Hilary Farr Has A Tough Love Warning About One Habit That's Cluttering Your Home

It's no secret that Hilary Farr is all about reducing clutter. And, as she made clear in one episode of "Tough Love with Hilary Farr," that goes for things like kids' furniture, too. Particularly when it comes to built-in kids' furniture that takes up a ton of space, the HGTV star is of the mind that there are ways around it.

As "Tough Love with Hilary Farr" fans may remember, an October 2023 episode saw Farr help a couple redesign their home, which had become cluttered after they had kids. However, while the couple were happy with all the storage ideas, they did still ask if they could have a banquette installed in the kitchen for their little ones. Cue a bemused Farr, who noted that there would already be added seating in the dining room adjacent to the kitchen, as well as at the kitchen's island. 

Farr wasn't moved when the couple pointed out that their kids might be too small to sit at the island just yet. Quite the contrary, her take was that there was no need to build something in to accommodate that, when the kids would grow up. "It's a very temporary [situation] — they grow very fast," she explained. Tough love from Hilary Farr, indeed! However, that's not to say Farr was opposed to coming up with another, little-friendly solution instead. 

Not designing a home around the age of your kids doesn't mean not accommodating them at all. On the contrary, while Hilary Farr wasn't keen on building a banquette into the already-small space, she showed that it was still possible to make the kitchen kid-friendly without it. She did so with a small seating area (just one that wasn't built in).

Farr opted for a sweet chair and table set, with seating for the couple's two young kids. Placed to the side, there was just enough seating for both of them to draw, snack, or simply hang out as their parents cooked. It was also low, so their mom's fears of kids falling from the much higher kitchen island were allayed. Sets like these are available on Amazon for just over $70. Alternatively, IKEA has even cheaper options for less than $50. 

The best part, though, is that it wasn't built in, which would have cluttered up space and been difficult to remove. Quite the opposite, Farr's seating solution would be super easy to take out once the kids had outgrown it. Perfect to hand down to loved ones with younger kids, sell on Facebook marketplace, or donate to a local charity. As a bonus, with the set eventually removed, the family would be left with more space once again. 

One other option worth considering, when looking for kid-friendly furniture that doesn't take up a bunch of room or hinder your home's functionality, is adjustable kids' furniture. As with Hilary Farr's table and chairs set, these aren't built in, which means they can be removed at any time. The difference, though, is that while the set Farr used could be given away relatively soon, adjustable chairs would stick around slightly longer. 

One perk with these is that while they could be placed in a separate kids area, that isn't strictly necessary (hooray for less clutter!). Simply pop them with the rest of your seating, and adjust as needed. Models like these are available on Amazon from between $89 and $159, but take a look around Facebook Marketplace or local kids' furniture stores for options that align with the specific aesthetic in your home. 

Having a kid-friendly home is essential for anyone with little ones running around, but that's not to say you need a total redesign. Sure, it was tough love, but as Farr said, children do grow. The last thing you want is to be left with a bunch of built-in furniture that isn't necessary and takes up space. After all, bigger kids need even more space to enjoy everything their homes have to offer.