The Gorgeous Transformation Of Former HGTV Star Hilary Farr

There's only one person on the planet who can say that they have experienced the thrill of performing on a West End stage, the pleasure of acting in a cult classic movie, and the pride of starring in one of the most popular HGTV shows of all time. And it's Hilary Farr. However, her most well-known gig almost didn't happen. Speaking to Vulture in December 2023, Farr revealed that HGTV was initially hesitant to pick "Love It or List It" from the W Network because the executives believed that audiences wouldn't like her "snippy accent" and her "semi-snippy personality."

Thankfully, the popular American network overcame its reservations and gave the competitive reality show a shot. By 2022, "Love It or List It" had earned millions of loyal viewers, including Hillary Clinton. According to a 2012 New York Times report, the former first lady, who once sparked a movement with her look, said that the show was "very calming." In Farr's Vulture interview, she confessed that she had a hard time believing that even people with jam-packed schedules found time to watch her compete with David Visentin to convince a family to stay in their renovated home instead of listing it. In a September 2023 Instagram post, she even admitted that although she had been on TV for over a decade, she was still shocked to see herself on the small screen.

She may not have felt like a celebrity, but Farr's style transformation over the years shows someone who is clearly used to being in the spotlight. Whether she's in her signature jeans and a blazer or dazzling in a red-carpet 'fit, she carries herself with the confidence of a star.

Although Hilary Farr was born in Toronto, Canada, she spent her formative years in London. During a December 2016 interview with extraTV, Hilary revealed that her childhood aspiration was to be a ballet dancer. She started making those dreams a reality early on and enrolled in the prestigious Royal Ballet School in London. However, after hitting puberty at 11, she set her eyes on theater. In an interview with Modern Wellness Guide, Hilary credited her mother with inadvertently fostering her passion for interior design. After appreciating her mother's impeccable taste, she explained, "She'd often take me with [her] when she was shopping for our home. I'd see the results of what she had chosen and loved the way she transformed a room with new wallpaper or reupholstering a piece of furniture." 

Speaking of transformations, when we look at the throwback photo of Hilary and her father from her wedding day to Gordon Farr in 1982, it's easy to notice that she didn't go heavy-handed with her makeup on the big day. The ever-practical reality TV star similarly went against the grain with her wedding gown, opting for a breezy boho dress instead of a voluminous frock. Additionally, her natural black and wavy hair stands out as a stark contrast to the straight brunette tresses we have grown to know and love. And she seems to have made good use of one of the many bridal hairstyles that highlight short hair.

To fully explore all her passions, Farr packed her bags and moved to Los Angeles in the early 1970s. She then picked up smaller parts in numerous movies, including the 1975 horror musical "The Rocky Horror Picture," which stars Susan Sarandon, who is a celeb who came out later in life.

Speaking with Baltimore Media Blog in 2015, Hilary Farr revealed that after she renovated her home in Los Angeles as a young woman, her inner circle loved it and praised her for it. Soon enough, she realized that she could monetize her passion and founded a home renovation business that took off. While her professional life started to take shape, her personal life underwent happy changes as well, as she welcomed her only son, Josh Farr, in 1983. 

When we look at the throwback snap of the mother-son duo, it's easy to see the happiness radiating in her eyes. Since she was a particularly busy mom at the time, she possibly preferred to keep her hair short so it didn't require too much maintenance. In fact, the photo suggests that the overall fashion and beauty theme of Hilary's life at the time was centered around practicality. Although she would go on to wear many heavy accessories in the following years for her on-screen appearances, she was more than happy to throw on some studs and a light coat of makeup, which probably gave her more quality time with her son.

Speaking to PostCity.com in June 2012, Hilary Farr revealed that she decided to move back to Toronto in 1994 because she didn't want to deal with Los Angeles weather, all its natural disasters, and the rioting. When she took her business to her hometown, she garnered a reputation as the first designer in the area to stage a home. 

"Staging is to create a sense of a home," she told the outlet. "It gives the buyers a sense of what could be, giving them an emotional reaction like, 'This could be my home.'" Opportunity came knocking at her door in 2007 when a friend urged her to audition for "Love It or List It." While she felt that "[auditioning] was the dumbest idea ever," her doubts were naturally washed away when she landed the career-defining gig. 

As her career took off, her confidence also began to grow, and she eventually struck a perfect balance between her glamorous and practical. While she mostly donned a blouse and jeans during episodes of "Love It or List It" to create an approachable and professional look, she wasn't afraid to get glammed up for public appearances. Farr stepped out of her comfort zone while attending the Toronto International Film Festival in 2012, opting for a strapless sparkly dress that put her killer arms on full display. She made the look even more glamorous with a sparkly eye and a pair of statement earrings.

Speaking to People in December 2021, Hilary Farr revealed that back in 2014, she received some bad news after a series of mammograms, which is one of the many health screenings that all women should know about. Despite already having had pre-emptive surgery, she was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer.

Sadly, her health struggles didn't end with her second lumpectomy, as she later learned that her doctor had made a massive error by not recommending that she undergo a few rounds of radiation. Although she underwent radiation therapy in March 2015, doctors discovered that she had a precancerous tumor following a third lumpectomy eight months later. Farr finally entered remission after that procedure. She did have one takeaway: "Fear of breast cancer stops a lot of women from getting checked. But as terrifying as it is, you face it." By 2017, she was all smiles and experimenting with statement accessories, notably wearing green, turquoise, and silver pieces with her black outfit at a Cipriani Wall Street event in New York City.

A few years after that major health scare, the home renovator decided to venture out on her own with "Tough Love With Hilary Farr" in 2021. With a major career move came yet another style evolution. Although Farr kept the elements of her approachable professional look with a blouse and blazer, she switched things up with bolder patterns. She added a flair to an already eye-catching navy blazer with floral patterns that she wore in July 2022 by adding a pair of ankle-length white mesh boots that were impossible to ignore. 

Speaking to People in December 2023, Hilary Farr shared that she was walking away from "Love It or List It" after around 15 years and 19 seasons. She went on to reveal that her cancer diagnosis had made her realize that she needed to make the most of every moment. With that gem in mind, she couldn't deny that her beloved TV show was no longer creatively fulfilling to her, and she needed to "meet new challenges." Hey, if Farr is looking for a challenge, she could always convince people that there are several outdated home decor trends that they don't want in their house.

Additionally, in her December 2023 interview with Vulture, she gave her first reality TV show some tough love, labelling it "boring" and admitted that its competitive core had brought out everyone's bad side every now and then. However, she was quick to note that fans shouldn't expect to see her retire anytime soon, saying, "I still want to do 'Tough Love,' though, and I have all sorts of irons in the fire on other projects. I just need to do them on my terms." 

As Farr settled into a new version of herself, she became one of the many celebrities who have proudly shown off their gray hair. While her makeup use got more minimal, her fashion sense got more casual. In most of her Instagram videos, Farr rocked breezy tops and sweatshirts that perfectly embodied her laid-back and relaxed vibes at the time. Suffice to say that the HGTV star is feeling like her most confident self.