Tough Love With Hilary Farr - General Discussion

[MrPissyPuppy]

She totally should have let Wendell do something with that piano.  I bet it would have been amazing. 

 

[deirdra]

In all of the places in Canada & the US where I've lived,  asphalt has been pronounced "az-falt", not "ash-falt" or "ass-falt" (or "asp-halt")

Edited February 3, 2022 by deirdra

[Cetacean]

49 minutes ago, ChitChat said:

Note to Hilary:  It's not ASH-phalt.  It's ASS-phalt!!  ;)  

I was yelling the same thing at the TV.  Obviously she's never seen the written word.

[Chit Chat]

The low beams in that house would probably bother me.  I'd feel claustrophobic.  

2 hours ago, deirdra said:

In all of the places in Canada & the US where I've lived,  asphalt has been pronounced "az-falt", not "ash-falt" or "ass-falt" (or "asp-halt")

Maybe it's a southern thing in that we emphasize the ASS part of the word!!    That ASSphalt sure is hot in the summertime.  It's hot enough to melt your flip-flops!  You could fry an egg on that ASSphalt!   :)

[Pj3422]

On 1/18/2022 at 11:33 AM, ECM1231 said:

I'd love to know more about her background. Anyone know?

You know the wedding scene at the beginning of Rocky Horror Picture Show? Guess who plays the bride?

[3 is enough]

On 2/2/2022 at 3:35 PM, ChitChat said:

 Note to Hilary:  It's not ASH-phalt.  It's ASS-phalt!!  ;)  

But she lives in Toronto, and in Canada they say ASH-phalt.  Not sure how they pronounce it in Britain. 

Regional pronunciations vary so much. I've lived in 4 states and Canada and I heard a lot of different ways to say the same words.

[Chit Chat]

10 minutes ago, 3 is enough said:

But she lives in Toronto, and in Canada they say ASH-phalt. 

Thanks!  That's the first time I've heard it pronounced that way.  Kind of odd to me!

[Grizzly]

This week they get to keep the piano. Goat yoga is cute to watch but I'll not be doing it. Loved the dogs. Hillary surprised me by getting along with the rat but I'm sure David would have something smart to say. The design was the usual improvement but I hate having to go through the bathroom to get to the closet.

[Cetacean]

I really liked this episode.  The couple seemed so nice, so low key and drama free.  Hillary surprised me with the rat as well!  

So the dead relative room was the only gathering space?  I know Hillary said something about it being the formal living room but was there a family room somewhere?  Where did the five of them hang out and watch TV?

I would do goat yoga in a heartbeat.  I laughed right along with them.

[carolibra]

Lovely homeowners, and mostly lovely result. 

My quibbles:

• Four stools at the island for a five-person family. If they all want to sit together, it now must be at the "fancy" dining room table.
• No surround for the master shower. Seriously? Water just free to splash everywhere?
• Trough sink in the kids' bathroom. This is a total miss for me. Where do you put things while they're being used, pray tell? Also, it was mounted so low that in a couple years the kids will be forced to hunch down. Badly done, Hilary!

Yay for keeping the piano, though!

[Chit Chat]

5 hours ago, carolibra said:

Trough sink in the kids' bathroom. This is a total miss for me. Where do you put things while they're being used, pray tell?

My thoughts exactly!  Overall, I liked the reno, but I thought that $100,000 would go further than what they got.  They paid a lot of money to have some furniture reupholstered and rearranged.  The bathrooms had significant changes, but I think the price tag was kind of high for what they got.  

[ECM1231]

3 hours ago, ChitChat said:

My thoughts exactly!  Overall, I liked the reno, but I thought that $100,000 would go further than what they got.  They paid a lot of money to have some furniture reupholstered and rearranged.  The bathrooms had significant changes, but I think the price tag was kind of high for what they got.  

I also was scratching my head as to where all that $100,000 went. Yes, the kitchen probably ate up a big chunk, as well as reconfiguring the owner's bath and closet. Upholstery can be pricey, but it was just 3 chairs and a sofa. The dining room looked so much better, but I was surprised that Hilary just enlarged the case opening. Personally, I like that better, but I'd assumed she was opening it entirely to the kitchen. Family of  5- 4 stools. Good job. Now they will always have to eat in the dining room. Lastly, the children's bathroom was ridiculous with that trough sink with 3 faucets. The vanity already had 2 basins. Was it really that much of a big deal for the kids to be brushing teeth together? Or couldn't one wait his turn? I hate reglazing tiles and not a fan of laminate flooring ,especially in a bathroom. It's cheap looking, even if it's the luxury kind. 

So yeah, disappointed the money didn't go further.

Edited February 9, 2022 by ECM1231

[CousinAmy]

I loved the old barn, but I was cringing in advance knowing that it would be "opened up" to look modern, light, and spacious. White walls just look wrong in a structure with beautiful old wood. (You should hear me on John Lennon and Yoko Ono's white walls in their apartment in The Dakota). Instead of bright white, I'd go with more of the blue and green - or even cream - paint. 

[auntjess]

On 2/2/2022 at 6:35 PM, ChitChat said:

 Note to Hilary:  It's not ASH-phalt.  It's ASS-phalt!!  ;)  

I've noticed that pronunciation on other Canadian shows.  (Mike Holmes groupie here.)

 

[CruiseDiva]

On 2/9/2022 at 12:25 AM, ECM1231 said:

I also was scratching my head as to where all that $100,000 went. Yes, the kitchen probably ate up a big chunk, as well as reconfiguring the owner's bath and closet. Upholstery can be pricey, but it was just 3 chairs and a sofa. The dining room looked so much better, but I was surprised that Hilary just enlarged the case opening. Personally, I like that better, but I'd assumed she was opening it entirely to the kitchen. Family of  5- 4 stools. Good job. Now they will always have to eat in the dining room. Lastly, the children's bathroom was ridiculous with that trough sink with 3 faucets. The vanity already had 2 basins. Was it really that much of a big deal for the kids to be brushing teeth together? Or couldn't one wait his turn? I hate reglazing tiles and not a fan of laminate flooring ,especially in a bathroom. It's cheap looking, even if it's the luxury kind. 

So yeah, disappointed the money didn't go further.

All I could think of when I saw that trough sink was... "where are they going to keep their toothbrushes and toothpaste?" There were two soap dishes and I didn't notice any towel bars. I also noticed that the family of  5 only had room for 4 stools at the island. Personally, I'd ask for my money back.

[deirdra]

15 hours ago, auntjess said:

I've noticed that pronunciation on other Canadian shows.  (Mike Holmes groupie here.)

Toronto is not Canada (though they may think they are).

[buttersister]

On 2/12/2022 at 1:36 AM, CruiseDiva said:

All I could think of when I saw that trough sink was... "where are they going to keep their toothbrushes and toothpaste?" There were two soap dishes and I didn't notice any towel bars. I also noticed that the family of  5 only had room for 4 stools at the island. Personally, I'd ask for my money back.

Agree. I like Hilary’s style and would happily let her have her way around here, but that sink belongs in a restaurant restroom, not a home—unless that mirror was a medicine cabinet for tooth brushes, paste, etc. And I’d have to look again to see if the island could handle five stools but they didn’t want it to look crowded for the reveal. Because otherwise, WTAH?

[ECM1231]

On 2/12/2022 at 5:41 PM, deirdra said:

Toronto is not Canada (though they may think they are).

Now you have piqued my interest. Care to elaborate for this U.S. citizen?

[Shermie]

Quote

the people who work on the show seem to have a Canadian accent

No such thing. Is it a Quebec accent or a Newfoundland one or a northern Ontario one or an Alberta one? Or a mish-mash, since people move around? It’s like saying someone has an American accent; way too many regions for there to be a homogenous national accent.

Quote

she lives in Toronto, and in Canada they say ASH-phalt

Nope. Some people in Canada might say ash-phalt, but it’s not a Canadian pronunciation. I wonder if it’s a tv thing because ass-phalt might offend some pearl-clutchers.

13 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

On 2/12/2022 at 5:41 PM, deirdra said:

Toronto is not Canada (though they may think they are).

Now you have piqued my interest. Care to elaborate for this U.S. citizen?

Toronto thinks it’s the centre of the universe and Torontonians think they’re superior. Everybody in Canada hates Toronto and they’re baffled by it. Kind of how many in the world hate Americans and they’re baffled by that. No self-awareness. I live in Ontario and when we travel elsewhere in Canada we quickly specify that we’re from Ontario but NOT from Toronto.

As for the show, I just saw the one with the family that moved from Germany, and I’m perplexed that they paid to ship all that crap thousands of miles. And that they’ve lived in that house for a year and a half and it looks like a junk store vomited in it. I mean, okay, it was a sudden move I’ll give them some slack that they packed up quickly and it was disorganized. But good god, go room by room and sort through the clutter. It’s not like she was home all day with 3 small children; those kids would be in school all day and they could help declutter when they got home. 

I will say that I would never hire a designer because they seem to take all of a family’s personal items out of a house and replace it with new generic bric-a-brac. Yes, German family had lots of crap but I’m sure they had mementoes in there that could be used to decorate with (besides the ubiquitous black and white photos matted deeply in large white frames). Why not incorporate the wine barrel as a small table somewhere, even on the porch? And the new couch was way too small for a family of 5, is someone supposed to perch on one of those also ubiquitous accent chairs with hard metal arms (what I call dentist office waiting room chairs). Fun evening lounging in one of those.

[ECM1231]

Wondering if they picked up this show for a second season. 8 episodes aren't much for a season.

[DVDFreaker]

I enjoyed the show, now I am waiting for David to get his own show

[DVDFreaker]

On 2/2/2022 at 5:53 PM, MrPissyPuppy said:

She totally should have let Wendell do something with that piano.  I bet it would have been amazing. 

 

I do not think she wants Wendell to remove parts of the piano 

Edited March 3, 2022 by DVDFreaker

[LekoBoy]

Sorry if someone already mentioned this and I missed it...

Hilary Farr played the role of Betty Munroe in the movie "The Rocky Horror Picture Show", credited as Hilary Labow, in 1975.

She's an actress, not a designer.  The shows have real designers, that are never seen.  All of the furniture is rented or borrowed, and goes back immediately after filming.

 

 

[katenm]

Hilary Farr is a professional designer and has had her own firm for decades. 

[CynicalGirl]

Hilary has worn many hats, but she is most certainly a designer.

wikipedia Hilary Farr

[Broderbits]

Just finished the whole season and I much prefer this show to LIOLI with its bitchy and clueless homeowners. Too much yelling at the tv wears me out!

On 2/14/2022 at 10:22 PM, Shermie said:

As for the show, I just saw the one with the family that moved from Germany, and I’m perplexed that they paid to ship all that crap thousands of miles

Wasn't the husband with the Army Corps. of Engineers? If so, I believe moving costs are paid by the Army.

[SophiaD]

I stumbled across this show yesterday.  I like it SO much more then LILI, mainly because there isn't a competition and one of member of the couple isn't "winning" at the other's expense.  

Although, I agree, that the $100,000 vanished rather quickly in the GOAT episode, I really liked the slipcovers and the tile refresh as tips for watchers who might want to do their own remodels and can't afford it.  Also, the couple was just charming (and baby goats!)

[Grizzly]

New season Sept 4!

[buttersister]

Smug but loving husband can barely stand that he’s on the short list who’ve heard Hilary admit she was wrong, homeowner was right. Otoh, they were right about that screened-in porch.😂

[debbie311]

Last night's episode: Blended family, they got married in 2020 and he moved in to her house with his daughter (other is in college). He has to keep his clothes in boxes under the bed because there is no room ANYWHERE in that house.  It looked to me like the house was more of a storage unit than a home. Not a clear place anywhere.  She is basically a hoarder, I have never seen someone with so much stuff. Hilary explained to her that they were going to have to get ride of a lot of stuff in order for her to help them.  The wife's constant giggling got on my nerves.  With her laughing and blank look on her face I wondered if she is medicated. The husband didn't have much to say, clearly the wife is in charge there since it was her house to begin with.

Because I cannot stand clutter, I just found this episode so irritating.

[Broderbits]

I just thought they were a little unnerved being on camera, especially the husband (and the dog!). There was a tremendous amount of crap in that small house, but that was also true of virtually every house on LIOLI.

[ML89]

2 hours ago, debbie311 said:

The wife's constant giggling got on my nerves.  With her laughing and blank look on her face I wondered if she is medicated. The husband didn't have much to say, clearly the wife is in charge there since it was her house to begin with.

Odds of it all being back the way it was before Hillary started in, say, six months? I'd say even. I'm not even halfway through the episode and wow, was that homeowner oppositional. The giggling drove me crazy. Sure, they didn't have enough time to clear things out - I wonder if they were expecting the crew to just clear out the rest. That shed...so much stuff. Hilary may be short on the sugar but she clearly has patience. (also, I am so tired of that commercial...)

 

[debbie311]

2 hours ago, ML89 said:

Odds of it all being back the way it was before Hillary started in, say, six months? I'd say even. I'm not even halfway through the episode and wow, was that homeowner oppositional. The giggling drove me crazy. Sure, they didn't have enough time to clear things out - I wonder if they were expecting the crew to just clear out the rest. That shed...so much stuff. Hilary may be short on the sugar but she clearly has patience. (also, I am so tired of that commercial...)

 

That is so true, when I see the homes after Hilary has redone them, all clean with things put away, etc., I figure it will just be a matter of time before they are trashed again.  And yes, very tired of the "sugar" commercial.

[ECM1231]

On 9/26/2023 at 11:06 AM, debbie311 said:

Last night's episode: Blended family, they got married in 2020 and he moved in to her house with his daughter (other is in college). He has to keep his clothes in boxes under the bed because there is no room ANYWHERE in that house.  It looked to me like the house was more of a storage unit than a home. Not a clear place anywhere.  She is basically a hoarder, I have never seen someone with so much stuff. Hilary explained to her that they were going to have to get ride of a lot of stuff in order for her to help them.  The wife's constant giggling got on my nerves.  With her laughing and blank look on her face I wondered if she is medicated. The husband didn't have much to say, clearly the wife is in charge there since it was her house to begin with.

Because I cannot stand clutter, I just found this episode so irritating.

I don't understand why Hilary couldn't do more with a 125K budget. She gave them a brand new kitchen, removed a wall to open up the space, and also stole space from the office to enlarge the primary bedroom. Yes, they got new furniture for the 2 bedrooms, living room, and office, but that was it. The bathroom was not touched. The dollar amounts flashing on the TV screen go by too quickly for me to tally. I'm guessing 50K for a new kitchen, so to me 75K for the rest is a lot. My husband kept saying they needed a new roof most of all! I know Hilary uses very high end finishes, but I often think she could do more with the budget if she didn't use such high end material.

For all the clutter and excess of the homeowner, what bugs me most about Hilary is that her finished closets have VERY LITTLE CLOTHING in them. Yes, certainly pare down, but come on, she leaves so few clothes in there. What happens to the rest? Do most homeowners only have a 1/2 full closet of clothes? I'm speaking as someone who does NOT have a walk- in closet.

[debbie311]

1 hour ago, ECM1231 said:

For all the clutter and excess of the homeowner, what bugs me most about Hilary is that her finished closets have VERY LITTLE CLOTHING in them. Yes, certainly pare down, but come on, she leaves so few clothes in there. What happens to the rest? Do most homeowners only have a 1/2 full closet of clothes? I'm speaking as someone who does NOT have a walk- in closet.

Yes, I wonder about that too!  It's ridiculous.  Clearly it's staging.  And that storage shed out in the backyard for her many clothes and boots.  I'm sorry, even if it is a brand new storage shed, I am not going to store my clothes and shoes outside.  Spiders!  And other crawly things!

[ML89]

On 9/27/2023 at 11:25 AM, ECM1231 said:

I don't understand why Hilary couldn't do more with a 125K budget. She gave them a brand new kitchen, removed a wall to open up the space, and also stole space from the office to enlarge the primary bedroom. Yes, they got new furniture for the 2 bedrooms, living room, and office, but that was it. The bathroom was not touched. The dollar amounts flashing on the TV screen go by too quickly for me to tally. I'm guessing 50K for a new kitchen, so to me 75K for the rest is a lot. My husband kept saying they needed a new roof most of all! I know Hilary uses very high end finishes, but I often think she could do more with the budget if she didn't use such high end material.

Yes. Although I wonder if, because they're starting to show people in their rentals (Christina did the same in one of her On the Coast eps this year), they're figuring the cost of being out of the house in there as well? It's like Nate and Jeremiah using marble all the time, the costs sometimes seem off.

Also, why did the daughter want her room redone with that awkward way the bed and desk were set up? No way that giggling homeowner could do anything on that tiny desk - I stg I don't know who they are making these work from home offices for, because I have one and it has big desks and many monitors, not one tiny computer on an even tinier space (maybe it's because I watch too many home office set up vids on YT from tech people).

On 9/27/2023 at 12:48 PM, debbie311 said:

nd that storage shed out in the backyard for her many clothes and boots.  I'm sorry, even if it is a brand new storage shed, I am not going to store my clothes and shoes outside.  Spiders!  And other crawly things!

And damp and mold!

[jcbrown]

I thought the couple on this week's episode was kind of annoying, with their three coffee makers.

[buttersister]

I caught that but wasn’t paying enough attention at that point to see the three. I may sympthize. At one point, I had a programmable coffeemaker, a Gaggia espresso machine and a pour-over single cup. (Donated the auto, gave away the Gaggia, and committed to a Chemex.) Still, Hilary would gag at the amount of stuff on my (limited) counters. 

[jcbrown]

21 hours ago, buttersister said:

I caught that but wasn’t paying enough attention at that point to see the three. I may sympthize. At one point, I had a programmable coffeemaker, a Gaggia espresso machine and a pour-over single cup. (Donated the auto, gave away the Gaggia, and committed to a Chemex.) Still, Hilary would gag at the amount of stuff on my (limited) counters. 

Hilary even said that if one had been for espresso, one a French press, and one a drip coffeemaker or something she would have understood. That was not the case here. They had three drip coffeemakers and did not share one between them. It was weird.

I'm not saying Hilary would not clutch her pearls at the amount of stuff in my house, but that's my stuff so it makes perfect sense, right? 😆

Something about this couple was just off to me. Maybe they were so normal the producers had to find things to make into quirks, like the coffee equipment and the color-coded plethora of neckties and her opposition to hidden trash in kitchens.

[chessiegal]

I haven't watched this because I don't like Love It or List It. Too much fake drama. Reading here, I'll have to give it a try. Sounds like fun.

[buttersister]

It’s the good parts of LoLI (Hilary’s redo) without the faux drama.  Also, she doesn’t pretend to do all the design work herself. The conflict, if any, comes from homeowners having trouble purging or asking for some extra thing, but it’s usually low key. I’m pretty sure Hilary built an attractive shed in one backyard to stash the stuff the owner couldn’t part with. Not “outdoor stuff.” LOL. 

[Grizzly]

On 9/26/2023 at 11:06 AM, debbie311 said:

Last night's episode: Blended family, they got married in 2020 and he moved in to her house with his daughter (other is in college). He has to keep his clothes in boxes under the bed because there is no room ANYWHERE in that house.  It looked to me like the house was more of a storage unit than a home. Not a clear place anywhere.  She is basically a hoarder, I have never seen someone with so much stuff. Hilary explained to her that they were going to have to get ride of a lot of stuff in order for her to help them.  The wife's constant giggling got on my nerves.  With her laughing and blank look on her face I wondered if she is medicated. The husband didn't have much to say, clearly the wife is in charge there since it was her house to begin with.

Because I cannot stand clutter, I just found this episode so irritating.

I just watched this episode. Agree with everything you all have said. I side eyed the convenient empty house next door that is now holding all their clutter.

The one bone I'll pick with Hillary is her bringing her dog into a house where another dog will live. Seems rude. I know my dog would hate the smell of another dog in his house.

[Pine]

Hilary was pretty hard, snarky to the couple whose husband just went through cancer treatment.

The remo was nice.  But, 85K.  The prices are really going up a lot.

[carolibra]

As a Buckeye, the moment Hilary stopped on the yellow in the fan deck I snorted "oh HELL no" - and thoroughly enjoyed the wife's instantaneous and adamant refusal to consider THAT color combo.

Loved the kitchen/pantry result.

[Feline Goddess]

The kitchen layout was obviously better than before, but apart from that, I didn't like anything in the episode. The backsplash was a beautiful color, but didn't go with the other colors in the kitchen and family room. I didn't like the grouping of photos in small frames in the family room. Seemed more like a 'before' decorative choice than an 'after' one. The powder room was ugly. The dining room transformed into a relaxing space was nice, but the wallpaper should've been just an accent wall, not the whole room. And again, like the family room, the furniture had a 'thrift store' chucked together vibe. Definitely not up to Hilary's usual standards.  

Edited November 1, 2023 by Feline Goddess

[Chit Chat]

23 hours ago, Feline Goddess said:

The dining room transformed into a relaxing space was nice, but the wallpaper should've been just an accent wall, not the whole room.

Are we talking about the room with the dark blue wallpaper and painted blue ceiling?  If so, I agree.  That was just too much!  I love wallpaper (not that one though), but I shy away from it in my house just because of the issue it can be if reselling a house, or if one gets tired of it.  Repainting a wall is so much easier if you need a refresh in a room!!

[buttersister]

I’m trying to figure out why the throwback hippies were on this show. Did someone lose a bet?

Feeling like I missed a cage match between Hilary and Jennifer. The one Hilary lost. I’m struck by two things (three if you count I couldn’t live in that house). I hope that 1) the family thrives and  2) David was watching 😂

 

 

Edited October 31, 2023 by buttersister
Get the scary wife’s name correct.

[Grizzly]

I didn't understand the rationale for moving the basement stairs. And I'm not sure David would have wanted to try and list that re-done house.

[blondiek237]

That cabinet color would give me a headache.  I think it would have been better if they did the cabinets the blue Hilary picked out.  And they gave up a walk in pantry for a small table that I bet they never use.  

[jcbrown]

Agreed that the blue Hilary selected was better. And that chartreuse backsplash was dreadful, no matter what you put it with. I mean, I love color, too, and have more color in my house through art and such than many do, but I don't want my house decorated like clowns exploded all over it. Your eyes need somewhere to rest.

6 hours ago, blondiek237 said:

That cabinet color would give me a headache.  I think it would have been better if they did the cabinets the blue Hilary picked out.  And they gave up a walk in pantry for a small table that I bet they never use.  

Oh, I forgot that gave up so much pantry space for a tiny stupid table. That woman was a real piece of work and I get the impression her husband spends a lot of time acquiescing. It was almost painful to watch how little regard Hilary had for her "taste."