For those folks who are not already loyal HGTV viewers, the hit show Love it or List it always features homeowners who are looking to either renovate or sell their current homes. Interior designer Hilary Farr works to transform their old, out-of-date, home while real estate agent David Visentin sets out to find their new dream home. In the end, the homeowners get to decide if Hilary’s renovation was enough for them to stay in their current home and “Love it” or if David has found their dream property in which case they will “List it.”
Make sure you make it all the way to the bottom of this post to see a video from this amazing renovation!
European Home was contacted by the producers of the show, who decided our see-through H Series fireplace would be the perfect compliment to Hillary’s latest design for homeowners Shelly and Zahid. We of course loved the transformation, but did they Love it enough to stay?
(From left to right): Real Estate Agent, David Visentin, and Interior Designer, Hilary Farr, pose with homeowners Shelly and Zahid.
Meet Shelly and Zahid…
Shelly and Zahid found their dream house years ago. They loved the modern architectural design, its spacious interior, and the sprawling view. With their 5-year-old son Shehza, they have made this place home.
The problem? It is totally dated. Having been built in the 1980s, it is no surprise that Shelly is ready for some change. She explains, “I feel like I’m living in a bandaged house… patch here, patch there.” She has a laundry list of all that she wants fixed: There’s not enough cabinet space, there’s no place for everyone to sit in the kitchen, you have to go through her closet to find her son’s bedroom… and the list goes on. She is convinced that the house is no longer a good fit for them, and is ready to list it. As for Zahid? He wants to stay. His infatuation for the pond view from the office is undeniable, and he believes that with the right renovations inside, this can still be the perfect house for them.
With very specific requests and limited budgets, Designer Hilary, and Real Estate Agent David are being put to the test to find a solution that will make both Shelly and Zahid happy. So first, let’s find out… What will it take to Love it? What will it take to List it?
Hilary began by creating all new floor plans that would open up the main level, and optimize their space. Her goal was to keep the integrity of the home while giving it added function. She successfully created a plan within budget that met their standards but ran into one issue — the fireplace and chimney no longer met code. Eventually Hilary and Shelly agreed a new gas fireplace would be their best option. After lots of research, Hilary ended up going with the 60” H Series linear fireplace by European Home. Its modern lines and clean look complemented the overall minimalist aesthetic of the redesign and the fact that it was vent-free solved their chimney problem.
Meanwhile, David was just as determined to find them a new house that would meet all of their precise requirements. He searched high and low for houses that were modern and open but also had to accommodate Zahid’s dream of a water view. After a few tours, the couple was losing faith: these houses weren’t modern enough, the master bedrooms weren’t big enough, and there was still no water. However, the final house that David found was just what they had been looking for. With cathedral ceilings, wood floors, a completely open floor plan, and other added features, this home was stunning.
With two beautiful homes, the couple now had a tough decision to make. While discussing, the audience can hear them whispering about “the beautiful kitchen, and stunning fireplace.”
The kitchen before renovations.
The kitchen after renovations — modern and clean.
To bring more light into the space, Hilary removed the dark cabinetry and outdated chandelier, to add a full wall of windows and the funky new light fixture. She selected a large natural wood table, waterfall countertops, and soft blue chairs to create a nod to mid-century modern in the dining area. Hilary also added a turquoise area rug, to carry through the featured accent color.
The living room before renovations.
The living room after renovations — open and spacious.
Hilary thought the living room had potential, but the dated black leather couch and shag rug had to go. By bringing in a color palette of contemporary grays, and using pops of turquoise to accessorize, she made the room look much more inviting. The room even felt larger after re-positioning the couch so it no longer closed off the space.
There was once a wall that separated the living and dining rooms, but Hilary decided to knock that down and add a unique fireplace feature, creating a totally open floor plan perfectly suited for a family home.
This chic gas fireplace offers a cozy place for the family to gather, as well as a pop of color with the Pacific Blue fire glass.
The new modern look to the home with warm tones, accents of blue, and a clean aesthetic, matched with the functional layout and better use of space was exactly what the couple was looking for. It is now “the truly modern family dwelling they’ve always dreamed about,” said designer Hilary Farr.
In the final moments of the episode and without hesitation, they decided to…
LOVE IT!
Check out a specially curated video from this amazing renovation.
Citations:
Photos by: Catherine Nguyen
And thank you to the producers of Love It or List It & HGTV on this collaboration!
Posted By: Jamie Nickerson
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