Ep 7. American Dream

Love It or List It is back with its eleventh season, and this time the homeowners are in for a treat as they witness the best of both worlds. In the seventh episode, titled "American Dream," host David Visentin and designer Hilary Farr are in North Carolina, where a family of four is struggling with their small and outdated home.

The couple, Andrew and Sarah, had once considered their house their dream home - when it was just the two of them. But now, with two growing children and a dog, the space feels cramped and inadequate for their family's needs. Both Andrew and Sarah have different opinions on how they should proceed. While Sarah wants to find a bigger house that will suit their family's needs, Andrew is more skeptical and believes they can make the most of their current home.

David meets with the family to explore their options. Sarah presents her wish list of what she would like in her dream home, including a larger kitchen, more storage space, and a home office. Andrew, on the other hand, wants to focus on the backyard's landscaping and renovate the basement to make it more livable.

Meanwhile, Hilary gains insight into the family's style and preferences. Sarah describes her design style as traditional, with a love for wainscoting, while Andrew emphasizes the importance of having a functional home. Both Hilary and David have their work cut out for them as they work to meet the couple's varied needs.

The show does an excellent job of showcasing the homes' before and after work, with both David and Hilary taking turns showing off their incredible progress in revamping the house. David focuses on highlighting the home's potential to Andrew, adding in different amenities to further enhance the house's features. Hilary, on the other hand, focuses on the visual aspects of the house. She highlights Sarah's preferences by adding in more wainscoting and redesigns the family's basement to be more livable.

As the episode proceeds, both David and Hilary continue to make significant progress in their areas of expertise. David keeps adding in creative ways to utilize space and comes up with a new design for the home's outside space that can give the family more privacy. Hilary does not disappoint either and focuses on making the home's interiors more visually appealing by incorporating different color palettes and textures.

As the episode comes to a close, the family gets to see the final product of David and Hilary's hard work. The couple is left to make the final decision of whether they will continue to live in their old home or list it. It is up to Andrew and Sarah to decide whether David's extra touches and Hilary's redesign align with their dream home's vision.

Overall, Love It or List It Season 11 Episode 7, "American Dream," is a must-watch episode for anyone looking for inspiration to renovate their own home. The show quickly showcases how creative changes can make a small and drab space more practical and visually appealing. The episode is a reminder that sometimes the grass isn't always greener on the other side and that your dream home could be right where you're standing.