SHE’S SO BOSTON: Meet Paige Adams

Once a month, we want to highlight really cool women who are doing really cool things around Boston in this cute little segment we like to call “She's So Boston”. This month, we are featuring Paige Adams! 

Can you share a bit about your background and what led you to where you are today?

My journey to the house of id started back in high school when I was diagnosed with a chronic illness. For a long time, my world was reduced from marching band, tennis, school, and hanging out with friends to doctors appointments, hospital visits, and moving from my bedroom to the family room as my activity for the day. Depressing shit. So, to counteract that shift, my caregiver (aka my mom) and I decided to create the joy we both desperately craved within the bounds of our circumstances. We fostered dogs, watched reruns of The Office, and decorated our space to kindle the creative flames within each of us. As I began to learn my limitations and entered a new “normal”, I used visits to antiques shops as a way to incorporate functional exercise with the incentive of interior design and my love of whacky old stuff. Years later, and after lots of ups and many more downs, my mom came up with the idea for the house of id. She had a phone call with her friend, who had recently lost her son, about a wonderfully weird, carved wooden pig at an airbnb she recently stayed at. The joy in her voice made my mom think, “what if Nancy could bring this joy home from her travels. What if she could have her pig and buy it too”. As soon as my mom presented this idea to me, I was sold. And the name, the house of id, came from my perspective of living with a disability. To be disabled, means you have to focus on your ego most of the time. Logistics, sacrificing joy for accessibility, and missing out on that joy while trying to care for your body. We made this house for people to indulge their id: spontaneity, creativity, and radical joy, while we focus on the ego for them: comfort, safety, accessibility and above all, inclusivity. 

What inspires you to do the work you do or to pursue your current activities?

Impact and passion. I have always hoped to dedicate my life to the people and communities around me while still engaging my creative passions and interests. Using my love of interior design and vintage shopping combined with my passion for accessibility and inclusivity, the house of id gives me precisely that opportunity. There is nothing more fulfilling than hearing stories from guests about how they were able to engage with our space and amenities in a way that not only brought them joy, but also made them feel safe and comfortable. 

Can you share a challenge you've overcome in your journey, and what you learned from it?

The river of challenges I have faced have eroded my path to today in innumerable ways. I am not a believer in the “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” gospel, but I do think that my identity, the good, the bad, and the ugly of it, has been informed by what I have gone through to get to this point. The rocky road I have taken in school has presented challenges that I never thought I could come close to overcoming. After three separate medical withdrawals, two for body and one for mind, and two years of developing the house of id and learning how to live independently, I can finally say that I am back in school in a capacity that feels accessible and comfortable for me and for my daily obstacles. The shame I felt around not finishing my undergraduate degree with my peers was once all-encompassing, but now I can confidently say I am proud of my journey and of all the ways I showed up for myself in the past, even when I didn't realize the impact I was having on my future.

What achievements are you most proud of, and why?

The achievements I am most proud of are ongoing. If I asked myself a few years ago where I would be today, there is no chance I could imagine my position now. When I withdrew from college in 2021, I felt completely lost and terrified of what the future held. Pulling myself up with the help of my family, friends, and a whole lot of therapy has brought me to a place I hadn’t even bothered to dream of. So for all of that, I am endlessly proud of where I am now and for what I am actively doing to enrich myself and, most importantly, the communities I am a part of. 

Can you highlight a collaboration or partnership you've had with other local women or organizations that was particularly meaningful? 

A recent partnership that has been especially meaningful is with Read My Lips Boston. They are an inclusive, traveling bookshop that highlights romance novels with disabled protagonists. The two women who run this incredible business are Lily and Rivka, are part of the deaf community and the name “Read My Lips” comes from their experience of understanding the people around them and it is also a nod to the lips found in the stories they feature… ;) There is nothing more rewarding than working with other women in the disabled community, especially when we share a mission of inclusivity and acceptance of people from all different types of marginalized populations. We recently had a silent reading/crafting event together at the house of id where a portion of the proceeds went to the Native American Disability Law Center. This type of collaboration brings me so much joy and excitement for the future of our partnership. 

How has the community of Boston influenced or supported your endeavors?

I grew up outside of DC so I am not new to the “city suburb” concept, but living near Boston has been a wildly different and enriching experience. The history of this area is not only fascinating, but also ripe for vintage-picking. The community of thrift sellers, buyers, and all-around lovers is so uniquely supportive and diverse. Everywhere I go, I meet a cool, new person with a passion for cool, old shit. Back in Northern Virginia, there wasn’t much of a thrifty community, but in Massachusetts you can throw a stone in any direction and hit either someone with an insanely niche interest in antique Swedish furniture or potentially crash into a 1920’s Tiffany glass lampshade. I am forever grateful for this quirky community I continue to build in the Boston-area and in New England as a whole.

Aside from your work or the activities you're known for, what are you passionate about?

A consistent passion throughout my life is psychology. I have always been incredibly interested in the field and it has always been a goal of mine to become a licensed therapist. So, in an effort to reach that goal, I am currently taking courses to finish my degree online. I am incredibly passionate about continuing my education and finding my way along the winding road I have taken towards my goal.

How do you find balance between your professional, personal, and community engagements?

Superb question, I will get back to you once I have figured this out… But in all seriousness, one thing about being disabled is you have to quickly learn about balance and how to work within your limitations. Combining structure with grace is how I find balance. Taking control where I can but reminding myself that if the house of cards comes tumbling down, it doesn’t mean I have failed; rather, I can take a deep breath, show myself kindness, and keep moving at whatever pace is manageable without discomfort. 

What's something not many people know about you that you'd like to share?

No matter how many times I visit an antiques shop, and my job entails visiting quite often, their distinctly musty smell never fails to give me gastrointestinal distress. And for that, my heart goes out to my fellow tummy-ache girlies - I see you and I support you.