'I get in this workshop and everything disappears': N.B. man creates whimsical birdhouses in spare time

It’s not uncommon to find Phil Hebb down in his workshop.

“I’ve always liked woodworking, ever since I was a child,” he said.

Four years ago, as a way to help keep him busy during retirement, he started “Phil’s Unique Birdhouses” after being asked by someone to build him one.

“I try to keep all my birdhouses on the whimsical look without making any square corners, I like to make them all irregular,” he said.

Today, he has 20 different designs including everything from his first ever creation, his version of a who-house – which happens to be his best seller – to guitars and fiddles that were inspired by his and his wife’s musical group, “Maple Sugar.”

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Most of them are painted in bright rainbow colours and his daughter, Kellie Hebb, will paint flowers onto some of the homes as well.

Unique birdhouses created by Phil Hebb of New Brunswick are pictured. (CTV Atlantic/Alana Pickrell)

“When it came to those rainbow roofs, we set up a table in the basement and my friend Geraldine came over and we had a day of painting of the little rainbow roofs,” said Sylvia Cambell, Phil’s wife.

“I think they’re a great hobby. I love going to the markets and seeing everybody’s expressions. It’s, “Oh, they’re so unique! They’re so whimsical.’ I don’t know how many times we heard that word, ‘whimsical,’ on the weekend in Kingston,” she added.

Phil does everything from the original design, to cutting the wood, to putting the finishing touches on the final product.

He even made sure to do his research ahead of time to make sure that they were fit for their intended audience.

“I asked the question, ‘What is the most popular hole size that will accommodate the most birds that would nest in a birdhouse in our region?’ And they came up with a hole size one-and-one-half-inch,” he said.

He’s also made a few houses with smaller holes for swallows since it prevents other birds from getting in to take their eggs.

To date, his birdhouses have sold all over the Maritimes, Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec and into the United States.

“I’ve had so many people come back to me and say, ‘Yeah I’ve got birds.’ But I’ve also had people come back and say, ‘Look, I haven’t had any birds in my birdhouse,’ and I said, ‘Look, birds are just like people. If you have a beautiful home and it’s not where you’d like to live, you’re not going to live there.’ So, I said, ‘Move the birdhouse to some other location and see what happens because they are a lot like people in that respect,’” he said.

For Phil, creating birdhouses is something he does in his spare time. He says he doesn’t want to turn it into a full business venture, but it’s a hobby that has multiple benefits.

“I get in this workshop and everything disappears except for this work and this hobby of mine that I love. It’s a good hobby and it takes my mind off everything, good or bad,” he said.

Phil Hebb of New Brunswick is seen in his workshop creating birdhouses. (CTV Atlantic/Alana Pickrell)

Joking, he admitted that it also forced him to learn how to use the vacuum cleaner so that he could try to keep the dust out of the rest of the house.

“It creates a lot of dust, but we both work at that,” said Sylvia.

“He’s very happy when he’s in his workshop because he’s a creative artist and he’s always looking for something to do.”

Phil’s birdhouses can be ordered by calling him or you can find him at local craft markets.

He says they’re designed with both birds and people in mind, and he hopes they continue to bring joy wherever they go.

“Just close your eyes and imagine that you’re laying in bed, a nice sunny morning, the window is up, and the curtains are blowing and you’re hearing these birds chirping in the air,” he said.

“Isn’t that relaxing? What better can you get to that? That’s nature. That’s love.”

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