Hilary Farr

Hilary Farr – Life, Career, and Design Philosophy

Explore the life, career, and design legacy of Hilary Farr — British-Canadian designer, businesswoman, TV host, and former actress — from her early years to Love It or List It and beyond.

Introduction

Hilary Elizabeth Farr (née Labow) is a multi-talented designer, businesswoman, television host, and former actress. She is best known as the longtime co-host on Love It or List It, where she combined home renovation expertise with showmanship.

Raised between Toronto and London, Farr brings a distinctly global, refined taste to interior design, often described as “Brit chic” with a playful, approachable edge.

In what follows, we trace her early life, career trajectory, design philosophy, influence, and lessons.

Early Life and Background

• Hilary Farr was born August 31, 1951, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

• Her parents were of mixed religious backgrounds: her mother was Anglican and her father was Jewish. Farr was raised celebrating both Christian and Jewish traditions.

• Though born in Canada, she grew up in London, where she was exposed to European aesthetics, theatre, and design culture.

• In her youth, she attended the Royal Ballet School until around age 11. Later, she gravitated toward theatre and interior design, having helped her mother decorate their home.

Thus, her upbringing straddled artistic performance and interior spaces — a background that foreshadowed her combined interests in aesthetics, staging, and spatial storytelling.

Acting & Early Creative Work

Before becoming known primarily as a designer, Hilary Farr worked in film, television, and set design:

• She acted under her birth name, Hilary Labow, with appearances in films such as Layout for 5 Models (1972), The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), City on Fire (1979), and The Return (1980).

• She also worked in set design for film and television, gaining experience in how scenes, architecture, and props inform mood and story.

• Gradually, she began purchasing and renovating properties — applying design principles in real spaces rather than just theatrical ones.

These early crossovers between performance, staging, and built environment gave her a unique advantage: she understands how space reads visually — both to cameras and to inhabitants.

Rise in Design & Television

Transition to Design

• Farr developed a reputation renovating homes in locales including California, New York, and Toronto, working across the UK, Australia, and the U.S.

• She renovated for celebrity clients, including Jenna Elfman’s home and Jennifer Hudson’s loft in Chicago.

• She launched her own firm, Hilary Farr’s Designs, operating out of Toronto and New York City.

Love It or List It & TV Fame

• In 2008, Farr became co-host of Love It or List It (with real-estate expert David Visentin), a show where homeowners must decide whether to stay and renovate or move to a new home.

• On the show, she brings her design vision, project oversight, materials selection, and client negotiation skills into full view. Her aesthetic judgments and ability to reimagine spaces make her a central creative voice.

• In 2023, Farr left Love It or List It after many seasons.

• She also hosted Tough Love with Hilary Farr starting in 2021, centering more on design interventions and personal transformations.

Her on-screen presence boosted her public profile and allowed her design brand to reach wider audiences, merging media and creative entrepreneurship.

Design Style & Philosophy

Hilary Farr’s design aesthetic is often characterized by:

• Refined yet comfortable elegance: Her work is polished without being cold; she aims for warmth, personality, and livability.

• “Understated Brit chic”: Influenced by her upbringing in London, she often blends classical restraint with global touches and playful accents.

• Playful touches and quirk: Her homes often include bold pieces, interesting textures, or unexpected color choices — enough to give character without overwhelming.

• Functionality and flow: She considers how people live in a space — movement, storage, light, and comfort are key elements, not just surface aesthetics.

• Sustainable, livable materials: Her brand now includes textiles, rugs, and home goods designed so they can be used and enjoyed daily (not just displayed).

Her design philosophy is that beautiful spaces should also feel real — inviting, functional, expressive of the individuals who live there.

Achievements & Influence

• Farr has become one of the most recognized design personalities in North America, owing largely to her HGTV presence and design brand.

• Through her brand and media work, she has translated her design sensibility into curated product lines — textiles, rugs, home goods — allowing her aesthetic to reach beyond individual commissions.

• She has inspired many aspiring designers and DIY homeowners by demystifying high-end renovation and exposing design decision-making (budgeting, tradeoffs, negotiations).

• Her brand success also shows how a designer can scale from individual projects to product lines, media presence, and entrepreneurship.

Personal Life, Challenges & Resilience

• Farr was married to Gordon Farr in 1982; they had a son in 1983.

• The marriage ended in divorce in 2008.

• In her personal journey, Farr has faced health challenges: she was diagnosed with a precancerous tumor in 2012 and later breast cancer in 2014, for which she underwent surgery, radiation, and additional interventions. As of reports, she is in remission.

• She also has a passion for animal welfare: in 2017, she volunteered in Nairobi with organizations protecting orphaned elephants.

These experiences — professional, creative, personal — shape her public voice: direct, expressive, and grounded.

Lessons from Hilary Farr

• Blend performance and design: Her background in theatre and set design enhanced her ability to stage spaces that both look good and tell stories.

• Scale your vision: She moved beyond service-based design to product lines and media, expanding her reach and influence.

• Be authentic in public work: Her transparency about design decision-making, tradeoffs, and constraints makes her more relatable and credible.

• Resilience in adversity: Health challenges, career pivots, and a high-visibility career require determination; Farr’s persistence is a model.

• Design for life, not just looks: Her commitment to livability, comfort, and flexibility adds depth and longevity to her aesthetic.