I Tried to Impress My Girlfriend with Home Renovation but Guess What?

Last Saturday, I woke up feeling productive. You know that rare Gen Z high that hits when your space looks like a Pinterest board in your mind?

I was tired of my scattered books and candles sitting on the floor. I decided it was finally time to hang a floating shelf above my bed.

A bold move, I know. But I had watched at least five YouTube tutorials the night before. I was ready.

Armed with a cheap drill from Jumia, some raw plugs, and a packet of self-confidence, I marked the wall like a pro. The idea was simple: a clean, white shelf to display my fake plant, a scented candle, and a framed quote that said, “Don’t just exist. Live.”

I was halfway through drilling the second hole when I hit something.

The drill choked. Then—spark.

The light in my room blinked. My extension box sizzled. My playlist cut off mid-Burna Boy verse.

I had hit a wire.

Not just any wire. Apparently, the wire. The one powering the entire right side of the flat. AC? Dead. Router? Gone. Fridge? Warm. My landlord’s CCTV monitor? Black.

I just sat there, holding the drill like a suspect in a bad Nigerian crime movie.

I texted my landlord—just a “Hey sir, please call me” kind of panic text.

In less than 15 minutes, the man was at my door in wrapper and crocs.

He walked into my room, looked at the shelf, then the drill, then the wall. He didn’t say anything for a solid minute. Then came the sigh. The one that starts from your soul.

“You know say you go pay electrician, abi?”

I nodded like a child caught stealing stew.

Long story short, the electrician said I had “grazed the main junction.” He brought wires out of my wall like it was intestine. My landlord stood watching like he was at a funeral.

I had to pay for rewiring part of the wall, repaint the spot, and for the technician to restart the CCTV DVR. Total cost? ₦42,500. I could’ve bought three pre-installed IKEA shelves on Konga with that money.

But that wasn’t even the twist.

While all this was happening, my girlfriend called. She’d seen my WhatsApp status of the initial shelf progress and commented: “Aww, you’re finally building something for once.”

I sent her a voice note explaining the chaos. You know, casual trauma bonding.

She replied: “Wait… so you drilled above your own bed without checking what was behind the wall? And you did it alone?? You could’ve been electrocuted.”

Then she ghosted me.

She didn’t pick my calls for two days. Finally, when she replied, she said something that stuck:

“It’s not about the shelf. It’s that you’re always rushing to do things for aesthetics without thinking long term. That’s how you make life decisions too.”

Ouch.

Anyway, the shelf is up now. The wall is patched, and the frame still says “Don’t just exist. Live.”

But every time I look at it, I remember the spark, the sigh, and the silence.

So yeah, DIY is cute. But always—ALWAYS—scan your walls first. And maybe don’t try to impress Instagram if you haven’t impressed your girlfriend with common safety.

Lesson learned. The hard way.