Berlin DIY twins become internet stars

In the stairwell, opened bags of filler, empty paint buckets and discarded wooden slats point the way to the right apartment. This is where they live, Julian and Marian, the Berlin twins who inspire so many young people to renovate and build things themselves with their videos on Instagram and TikTok.

The two open the door with a winning smile. Julian and Marian have 235,000 followers on Instagram, and their clips have also been viewed millions of times on TikTok. The two good-looking brothers give tips on drilling and screwing, on a wobbly faucet, or on building your own living room shelf – but can that really be all?

Photo gallery

Light colors also dominate Marian’s bedroom.Ina Schönenburg/Ostkreuz

In the living room, the twins have carpet laid and the radiators covered.Ina Schönenburg/Ostkreuz

Gold art made from wrapping paper and pictures made from leftover wood scrapsIna Schönenburg/Ostkreuz

The sofa is Danish, the picture on the wall is a gift from a friendIna Schönenburg/Ostkreuz

A bit like a wellness hotel: Julian’s bedroomIna Schönenburg/Ostkreuz

The DIY twins Julian and Marian in an interview with the Berliner ZeitungIna Schönenburg/Ostkreuz

Of course, their success is not just based on that. They have been running the account called “julianundmarian” for a year and a half, and in one of their first videos they say: “We are Julian and Marian, we are twins and we live in Berlin.” We are currently renovating our 120 square meter old apartment and our motto is: If it can’t be done, it won’t be done!”

Since then, a lot has happened in the Kreuzberg rental apartment: floorboards have been sanded down, walls plastered, doors painted. The followers can be there. And they’re not just excited: “What you’re doing is amazing,” “Your account is addictive!” They also want to copy what the identical twins have drilled and doweled for them: “I’m really not very good at DIY, but your sweet and kind nature makes me want to try it out sometime.”

Old villas, new houses: The followers are excited

It is probably the mix of home content, Berlin life, the love of DIY and the twins’ personalities that makes the account so successful. In general, accounts that are about DIY – whether in the garden, cooking or DIY – are experiencing a boom.

More than 50,000 people are following influencer Jessie Weiss’s Berlin house-building project on her “Maison Journelles” channel. The “Villa Niveus” account, on which a young couple is renovating an old villa from 1916, is only a few days old – already more than 150,000 followers want to watch how 320 square meters of living space is transformed into a beautiful paradise. It’s easy to imagine that with so many people, advertising partners are ringing in droves.

In Julian’s bedroom: The furniture is made of real wood, the picture on the wall was made of wrapping paper. Ina Schönenburg/Ostkreuz

This is what happened to Julian and Marian. Both of them can now make a living from their social media activities. They gave up their actual jobs for the time being to devote themselves fully to their influencer careers.

It actually started quite unspectacularly – and with a problem that worries many Berliners. Julian and Marian Nketiah are looking for an apartment in the capital. Both had previously lived in shared apartments or alone; moving in together was not actually planned. But she quickly realised that it was easier to find something as a couple. After a year and a half, she used Immoscout to look for an apartment in the old building in Kreuzberg where they now live.

A few months rent-free and free rein to renovate

Then, in 2021 and thus in the middle of the pandemic, they heard that the attic apartment in the house was becoming available. They spoke to the landlord, who was just having the most necessary renovation work done there: replacing electrical wiring, installing a bathroom and heating. That was all that was done, the brothers were told. If you feel confident about doing it yourself, you could renovate the apartment yourself and live rent-free for a few months. “We had free rein and could do anything,” says Marian. “We didn’t hesitate for long and agreed.”

The brothers’ passion for building and crafting was awakened in their childhood in their parents’ house in Duisburg. Their father, who comes from Ghana and is married to a German woman, let the boys design their rooms themselves. “And he showed us everything,” says Julian. “Our father is a real DIYer, he took care of everything in the house. The fun of it probably passed on to us.” Today the parents are proud followers of their sons, “they downloaded Instagram especially for us and only follow us there.” They watch everything we do.”

One of the most viewed videos on the channel shows the twins in their kitchen. They have uncovered the old wooden floorboards. In time-lapse, you can see how they work on the planks with the sander, then lye, stain and oil them, only to discover that the result is not as nice as expected.

The joints are too big, the boards are uneven. Screw the OSB boards onto the floorboards and pour a new floor. Liquid plastic in two sand colors, applied with a sponge, ensures the right tone in the end. The weeks of back and forth, which cost a lot of nerves and material, are condensed into a minute on TikTok. “Would you like to renovate my house too?” people ask in the comments.

The brothers had never poured a floor before. But they tackled all the tasks without fear. “We spent hours researching online, watching videos on YouTube, getting inspiration from Pinterest. And then we just got started,” says Julian, who worked as a civil engineer before his influencer career and, among other things, worked on one of the high-rise projects at Alexanderplatz.

His brother Marian studied architecture and worked at the Maxim Gorki Theater and the State Opera, among other places. “At some point we both need a change of scenery,” says Marian as we sit down on the bright Danish designer sofa in the living room. “Julian was stuck in his 9-to-5 job, and I was constantly on the road as a stage designer.” The Kreuzberg dump, as the brothers call it, came in handy. At first they renovated it after work and on weekends, until Julian eventually came up with the idea of ​​documenting the work.

“Two of our first videos went viral, and within a month we suddenly had 100,000 followers,” he recalled. Many people thought they had helped, “but we didn’t.” Our story simply interested people.” After Corona, people were still at home a lot, motivated to make their homes beautiful. “We hit a nerve.”

Shack under the roof: This is what the apartment looked like when the twins moved in. Private

In the comment columns you can see how many people think they are left-handed. “We can motivate them to dare to do something.” “To pick up a drill or try using a jigsaw,” says Julian. When their followers then send them pictures of how they have recreated the coffee table from the twins’ living room, “that is the best feedback we can imagine.”

How do you actually sleep on your mattress?

However, Julian and Marian don’t always meet their fans’ tastes. “When we sanded down the oxblood floorboards in the hallway, many people wrote to us saying we had messed up the floor,” Julian remembers. Not everyone was happy with the covering of the kitchen floorboards either. “But we’re not annoyed about it,” says Marian. “On the contrary, it’s nice that our followers feel responsible for the apartment and want to help design it.”

The twins have long been recognized on the street, and their internet fame has led to absurd situations. Julian tells how a stranger asked him at a party how he slept on his mattress. He had once filmed a TikTok reel about building beds. It was a little strange to be asked about his bedroom without any introduction.

Their father, who comes from Ghana and is a passionate DIY enthusiast, passed on to the twins a passion for DIY. Ina Schönenburg/Ostkreuz

The idea of ​​renovating everything ourselves, upgrading furniture from bulky waste and making art on the walls out of wrapping paper and gold paint initially had a simple background. There was no money for expensive interior design. “We couldn’t afford any tradesmen – and on top of that we didn’t want to invest too much in a rented apartment.” Doing it yourself saves a lot of money. Of course it takes longer, but when a wall is finally nicely smoothed, it’s a fantastic feeling.” Julian points to his self-made radiator cover behind the sofa – another project close to his heart.

A few years ago, they would never have thought that they would be able to turn their hobby into a career and earn a living from it. Now they spend their days not only tinkering, but also editing videos and communicating with followers and advertising partners. This includes a tool manufacturer, as well as companies like Samsung and eBay, for which the twins produce their own content.

“We want to ride the wave now,” say the two. “Who knows if things will still be like this in two years.” There are still plenty of projects in the apartment; but the brothers already have other things in mind.

“We feel comfortable here and absolutely love the apartment,” says Marian. “But we certainly won’t grow old here.” The two say they never argue, but at some point they want to have separate apartments again, perhaps with their respective partners. Or a new DIY project will arise, perhaps a house with a garden.

A streaming service or TV station may soon come knocking, and some production companies have already contacted the twins. “How cool would that be, our own TV show,” laughs Julian. But for now, the cordless screwdriver and drill are waiting again. As the well-known DIY store slogan goes: There’s always something to do.