It’s often said that if you want something done right, it’s best to handle it yourself.
This is a lesson one woman learned the amusing way when she entrusted her husband with a straightforward DIY task while remodelling their staircase. Mairéad and her other half, Fred, had decided to give their stairs a fresh look by replacing the grey carpet with a lighter hue.
Mairéad had a specific design in mind, however. She told her spouse she wanted a central strip of carpet on each step, flanked by a black runner and leaving the wood at the edges visible.
While most people understand that a stair runner is simply a slim piece of carpet or fabric, Fred seemed to have missed the brief, and his attempt to realise his wife’s vision took a different direction entirely.
In a video posted on TikTok, viewers saw Mairéad confront Fred as he worked on the stairs, only to find him using black paint to create thick lines directly onto the carpet.
Confused, Mairéad questioned Fred’s approach, and he replied confidently that he was crafting “the border” she wanted. However, she quickly clarified, saying: “That’s not… I see why you’re doing it, but that’s not how the runners are actually made. You don’t paint on the border. They’re stitched on.”
The DIY debacle garnered significant attention online, amusing many with the couple’s miscommunication regarding the stair revamp. Lee appeared to miss the mark with his DIY task, proudly using “bog-standard paint” instead of the non-existent “carpet paint” he thought he was supposed to find.
He optimistically remarked: “It’s alright though, isn’t it? I’ll probably have to give it another coat, though. Otherwise, you can still see a bit of the grey. It’ll straighten up my cuts as well. But look at that! I think that looks alright with another coat.”
Mairéad, trying her utmost to appreciate Lee’s misguided attempt at home improvement, responded diplomatically: “I can see your vision. Yes, this is what I wanted. Completely. Thank you for making my dreams come true, Lee. Thanks for listening to what I really wanted and turning dreams into reality. Thank you so much.”
Viewers of the couple’s video were divided in their reactions. While some joked that the error was “grounds for divorce,” others expressed empathy for Lee’s genuine effort.
One commenter empathised: “I actually feel bad for him. He didn’t know, and he was working hard.”
Another shared: “I would cry because he’s being so nice and thoughtful, but then, like, that’s not my vision.”
Many spectators also suggested that the amusing incident might have been orchestrated for entertainment, suspecting that the pair would eventually install proper carpet runners on their staircase.
