Drywaller and social media star? What may sound like an unlikely combination is the reality for Dirk Hobein, whose DIY remodeling videos on YouTube have garnered millions of views. Now his son, Sebastian, is following in his father’s footsteps with an apprenticeship as a painter and a budding Instagram account. 

It was Dirk Hobein’s father, a carpenter, who inspired him to get into construction at age 21, first as a carpenter and later as a drywaller. But it was a camera-wielding colleague who came up with the idea to film Dirk’s work and post the videos online. The idea was to help others with construction advice in general and drywalling tips in particular. After the third video they decided to take a break, and a few years went by before Dirk, whose business is located in Eitorf, Germany, noticed that they had racked up quite a few views. “I thought to myself, ‘I have to make a few more videos, so that people can do things on their own, without having to call a craftsman.’”

One of Dirk’s videos of a loft remodel has nearly three million views and several others have over a million. Besides YouTube, he’s active on TikTok and Instagram and runs a Facebook group with over 33,000 members. Offering up his expertise to laymen for free when you depend on your craft for a living may seem counterintuitive, but Dirk doesn’t see any disadvantages of it. “I don’t take away anybody’s work by showing the videos. The people who can afford it will hire a craftsman to do the work for them. The ones who can’t afford it watch my videos on YouTube and do it for themselves,” he said.  

​​​​​​​Dirk’s son, Sebastian, thinks having a father with over 100,000 YouTube subscribers is “a cool thing” as well. When he went to vocational school to become a painter, the teachers sometimes showed his father’s instructional YouTube videos in class. “Suddenly I became the class hero. Everyone was amazed because it’s rare to have such a famous person in the family. I was always proud when somebody asked if that was my father in the videos.”  

​​​​​​​Sebastian was just a teen when he decided that he too wanted to become a craftsman, specifically a painter and varnisher. Currently, he’s working as a painter’s apprentice and recently started an Instagram account where he shows off the fruits of his labour. “There are very few people my age and in my profession who use social media, so I see great opportunities for me with it, since I’m still young. It’s always good to be first.”

When it comes to workwear, both father and son have been avid Fristads users for years. The high quality of Fristads’ products is a strong selling point for Dirk, who describes himself as a creature of habit and usually is reluctant to make changes. “I have to know exactly where my knife is and where my pencil is, and I have to be able to find them with my eyes folded. That’s why I always wear the same workwear for years.”  

Another reason why Dirk prefers Fristads is that workwear that lasts long is more economical in the long run. He especially appreciates the quality, design and functionality of the bib n’ brace overalls. “They’re comfortable, sturdy and not too thick. They’re my absolute favourite; I can’t work without them,” he said.