it back to what it was, rather than just slopping paint on it. Now, I admit there was a time I liked shabby chic—I blame my mother. Around the same time, I thought I could rock a flower crown. In both instances, I’ve moved on.
Decorative wood walls. I understand that you want to add a bit of interest to your walls, but a better way of going about this is with art, not finished carpentry.

So, if you’re sitting in the home that you love, relaxing on your velvet sectional, your towels neatly piled on their bathroom ladder, in a room softly aglow in the light of a fake gold fixture, just remember that these are the items that don’t work for me.

Also, having just returned from Waco, I must mention that Chip and Joanna are beginning to grow on me as their style evolves, so who knows? Some of my rules may change with time.

But probably not. Just trying to be nicer. It’s good for the soul.