After giving you guys the tour of my first NYC apartment last month, I’m super excited to bring you the first update in the design of #BBbrownstone. As I’ve been slammed with shoots (literally, the first thing I bought for the apartment was photo shoot equipment before I even had a mattress!) I partnered with TaskRabbit to hire a helping hand with getting my vision for the bedroom underway. Even if you have lived somewhere for many years it can be hard to find a tradesperson you feel you can trust with your home projects, right? So the thought of finding a great handyman in a new city was all kinds of overwhelming. That’s why I was so relieved to discover TaskRabbit – they connect homeowners to safe and reliable taskers in your neighbourhood for a whole variety of tasks. As I didn’t require design help but rather the technical skills of a tasker to help deliver the vision I had, this service suited me perfectly. The project was to cover the main wall in our bedroom with plywood in order to protect the walls (we’re in a rental) before applying Stikwood planks. Click through to see the project progress, the finished result and my next steps for the space.
The moment Patrick from TaskRabbit arrived I knew I was in good hands. He was super friendly and, genuinely, I’ve not seen such a dedicated and engaged work ethic from a tradesperson in years. He shared my excitement for the project and was animated and passionate about making sure everything was just right. I had already rough painted the plywood planks (as per Stikwood’s guidelines for temporary application of their planks), so the first step was to measure the plywood planks to fit the wall.
The next step was to cut the plywood to size. Me and a saw? No thanks! Thankfully Patrick was there to show me how it was done.
With the plywood panels cut to size Patrick set about attaching them to the wall.
Once the plywood was in place, Patrick drew a horizontal line across the length of the wall for us to use as a guide to fix the Stikwood planks.
While Patrick prepped the walls I started laying out the Stikwood planks in a pleasing pattern – a nice varied mix of lengths and distressed details to give a stylish finished look.
With my design direction, Patrick and I then attached the planks to the wall – as simple as peeling off the backing and pressing the plank onto the wall. It was super fun to see the wall come to life – and quickly, too.
Patrick trimmed any planks that were too long and before we knew it, the project was completed!
I’m so pleased with how the finished wall looks and a few days after Patrick left I decided to trim the window in a brass L-trim to hide the ends of the plywood and Stikwood.
The wall of reclaimed weathered white wood has injected a beautiful texture to the space and is the perfect base for me to build up the rest of the scheme. Thanks for your help, Patrick! Have you ever used TaskRabbit? What do you think of my new bedroom wall? If you want to book you can use the code ‘BRIGHT15’ for $15 off any task booked in the US or ‘BRIGHT’ for £10 off any task booked in the UK. (Codes expire on 12/31/15.)
// Photography by Will Taylor | Posted in partnership with Task Rabbit; all views my own.
50 Comments
It looks amazing!!
@RJ – Oh, thank you so much! 🙂
Love it! The wall turned out great!
@Susan – Right? Such a professional finish.
Thanks for the introduction to Task Rabbit, I’m going to try it out. Glad you are settling into the city well.
@Jacqualine – Smart move! Let me know how you find it. I was super impressed! And I’m loving it here in NYC, thank you!
Great job…the wood planks look awesome
@Ben – Thank you!
Oh woooow what an amazing idea for a website. I’ve had so many bad experiences with painter and decorators over the years so I am encouraged to try this now. Thank you Will!
@Marie – I was the same, so it was a life changing find for me! 🙂
Keep the #BBbrownstone updates coming, I love them! x
@Clara – Yay! Glad you are enjoying them as much as I am sharing them. Thanks for stopping by!
Ooh I am so envious have wanted to try Stikwood for years. Can’t wait to see what’s next! Xx
@Rachael – Me toooooo! So glad I did. x
Do you rate the people on Task Rabbit after? Is it like Uber?
@Jack – Yep! You give a thumbs up or thumbs down and can give extended private or public feedback, too.
Another inspiring blog post! Love following your journey and seeing your design choices. Thank you for sharing them with us all!
@Xian – My pleasure! I appreciate you following along!
Hi Will, Great to see that you have started to make a home in NYC. I hadn’t heard of Task Rabbit but I will try it out and let my coffee group know how I find it. Take care, Sarah x
@Sarah – Amazing! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Looking great Will!
Cant wait to see!
@Brian – Thank you!
Wow!! Looks amazing!! Love the idea of a brass wall sconce. Great pairing.
I’ve had mixed experiences with TaskRabbit, but I think that has more to do with me choosing the cheapest option, which isn’t always the best option! Had no idea you could transform a wall like that – can’t wait to see what’s next!
@Betsy – Yeah, that’s why I liked the feedback and rating system! Thanks for kind words about the wall!
Oh wow! It looks absolutely stunning!! Cant wait to see what come in next :).
@Kunjan – Thanks so much! I am excited to share the next steps!
This is fantastic! I love this idea for doing stikwood in a rental!
@Trevor – Totally! This way there’s only a few small nail holes to fill once you take the plywood off the wall!
I have to get myself a Patrick! (and some Stikwood, I’m so glad you are in the US and I know I can get all the products you love)
@Mary Beth – Yay! And yes, you need a Patrixk! 😉
This looks lovely! Absolutely love the washed grey. And what amazing pictures. What kind of camera do you use?
@Amari – Thank you! I photographed this with my Canon 5D III.
I love it. Looks great and fairly simple too. I love finding out different ways to make a rental more your own.
Jo xx
@Jo – Me too! Thanks, Jo! 🙂
I love this! It looks absolutely fantastic, what a brilliant idea.
g.
@Gabriella – Thank you so much!
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Love the idea of attaching plywood to the walls in order to save them since you’re in a rental, and I’m kicking myself for not thinking of that sooner. Can’t wait to see how it turns out!
Josh | The Kentucky Gent
http://thekentuckygent.com
@Josh – Thanks, man! So pleased with how the space is coming together!
I really like your Idea Will! It adds a lot of texture to the room and gives it a personal touch. Definitely a step up from removable wallpaper! 🙂
-Maggie
@Maggie – Thanks so much!
Will, I am so excited to read about your New York adventure! As I live in Melbourne, Australia – whether you are in London or New York (or any part of the world) – your journey is so entertaining and such a joy to be a part of to someone living on the other side of the world. I loved this post, it made me wonder if we have a similar platform to TaskRabbit in Australia.
Thank you for sharing.
Much love, Ashleigh Xx
@Ashleigh – My pleasure! Thanks so much for following along and for your support! x
Wow! That is a really good idea for a rental!!
@Vivian – Thanks!
Ugh, what a gorgeous wall treatment!!! It even makes the heater look beautiful (and those things are unsightly)!
@Maya – Thanks so much! Thrilled with how it came out!
Hey! So creative and nice! We really like your taste and the ideas that you share!!!
@Adriana – Thank you!