HGTV lovers know that Erin and Ben Napier, who met in college in Ellisville, Miss., and got married soon after they both graduated, are helping rebuild their Laurel, Miss., hometown one house at a time. And they’re doing it on TV.
In the most recent issue of Parade, the entrepreneurs told how their business—and family—have both grown since they began hosting the fan-favorite HGTV series (now entering its fourth season). And, big news!, they’ll soon move on to help another small town in a Home Town spinoff.
Expanding empire. Laurel has become a tourist destination since it’s been featured on their show, which follows the Napiers as they turn dilapidated old houses into dream digs. Visitors to Laurel can look for some of the 30-plus houses Erin and Ben have renovated on the show, as well as their own 1925 Craftsman. And they can watch Ben at work in his woodshop or shop at the couple’s businesses, including a general store and a housewares boutique.
Building a family. Business is booming, but the couple remains humble and devoted to each other. Ben’s a 6-foot-6 bear of man who towers over pixieish 5-foot-5 Erin. They finish each other’s sentences. She calls him “Big” and gazes at him lovingly while he speaks. He hugs her a lot. They have a 2-year-old daughter, Helen, who’s the center of their world. They plan their daily schedules around her naps, meals and bedtime, and won’t go out of town for more than two nights unless Helen can go along with them. “Helen’s number one and everything else has to fall in line behind her,” Erin says.
Keeping prices down. Always dollar-conscious, the Napiers try to keep expenses on the show under $200,000, including the original house sale price and the cost of renovation work. That’s the beauty of living in a state where the cost of living’s low. “I mean, if you make $100,000 a year in Mississippi, you are living large,” Erin says. “We give people the very best historic restoration and preservation we can with the budget that they have. ‘Scrappy, not crappy’ is the motto around here.”
Ben’s geek-out: “Wood grain!”
Erin’s design must-have: “Spend money on bigger baseboards. You need bigger baseboards than you think you do. Big baseboards are sexy.”