We Asked Trixie Mattel to Critique Our Office Décor, and Immediately Regretted It

Max

We could hear Trixie Mattel before we saw her. At first, we detected the echo of chunky, six-inch heels striding their way down an empty hallway. Then, from around the corner, we saw the glow of a platinum wig teased to the heavens, a blonde halo surrounding a face painted in a cut crease and contoured look. Her sparkly pink bodysuit came next, then a pair of towering shoes that vaulted her far above anyone else in the office. “Hi, I’m Trixie,” she said, shaking hands with me and my co-workers, as though she could be mistaken for anyone else.

On the off chance that you somehow navigated your way to Them without knowing about Trixie Mattel, she is the one of the most famous drag queens in the world. Even if you’re not a Drag Race fan, almost anyone with access to a screen would recognize her iconic makeup from a mile away. Drag queens are always multihyphenates, but she has truly done it all, releasing some rather impressive country albums, launching her own makeup brand, starring in a Netflix webseries alongside Katya, and, most recently, renovating a run-down Palm Springs motel on the reality TV show Trixie Motel.

Now, she’s kicking off Pride Month with the premiere of season two of Trixie Motel: Drag Me Home, coming to Max June 1. This sophomore edition of the renovation series documents Mattel and her partner David Silver’s joint quest to remodel a house after moving in together for the first time. To quote Mattel in the trailer, the goal is for the place to “scream the lyrics to ‘I’m Every Woman’ or it’s not gay enough.” With guests like Katya, Nicole Byer, and Lisa Vanderpump, the second season seems like it’s shaping up to be perfect summer viewing, just like the first outing.

Ahead of the streaming premiere of Trixie Motel season two, the legendary drag queen stopped by our headquarters to chat about her ideal home design aesthetic, share her Pride Month survival tips, and offer some constructive criticism of the Condé Nast office decor.

How has making over a home differed from making over a motel?

The motel is a commercial property, so we want it to be like, “If people are here for one night, how do we make this impact huge? How do we make that one-night stay magic?”

But with a home, this is where my partner and I are going to live out our little love story, so it can’t feel like a commercial property. I still expect him to put a mint on the pillow, and I think we all know that’s a euphemism for something. But the home matters more because I have to live in there. When I’m stoned at midnight, watching cartoons, I’m going to be like, “Oh, that wallpaper doesn’t really work for me.”

It has to be right, because I’m gay, so I have very judgmental friends. And let me tell you, in Los Angeles, all these little faggots with the gold chains, they all have their white bedrooms with their plants and their gold fixtures, and they think they know everything because they go to West Elm. When they come to my house, their jaws hit the floor, and they know who is the true diva bitch.

What’s your midnight cartoon of choice?

I love the Powerpuff Girls. I think the Powerpuff Girls are so amazing. I mean, five-year-olds who fight crime? Love. Drag queens watching Powerpuff Girls, that’s grooming.

Who’s your favorite Powerpuff Girl?

You would think that it’s Bubbles, because she’s the soft, touchy, sensitive one. But Blossom really eats. Blossom is an academic. Blossom’s an overachiever. Blossom wants to do everything right. Blossom’s almost a little bit Miss America. And I think that’s me, other than my huge tits and potty mouth.

What do you love the most about hotels?

There are a few things that make a hotel experience successful. There’s great service, which does not mean extremely chatty. The fancier hotels you go to, the fancier restaurants, the fancier stores — they will really corner you and talk your fucking ear off. To me, it’s like, “I want good service, I’m not looking for a best friend.” Sometimes you’re checking in at these nice hotels, and they’re like, “I was born on September 16th in Skokie…” I’m like, “I don’t need the full everything.”

I also think great air conditioning is important. As a bald person with no body hair, great heat is important. I love a bathtub. I never turn on the TV, so I don’t care about the TV. At Trixie Motel, we went screenless, because I was like, “I’m not inviting people here to sit and watch TV.” And I love great luxury in-shower products. But not too much fragrance, because I get rashes from that. When they have cheap shampoo that reeks, it really breaks me out.

We hate that. Could you describe your home aesthetic in three words?

My home aesthetic this season on Trixie Motel is Hollywood, retro, gay. Because you’ve got my influence — a lot of pink, a lot of bold things —and then David’s influence, which is gold, and animal print, and texture, and leather. He likes a kind of super gay, but very masculine, vibe. And I like Barbiecore, so it’s kind of a marrying of the two.

Did you find it hard to strike that balance?

You’ll have to watch and see, but I’m going to give David credit where it’s due. Normally, if he pushes for something with design, he’s right. He’s never pushed for something, and then I go like, “Oh, we should have done what I said.” Usually, he’ll do it, and then I see it and I’m like, “You were right.” And he loves it when I say, “You’re right.”

You recently announced a hiatus from making music. Do you see yourself returning in the future?

I love writing my little songs on my guitar, but lately I’ve been so tits-deep in DJing. That sustains me and fulfills me artistically so much. I haven’t played my guitar in months, which is crazy. But I love dance music so much right now, and that’s really my focus. I love remixing. I just put out my remix of “Barbie Girl” and a remix of “Her” by Megan Thee Stallion. Music is music, and it makes the people come together.

I really love your first two albums, so my fingers are crossed.

Thank you. I’ve been writing a lot of music, and it’s all a lot like my early music. It’s funny, because I think I’m a funny person, but my music is like, “Is this person okay?” And the answer’s no.

And that’s what I love about it. Absolutely got me through a breakup, so thank you for that.

Let’s hope I’m not writing any new breakup music anytime soon.

If you could make over any type of building, what would it be?

One of my dreams is to do a show where I travel and do very light renovation and help soup up gay bars. Because most gay bars have the same layout and everything that they’ve had for decades. I would love to go into gay bars and put that bar in a more advantageous place, or add a bathroom with whatever. I love gay bars that are really laid out well. So even though I love design, and I love fun colors and stuff — the feng shui of it all — something makes me nut when a bar or a restaurant’s just laid out really well.

And very few gay bars are laid out well, in my experience.

Well, drag got so big, and most gay bars weren’t built for drag shows. So most gay bars don’t have a proper stage, lighting, or even sound equipment. I love when I go into a gay bar and there’s actually a focus on the showgirls. Because we’re the ones who sell the liquor, we’re the ones who get people in the bar. We deserve to be lit and we deserve to be heard.

What are some of your favorite gay bars that you’ve been to?

I love the Eagle Atlanta. I love Precinct in Los Angeles. My bar, This Is It! in Milwaukee, is one of the oldest gay bars in the country. I used to love Berlin in Chicago, but it just closed. What else do we love, Brandon? Gay bars?

[Trixie’s assistant says, “Akbar.”]

Oh, we love Akbar in Los Angeles. The Friendly Society in London, it’s a gay bar that’s in a basement, and the ceiling used to be covered with Barbie dolls, like stapled from the ceiling. I always loved that. I love any of the Eagles, because I love big, dirty, hairy old men. And bears, because they’re fun party people. If the gay bar’s not showing hardcore gay pornography, I’m probably not going in.

Period.

In the world of “drag is for everyone,” I’m over at the cock-sucking bar watching the fucking, so that’s me. Most bars during the day show NBA games and HGTV, which is fine. But I’m looking to see sex on the screens. Because then it’s like, "Hello, gentleman next to me. Let’s strike up a conversation. So what’s your sign? Oh, anal on the TV, let’s go do it." It’s kind of like an icebreaker.

Speaking of gay bars, what are some of your Pride Month survival tips?

I have been through trials and tribulations of gay Pride. You got to drink water. You have to sleep. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Right? So if you go too hard the first night, it’s really over for you. Sexual wellness is a big part of it. Sunblock is a big part of it. Travel to other Prides. We all go to our own Prides, but make time to go to other Prides. It’s really fun to go to other cities for Prides. Really, really fun.

What’s your favorite local Pride that you’ve been to?

The Milwaukee Pride is better than every Pride that ever was, and I’ve been to all the Prides. Huge headliners. I’ve seen Blondie, the B-52’s, Chaka Khan, Kathy Griffin, Joan Rivers, Joan Jett. The dance pavilion’s amazing, the vendors are great. We have a big event ground. Most Prides are street festivals; Milwaukee Pride has its own area of the city. It’s amazing.

Do you have any design tips for the offices of Condé Nast?

What exactly is going on in this former used car factory that you guys fuck around in? I understand the photo studio. I understand it’s New York. I understand it’s like white walls, too cool for school. Would it kill you to get an ottoman and a potted plant in here? It’s sort of like you guys Googled “photo studio.” It’s so cookie-cutter, it feels like a drug front.

You guys can be creative, and I don’t know, get some art on the walls. And you know what doesn’t count? A neon sign that says, like, “Good Vibes.” I hate that shit. I hate neon signs, because when they’re not on, they look fucking horrible. And it makes you think of bachelorette parties.

Last month you released a gaymer-themed Trixie Cosmetics line. What is your favorite video game?

I think the Bioshock series is amazing. The Sims is pretty prolific. It is Pride Month. You could have two men get married in that game in the ’90s. They were very much ahead of the curve. The Sims is like dolls. It allows people to really make believe what their life will be like as an adult. And I think that’s such an important part of growth. I love The Sims.

Gay people love The Sims. Anything else you’d like to add?

Check out Trixie Motel this Pride on Max.

This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Season 2 of Trixie Motel: Drag Me Home premieres June 1 on Max.

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Originally Appeared on them.