I’m Paige Wassel. WAS the Newsletter is your weekly dose of design inspiration, where this week’s subject is the man who can fix everything from a sink to a broken heart (my high school boyfriend broke up with me and my dad brought me chocolate and let me skip a whole week of school).

lol dramatic.

Meet my father, MARK WASSEL. The greatest dad EVER, well.. according to me, but frankly, the evidence is overwhelming. He’s the kind of guy who drops everything for his family, takes on projects he has absolutely no business taking on, and then somehow…actually pulls em off, with only a smattering of cuss words shouted from the top of a rickety ladder. He can retile your shower, fix your broken lamp, troubleshoot your leaky fridge. He can mend it or bend it or lend it. All while blasting the Allman Brothers, Billy Joel, Dean Martin, maybe even some 10,000 maniacs. He is my emergency contact (Ringtone: Lose It by Eminem) and comes second only to my mom in the emotional breakdown department. (we give Sue a call for those, gotta give her something).

Anyways, here is my interview with my dad ❤️ 

Okay, Dad. What inspired you to get into home renovation?

I moved to Chicago when I was 22 and fell in love with the architecture and the city neighborhoods with old courtyard buildings, two flats and three flats. There was a ton of renovation going on and I jumped in, renovating a two-flat on Chicago’s Northside with one of besties, Mike Dougherty (who is now a cabinet maker in Arizona). 

It was a very exciting time!  Some of the hotter neighborhoods in Chicago today, like Bucktown, Wicker Park, and Logan Square, were just beginning to turnaround.

So is that how you become the guy who seemingly knows how to do everything? You can paint, build decks, lay tile, hang drywall and more. How did you learn all of this?

My first job out of college was with Westinghouse Elevator.  Yes, I sold elevators … someone had to do it!  I made a number of friends in the construction industry, and we all had a common interest, namely to renovate a Chicago multi-family property.  So, with Mike we bought a two flat in the West Graceland neighborhood just north of Wrigley Field.  

We knew next to nothing about how to renovate a building. Plus, there was no Google or YouTube back then to conduct research, so we watched a lot of “This Old House” episodes. And we had many friends to run things by. It was mostly a learn as you go, or should I say, learn the hard way experience.  But we dove in and figured it out…stripped and refinished woodwork, renovated kitchens and bathrooms, etc. We worked on it evenings and weekends, lived on the floor we were renovating and rented out the other. 

What’s your favorite renovation project of all time?

Answering these questions has been kind of fun thinking through all the projects and renovations I’ve taken on in my day.  Overall, I’d have to say it’s our Michigan lake house. It’s really turning into something special.   

You’ve had a chance to work with me directly on a lot of the lake house renovations. What’s that experience been like?

You led the design of the renovations, namely the living room, kitchen and bathrooms.  It usually starts with you making a suggestion and me going ‘no f’in way!’.  But after I mull it over it usually turns out you’re right.  We brought my ol’ pal Mike Dougherty in to help with the kitchen renovation.  Many a Zoom call between the three of us kicking around ideas with Pai (that’s my nickname for her) setting us straight where needed. She just has an eye for things that we miss. I’m real proud of how the place turned out and of your contributions. 

Ok, what was the most say, outrageous design idea you got from me?

The front half bathroom, no doubt.  You wanted me to lay dark stained oak bead board on the walls AND ceiling.  I just couldn’t see it and fought it for months. I finally gave in. I’m glad I did and it’s now one of my favorite rooms in the house. Gives it a nice lake house feel!  

What are your earliest memories of me taking an interest in design?

Ah shit, that would be like age 4.  At Christmas time, we’d put carrots and oatmeal out on the front porch to feed the reindeers.  It wasn’t enough to just toss the carrots out on the porch; you had to arrange them in little designs in the snow.

Later in high school you took an interior design course which included a project to update our basement.  New shelving, console table, paint, furniture, etc. You got an A on it!

What’s something you think that I get from you?

The girl never quits! Whatever the challenge, you figure it out – and you’re scrappy as hell.

If you could give me one piece of advice as she continues to grow her career, what would it be?

Keep learning. BUT IN THE END, continue to trust yourself, your inner voice and intuition, because you’ve got some serious skills.

A LIL RAPID FIRE PORTION…..

What’s your most used phrase while working on a project?

I didn’t really have a phrase but there was this skit by Monty Python, who might be a bit before your time, and they sang this song about a lumberjack and the lyrics were …. ‘I’m a lumberjack and I’m ok, I sleep all night and I work all day’. Goofing around I use to sing it and substitute ‘lumberjack’ for whatever I was doing …”I’m a painter and I’m ok I sleep all night and I paint all day”

What’s your favorite album to listen to while working on a project?

Pretty much anything by the Allman Brothers or the Marshall Tucker Band.

Best thing you’ve ever built?

Your uncle Jeff is an architect and he designed our deck for our home in Geneva, Illinois, and I built it. It was a very classic design, and incorporated a porch swing. In fact, we framed and hung his drawings. It was very inviting. We had many a family gathering out there.

How many trips to Home Depot is too many?

Criki!  There is nothing worse than being in the middle of a project and realizing you bought the wrong product and have to go back. I wish I could say this didn’t happen often, especially in rural Michigan where the nearest Home Depot is 45 minutes away!

What would your kids say is your most dad-like quality?

I’m from the school that the reward for a job well done is to have done it.  I have been criticized, however, for standing in front of my finished project for hours admiring my work.  I do see my kids, perhaps in a less obvious fashion, taking some pride in their accomplishments … which is a good thing. I notice Paige also stands and admires, so maybe it’s not just a dad thing.

xx,
P