'Love It Or List It': Hilary Farr renovates tiny bedrooms into airy spaces, impresses sisters Katherine and Hagen
Canadian designer Hilary Farr has proved her mettle as a designer time and again. This week's 'Love It Or List It' episode was no different. Sisters Katherine and Hagen put her on a spot when they demanded their 2-bedroom house be updated into a spacious, airy property. A tough challenge, but Hilary knows her way around a house and its walls.
While on an inspection tour, both Hilary and realtor David Visentin figured out they have a lot of work cut out for them, especially with regard to space. The sisters asked Hilary to increase the ceiling height, ensure there are two hangout spaces, laundry placed someplace else apart from her bathroom, bigger bathrooms and of course, a different pathway into the rest of the house instead of the route that interrupts TV-viewing for those in the living area.
At the start of it, Katherine was sure she wanted to move out of her old house because they had been staying in it for over four years and it was time for a change. But somewhere Hagen knew Hilary would work her magic and they wouldn't have to leave the house. What worked in Hilary's favor was the neighborhood and distance from work and downtown. Interestingly, David had some great properties on his list, but most of them were exceeding the budget and a good 10-minute drive from the busy part of the two.
Hilary, who was unsure how he would go around fixing the house with a budget of $1,10,000, given the current situation of the house, and later had a chat with Hank, the construction worker, about the prices and how the basement (a very, damp, moldy space) could be transformed. On learning it would eat up a good portion of the budget given to her, Hilary decided to have an open conversation about it with the sisters. She said redoing the basement would mean she'd have to add to her budget, to which the sisters agreed to do keep the area as is. This was a huge relief for Hilary as it gave her money to extend the deck and add tiny elements to the house that eventually elevated the look and feel of it.
While Hilary got going with her job, David went around showing properties to the girls in the hope that they'd at least consider picking one of them. The issue with David's houses was that they were a lot farther off and exceeding their budget. Who wouldn't want a renovated space within budget over a brand new place that adds financial strain, and comes with the headache of moving in, putting together DIY projects and the like.
The final reveal came as a surprise for Katherine and Hagen as they weren't expecting the change to be so dynamic. They decided to "Love It". Bigger bathrooms, a workspace that can be closed behind massive wooden doors, cat litter storage, airy, well-lit kitchen, separate laundry area and spacious area to hang out in - what's not to love?
The sisters were extremely impressed with the way Hilary used every square inch of the house to create something new at each corner.
Catch all-new episodes of 'Love It Or List It' on HGTV every Monday night.