WAS THE NEWSLETTER #53

I’m Paige Wassel. WAS the Newsletter is your weekly dose of design inspiration, where we aim to be as cool as the other side of the pillow.

PILLOW TALK

Last week, we walked you through the conceptualization of creating a product as a team. Specifically, we talked about all the moving parts that leading up to the WAS pillow drop on 12/8.

Today, we’re going to take you behind the scenes of that new photoshoot, with a bonus appearance of an extra special guest! Plus, because you’re newsletter subscribers, you’re the only ones we’re telling about the timing of the drop. (More on that shortly.)

SET 1

This shoot felt way more special than the last few, largely because we had more budget and I was able to hire my friend Yaro as a production designer. What was incredible is that his apartment connects to a studio and he stores a lot of props there. He let us use the studio for free (score!) but we did pay him for his design services, which were just top-notch.

In this round, we used a blue carpet sourced from Linoleum City. Kate and I picked out the flooring and the paint, and then Yaro designed the set around our choices, bringing in that fantastic acrylic wall. And of course, Julien took the photos.

What’s funny is as you go through these shots, they feel sparse. Yet they look nothing like the final outcome and we are so stoked for you to see the final product on the live drop. In this round, we swapped out pillows and the chairs we rented from the prop house Gil and Roy. (We’re lucky we could rent there because you must possess production insurance, which I have.)

As we played with the set, we took out the acrylic wall and then put the bed right up against the plain brown wall, because the finished product is so much more interesting if we’re always tweaking the small details. BTW, the bed is a blow-up mattress and we create all the bedding out of fabric. While we’ve done real sheets and bedspreads before, using fabric allows us to make it look exactly how we want in terms of patterns and texture.

SET 2

The vibe we wanted to capture for the second set was that of a vintage office circa Mad Men or an old bowling alley, so we went with a reddish carpet, again from Linoleum City. We used a set of curtains Yaro had. In the BTS shots, they look a little sloppy but Julien lit them from behind which gave them the ethereal glow that we wanted.

We used the same wall as Set 1, but we mixed it up a little, adding new chairs. Then we did a corner bed shot where the curtains were on the side. We opted for a silky, shiny fabric that made us all laugh because it was so unrealistic and nothing we’d use IRL.

Bottom line, we had the best time playing with materials, colors, and textures and if they don’t feel entirely realistic…great! That was the plan. BTW, our special guest is named Chunk, and he is a good boi.

SET 3

For the third set, we used a fun creamy carpet with a dotted pattern. Yaro got a bunch of lumber from Home Depot and finished it himself to give it a dark midcentury look. The shot of the yellow chair on the side is one of my faves—love how it pops.

We also used shades in this set. We weren’t trying to make it look like a window so much as we were trying to create an office mood. You know I love a mood. Then we did another bed shot against the wall where we made it simple with some green pillows and a bed sheet from my own room. When we put the bed against the shade, it gave us old motel vibes, which we wanted. (Oh, and P.S., we’re launching a tote bag, so we did those shots against the wood wall and rented a cool coat rack to hang it on.)

Speaking of vibes, we could not have had a better time on set. Kate and I have been working with Julien from the beginning, with Yaro as our new addition. Plus, we have Lana, who is Kate’s prop styling assistant, as well as Chunk, whose presence just brings everyone up. The whole thing was such a positive scene. We played music all day and ordered lunch from Dune Atwater.

Having seen the end results, I’m super psyched that we we actually captured all the great vibes of the day in the photos. If you feel the love, you’re feeling it right.

WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED TO KNOW?

The launch is 12/8 and I’m only telling my newsletter subscribers what time it starts. So look for us to go live at 11:00am PT. Better yet? We’re able to accommodate some international shipping, so if you’re in Canada or the UK, we’ve got you, boo.

If you want more specifics or a preview, make sure you’re on my Instagram because I’ll be putting those deets in my stories. For now, just get ready to hit the pillow.

ETSY FIND OF THE WEEK

Blue Gabbeh Rug

KATE’S PAINT COLOR OF THE WEEK

Sherwin WIlliams: Dark Hunter Green

Finish: Any

Room Light Level: Any

Check out Kate’s paint consultation business here!

xx,
P