It’s understandable if you’ve been putting off revamping your kitchen. After all, it can be pretty darn expensive and overwhelming to complete a kitchen remodel! However, HGTV star Hilary Farr, known for her expert home renovation advice, wants her fans to know that updating the space is completely worth it. In fact, she thinks it is the most important room to renovate, mainly because it’s a good financial investment.
“There’s no money that is too much to spend on a kitchen; it’s the room you use every single day of your life, and you’ll get that money back when you sell,” said Farr in a 2017 Desert Financial Credit Union interview. That being said, Farr doesn’t think every kitchen project is worth the price. Here are five upgrades Farr doesn’t recommend and what she thinks homeowners would benefit from doing instead!
Farr thinks statement hardware is a waste of money and is too distracting
Large, statement hardware, particularly in gold, is currently trending. For this reason, you may feel like you need to adorn your kitchen with unique and glitzy knobs, pulls, and handles. However, Farr says bold kitchen hardware can look a bit off-putting, instead of eye-catching. “I rarely want to make kitchen hardware a feature, especially if it’s an open concept, because it becomes distracting,” said Farr during an Apartment Therapy interview.
If you agree with Farr’s assessment, feel free to ditch the hardware and opt for handleless drawers and cabinets. Talk about sophisticated and streamlined. That being said, handle-free doors do tend to collect finger smudges throughout the day. Unfortunately, this can make your space look dirtier, which no one wants. Because of this, you might be more inclined to install minimal hardware that doesn’t pull too much focus to it, like these Silver Cabinet Pulls from Hestia Hardware.
The Tough Love Star says that investing in too much color can ruin your design concept
With the rise of maximalism and Dopamine design, it might feel tempting to give your kitchen a very colorful makeover. While Farr isn’t against color, she thinks it’s in the homeowner’s best interest not to go overboard. During her Apartment Therapy interview, Farr explained, “I like bringing color in, but too much of it is going to disrupt the main design of the concept.”
Farr showed how a simple pop of color can still make quite a statement during “Tough Love with Hilary Farr” Season 2, Episode 10. In the episode, Farr decided to “add a bold color” to the otherwise white kitchen by picking out a blue backsplash. If you don’t love the idea of a bright backsplash, you can choose something less permanent and pricy to bring some color into your kitchen. For instance, opt for colorful kitchen accessories like the Roter Mond Stainless Steel Toaster in Aqua Green or a Pink and White Checkered Runner Rug from the Terrug Store. You could also opt for a colorful accent wall, which is a popular 2025 trend. Just remember to heed Farr’s advice and keep the rest of the room neutral to not overwhelm the space.
Hilary Farr thinks an island with a sink will make entertaining awkward, making your kitchen less useable
A kitchen island can be a wonderful area to prepare your meals, enjoy your food, and socialize (especially if you purchase some barstools). In “Tough Love” Season 2, Episode 7, Farr shared that she loves a good kitchen island. However, she would never install one with a sink. She explained that she believes a kitchen island with a sink, especially when it hasn’t been thoroughly cleaned, can be visually upsetting. “If you have guests sitting at the island, I don’t think you’d want to have them looking at a sink full of whatever it might be full of,” Farr said during the episode.
Needless to say, Farr recommends choosing an island without a sink. If you’re renting and can’t install a new island, you might be interested in a less permanent option, like Ralgend’s Rolling Kitchen Island with Power Outlets and Drop Leaf. In addition, those on a budget may be able to find a vintage kitchen island at the thrift store.
You shouldn’t spend your money on stained wood grain cabinets, according to Farr
While stained wood grain cabinets are having a moment, Farr urged homeowners to choose something more subtle while speaking to Apartment Therapy. And in her 2017 Desert Financial Credit Union interview, Farr said to save you some money on cabinets in the long run, focus on making them “timeless” instead. “High quality, low maintenance … You will get that money back when you sell,” said Farr.
While she did not specify, all black or white cabinets are a chic and timeless choice. If that’s not what you already have in your kitchen, you can either install new cabinets or give your old ones a paint job. If you prefer the latter option, you can even paint kitchen cabinets in just one day. In addition, Farr advised homeowners to choose cabinets that will hide “all the clutter that should not be on your countertops,” so she likely wouldn’t recommend open shelving either.
The Love It or List It star says busy families shouldn’t invest in hardwood floors in the kitchen
While hardwood floors are undeniably a striking feature, Farr believes that busy families should refrain from installing this type of flooring in their kitchens. In “Tough Love” Season 2, Episode 7, she explained that heavy foot traffic will end up tarnishing wood flooring, meaning it’s not worth the money in certain households. Instead, she recommended going for durable luxury vinyl flooring, or LVF, which is less pricey and easier to clean.
“You get all the beauty of natural wood, and you get all the durability of it not being natural wood. You can drop something on this, and it’s not going to make a dent,” said Farr during the episode. Like wood, LVF comes in different natural-looking shades. For instance, options like Daltile’s Luxury Vinyl Flooring come in colors that mimic different species and stains.
