They may have visited Squamish to bike, hike and explore the backcountry by snowmobile, but builders Mickey Fabbiano and Sebastian Sevallo recently brought their renovation tools — and film crew — along with them for the first time.
Their HGTV Canada show, Worst to First, is now in its second season.
Builders (and brothers-in-law), along with designer Catherine Yuen, said they jumped at the opportunity to work on some renovations in Squamish.
Fabbiano and Sevallo said they spend a lot of time in and around Squamish off set, too. One is a member of the Black Tusk Snowmobile Club, while the other owns a townhouse in Squamish. The breadth of what Squamish's outdoors offers is what draws them back.
"We're all up there all the time, playing and hanging out, so to get to work up there was rad," Fabbiano said.
"The dream," Yuen added. "The scenery in that area is just the blend of the beautiful mountains, the ocean — just amazing views."
On their show, of course, the team also works on interiors. Each of the two episodes shot in Squamish features a family who has already been living in the area.
One family of four wanted to stay in their current home, which had a small footprint. It was a challenge familiar to many in Squamish of trying to make a small space work for a growing family with active young kids. Storage was another aspect particular to these episodes.
"I think we represented Squamish well in these episodes and showcased what Squamish has to offer in terms of the outdoors and the community that's there, and also the different types of homes that are there too," Sevallo said.
"I want them to feel proud we were able to showcase their beautiful neighbourhood on national television, but also be inspired by the design challenges we faced, the construction challenges we face, and also be inspired to make some changes at homes themselves," Yuen said.
To watch the episodes, tune in to HGTV Canada's Worst to First on May 30 and June 6.
