In their beloved hometown of Laurel, Mississippi, Erin and Ben Napier renovate old Southern homes with a special style that brings back the beauty built into them decades ago. Season 8 of their hit HGTV show Home Town launched in January, and the show has already been picked up for more episodes next year.
Suiting the Home to the People
More unique than McMansions or cut-and-paste trends, home design for Ben and Erin is about creating a beautiful house specifically designed to fit each family’s needs.
Ben is a woodworker, which allows them to create custom furniture pieces, and Erin’s illustration and graphic-design background helps them come up with beautiful design ideas.
They really like taking weird modern and giving classic beauty, using Ben’s history degree to place a special emphasis on the history of their town and the houses. Plus, Erin presents design ideas in watercolor!
Creation and Transformation
Episodes open by getting to know the homeowners and their unique needs, from health problems, to their aesthetic preferences, to their family hobbies. Their plans are created, presented, and delivered with optimism and a sense of humor.
I really enjoyed seeing them find houses, introduce them to homeowners, and see what they think of renovation ideas. There are some mighty weird houses, and watching them figure out how to make them into respectable living places is great.
It's a (Friends and) Family Affair
Almost every shot of this beautiful Christian couple -- before TV stardom, Ben, the son of Methodist ministers, was a youth minister -- has Erin tucked into the crook of Ben’s arm. They’re just really cute.
They seem to involve half their community with jobs, laughing with family and friends as they work. And it looks like awfully satisfying work. I watch the demolition scenes with great envy.
Their willingness to move around construction and design elements to serve their purposes is amazing. They have so much fun with their work, and it’s clear how much they value their clients as people.
From Heavy.com:
“We get a lot of messages from people that tell us they can see our faith even if we don’t talk about it,” Erin shared. “That’s really lovely to hear because you wish you could say more about your faith when you have a public platform. And it often gets edited away.”
She continued, “But it’s so lovely that people are still finding light and optimism and positivity, which for us comes from a relationship with Christ, but for them it may be the first step to wanting to learn more about that. And so I feel lucky that that’s what we get to do for a living every day.”
Beyond Home Town
Even beyond their show, the Napiers invest in the lives of their clients, community, and fanbase. They’ve started an organization called Osprey, building communities of like-minded parents who want to fight tech addiction for their kids. The tagline is "old school parents raising engaged youth."
The groups start when the children are young and build a supportive community for parents as they get older.
Ben and Erin met at Jones College, a community college in Ellisville, Mississippi. After they renovated the current college president’s home, they were surprised to find out that the college is naming a new Erin and Ben Napier School of Design and Building Arts after them and their work!
Programs will include computerized design, graphic design, interior design, painting, plumbing, framing, roofing, electrical, masonry, HVAC, carpentry, metalworking, plastering, and stonework.
The Napiers said that they’re honored and excited to see Jones College reversing the stigma against blue-collar work, dignifying it and focusing on its inherent art.
Serving the Lord, at Home (Town)
As Christians, I think Ben and Erin have a unique ability to see the purpose of homes and glorify God by making them more beautiful. Their work serves and dignifies the family and the human person with awareness of their individuality.
The Napiers really have a gift for making a house a home. If you’d like to immerse yourself in their cheery Southern hospitality, the 8th season of Home Town just dropped on HGTV and Discovery+ (and is also available to stream on Max)
Here's a peek at the Napiers doing what they do best:
Image: (L-R) Ben and Erin Napier of 'Home Town'/PHOTO: HGTV
Sophia Sariego is a Los Angeles native working in the pro-life movement. She loves Eucharistic Adoration, making music, and hitting the beaches in her spare time.
