EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW AND PHOTOS ‘I could spend AT HOME WITH LOVE IT OR LIST IT STAR hours in my garden. Having HILARY FARR this in the middle TV’S NO-NONSENSE DESIGN GURU INVITES HELLO! TO HER of the city is CITY HAVEN FILLED WITH PERSONAL TREASURES amazing’ itting elegantly on the edge of aging families to love their homes S a cream-coloured chaise in as much as she does since 2008. the bedroom of her downtown With new episodes debuting Sept. Toronto home, Love It or List It co- 8 (W Network), we ask the stylish host Hilary Farr explains to Hello! TV star – who has one grown son that the piece once belonged to – about her personal style and her British mother, whose influ- her bond with onscreen sparring ence can be seen all around her. partner David Visentin. “Everything upstairs is very English, very romantic,” she says. Your home is lovely. What did you Suddenly the room comes alive change when you bought it? It was with Toronto-born Hilary’s mem- a little cottage. It stopped right ories – from accompanying her where the stairs are [now]. mom on shopping trips through There was a big tree on the Portobello Market in London to side that had invaded the discovering pieces of furniture foundations; it turned into a and new Canadian artists. “Every huge deal. Basically, there’s She loves it! The TV piece has a story,” says Hilary. nothing left of the old house personality says her You won’t find her listing her other than a few beams that you lush backyard garden house anytime soon. A gorgeous don’t see. I doubled the size of it, is her favourite place garden provides the perfect get- completely gutted it and here it is. to relax and unwind. away, where she enjoys spending Dressed down in time and hosting parties. Did it take a long time? It took me jeans and a cardigan, As Love It or List It’s resident about 14 months. It was a long Hilary curls up with designer, Hilary has been encour- time for me. her dog, Mimi. She also has three cats. 6 HELLOMAGAZINE.CA HELLO! 7.