Walking into Sandra Sebellin’s backyard is like being on an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.
The only difference is that unlike the TV show, where everything is brand spanking new, almost everything in her backyard is second hand. And more importantly, each piece of décor tells a story.
Sebellin’s passion project started in 1990, when she and her husband David bought their Burnaby home. The couple decided to tear it down and build again, and enlisted help from family and friends.
It was through that process the Sebellins mastered many do-it-yourself skills. (David had graduated with a commerce degree and Sebellin was an elementary school teacher.)
“We really had to learn everything ourselves,” she told the NOW during a backyard tour, adding David would go on to build nearly all the outdoor structures, including a very inviting gazebo.
But it’s the knickknacks laying around the property that really catch the eye – items Sebellin and her mom, Maria, have picked up from thrift stores, neighbours and even local restaurateurs. For example, when entering the backyard from the side of the house, guests are met with a “Hostess Will Seat You” sign. Before the doors closed at New Westminster’s La Spaghetteria last year, Maria asked the owner if she could take the greeting sign.
“Salvatore (Fancello) says, ‘What will you do with that?’ She goes, ‘Oh, it’s for my daughter’s garden,’” Sebellin said with a laugh.
The backyard is divided into different “sections.” The seating area closest to the house carries a Mediterranean feel, with Greek-style plates and candles hanging on the wall.
Beside it is a hot tub underneath a pergola, which is equipped with curtains for privacy. The Sebellins also built an extension to the side of the hot tub, giving way for another neat space – a mini-bar with stools.
Flowers, meanwhile, are plentiful in the yard, with pops of colour at every turn. But Sebellin doesn’t just use standard vases. On one occasion, she paid $2 for a pair of bright blue kids rain boots from Value Village and planted succulents.
“That’s how everything came about, junk. It’s just junk and we just put it together,” she said.
In the same corner, flowers bloom inside a tin pot.
“Mom bought that at an Army & Navy when she first came to Canada. That was how I was potty trained, so when she moved out of the house, she gave me that and I put flowers in there,” Sebellin said with a smile.
The backyard also boasts a Mexican corner, a reminder of the many family vacations when the kids were young. The blue bistro table and chairs in that part of the yard were acquired from a friend of a friend.
“Apparently they were in a play at Massey Theatre, the War of the Roses, so it’s kind of a little famous,” she said.
There’s another cozy seating area nearby with a pair of Adirondack chairs built by Sebellin’s son in high school.
As for the gazebo, Sebellin always envisioned having one since first moving in. David, however, told her she’d have to wait 10 years.
“(The year) 2000 came along and I nudged him in bed, and I said, ‘Start digging,’” she said. “We spend many evenings here, have our sangria here.”
The furniture inside the gazebo was paid for with Zellers points, while the table was refurbished by David (it originally had a glass top, but he put in tiles). The numerous bird houses scattered around were built by Sebellin’s dad and painted by her.
It was only in the last three years since she’s retired that it’s all come together, noted the teacher.
The reaction she gets from friends and neighbours who step into her yard for the first time is usually one of amazement, said Sebellin.
“When they first come, (they say), ‘Where did you buy this? Where did you get that?’ And then I take the time to tell them the stories, and it’s like, ‘Really?’ I go, ‘Yeah, you just have to be willing to put in the time.’”
Besides keeping her busy, the backyard has allowed her parents to stay active, too, whether it’s tracking down something at a thrift shore or throwing a new coat of paint on a chair.
“It gives him a purpose. He feels important. He sits back here and he looks around, it’s very nice, it’s very nice,” Sebellin said of her dad.
She hopes by sharing her eclectic backyard with NOW readers, she can inspire others to get creative with second-hand items.
“It doesn’t take a lot of money. Somebody else’s junk is your treasure. Just put the elbow grease into it and enjoy the ride. You’ll amaze yourself at what you can do. And you don’t have to go big. A little space can be really, really cute,” she said.
