Tools on a workbench including a paperhanging brush, tape measure, utility knife, black marker, shears, square, circular saw, and a handsaw. Wooden block, gray metal sheet, and a blue cloth are also visible.

So this segment is supposedly ill-advised.


When you are building a website, lots of the advice says to not do pages like this, no calls to action, lots of text and nothing flashy. But I feel the need to talk about how, and why; we do the things we do and the way we do it.

There’s lots of advice online about algorithms and where you list on google rankings and all the various accoutrement that comes along with making a website and trying to efficiently promote a business online. It can at times feel very impersonal, all about figures and demographics, but you will be inviting me into your home and trusting me to treat it with care and respect. It’s about me and you.

So if you will indulge me a ramble, a meander; through the thoughts and philosophies I have about how to handle jobs and customers maybe I can instil a the seed of trust between us that will make our working together even more enjoyable.

A core tenet I try to hold is that we are in your home, not on a jobsite. That means I treat your spaces with respect and courtesy for as long as I am in it. I try to keep in mind that while I go home in the evenings you live in your home, so I try to be as unobtrusive as possible, for example I don’t particularly like to use the plastic “Roll and Stroll” floor protection, I have spent years finding dustsheets that work well, allow me to pick them up at the end of the day and hoover properly, while the plastic just feels uncomfortable on your feet and interrupts the flow of the whole home. If we have a larger or more complex project, I may use something like RamBoard. When we start the job the first thing I like to do is use long, thin dustsheets called “stair runners” to make a path to whichever room we are in, that way your carpets and floors are always protected, not just where we are working but wherever we will be. I am also not really a fan of putting any of my tools or materials on anything that isn’t a dust sheet or some sort of protection.

If you can’t tell by the paragraph just about dustsheets and protection, I spend a lot of time mulling over work and how to achieve a finish in a way I am proud of. I can tell you a story of how I spent 4 months trolling the depths of Facebook Marketplace and eBay to find the perfect pasting table. When you buy a wood paste table these days, they are all made in the same factory, to the same low standard. They have a Hardboard top, which falls apart as soon as you wipe it down, which you should do after pasting every drop, they are flimsy and can’t handle much weight on them.

So I started my hunt for a paste table with a Ply-wood top, which lead me to Weston-super-Mare, a 3 Hour drive away to pickup a table from a lovely retiring decorator for £20, the table was manufactured by a firm that went out of business before I was born but fitted all the requirements I had. It is not perfect but suits for now. The development of my perfect paste table is it’s own ramble and not suited for here.

I hope this shows that I try and look at every aspect of the job and the work down to a microscopic degree to try and make it as easy and efficient as I can, for both me and you. I want happy and calm customers. I understand that because of where we are placed in the order of a build or refurbishment that many customers are tired of dealing with tradesmen and their…..sometimes unique quirks. So I try to do things differently, for most papering jobs I can give a price while I am in your home measuring up, all I have to do is populate my custom built pricing spreadsheet and it gives me the cost of the job. No waiting around for weeks and endless chasing, you will know the price before I leave.

A bathroom corner with a white sink, a chrome faucet, a bottle of Carex hand soap, and a tube of hand cream. The wall has patterned wallpaper with leaves and acorns, and there is a partial view of a door frame.
Close-up of a tabby cat lying on a textured gray couch, with a blurred background of framed pictures on a wall and a window with green curtains.

I like to think of myself as a calm and considered man, I would rather spend a bit of time pondering a subject or problem to fully grasp it and understand it before I tackle it. When you hire me to complete your work you will see me plan every drop in the whole room, and then have a small break, just to give myself the chance to ponder if how I have planned it is the best route, does it mitigate difficult parts while still getting the pattern balanced properly for the room.

This is as much as I have for now, trust me, there are many more thoughts rattling around for me to eventually put to paper (screen?).

For now I hope this shows you that when you hire Wey Valley Wallcoverings that I will put you on a pedestal and dedicate my time to making sure the experience is smooth and easy for everyone involved.

If you have any other questions don’t hesitate to call, email or text and ask, I absolutely love talking shop. For now, have a picture of Lara, Head Laser Measure chaser of Wey Valley Wallcoverings.

-Ryan