Which Famous Movie House Gets a Makeover in ‘Home Town Takeover’? Find Out Here

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After five seasons of renovations in Laurel, MS, “Home Town” hosts Erin and Ben Napier are in Wetumpka, AL, for their new show, “Home Town Takeover.”

In the second episode, “The Mayor Is Also the Barber,” Erin and Ben renovate a town treasure: a big, white house used in the 2003 Tim Burton film “Big Fish.” However, since this 1874 house was used (inside and out) as a movie set, it has a lot of unfinished features and needs more than the typical update.

As if one project weren’t enough, the Napiers also meet up with the town barber (who also happens to be the mayor) to help him update his barbershop. With new floors, new walls, and a whole lot of style, the Napiers give this space a whole new look without taking away from the history of the building.

Find out how the Napiers finish these two huge projects, which might just inspire some creative updates in your own abode, too.

Mix spindles for a unique staircase

Before “Big Fish,” this house was just one story, but the filmmakers added more levels.

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Wade and Shellie Whitfield bought the “Big Fish” house three years ago with big plans.

“We had these high hopes that we were going to be able to do great things and save the ‘Big Fish’ House,” explains Shellie. “It’s taking way more time and way more money than we have.”

One of the biggest problems with this house is that the second story was built for the movie, so the staircase doesn’t have the quality of the rest of the ground floor. Of course, Ben and Erin agree that the stairs need lots of work.

This staircase needed a lot of work.

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Ben decides to replace the banister with a custom one, using old rafters from the kitchen for the handrails and various spindles collected from all over town. He paints the spindles white, and they look amazing.

“Not only do you have really cool, eclectic spindles, you’ve got a railing that is original to the original house, 1870,” Ben says.

While Ben and Erin bring a lot of brand-new features into this renovation, this banister is a nod to the proud history of the house and the beautiful history of the town.

These spindles give this staircase a punch of character.

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Can’t find the right wallpaper? Make it!

The wallpaper from “Big Fish” was replaced with blue paint.

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Erin loves “Big Fish,” so she wants to honor the film by copying some of the same decor.

Unfortunately, the pretty yellow wallpaper that was featured in the dining/living room for the film has been replaced with blue paint. While the paint looks nice, Erin is determined to re-create the original wallpaper look.

Erin Napier was able to re-create the wallpaper from the movie.

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“We sent it to a wallpaper manufacturer,” Erin tells Wade and Shellie as they admire the new wallpaper. “They replicated the design as closely as they could. They custom-printed this wallpaper just for your house.”

This lovely wallpaper is elegant and worth the extra work.

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Use toned-down colors in a big space

This colorful kitchen is bright and timeless.

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Erin aims to cater to Shellie’s style, particularly in terms of her favorite colors.

“She loves blues, yellows,” Erin says. “Those colors, into a kitchen this big, that’s a lot. I want to tone them down a little bit.”

Erin ends up using light shades of blue for the cabinets and soft butter yellow on the walls. Then she adds accents of avocado green to add some extra personality. This mix of subtle colors looks fresh and perfect for this space.

Match exterior paint colors to the hues in your brick

This barbershop looked dark and uninviting.

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With the “Big Fish” house is looking good, Erin and Ben turn their attention to the town barbershop owned by Mayor Jerry Willis.

Willis has been working out of his barbershop for decades, and while this old building should feel historic, it just looks dated. Erin and Ben upgrade the exterior with some new blue paint, which gives this shop a fresher, more welcoming first impression. However, they’re also careful to use a tone that will work with the classic style of the building.

The navy paint adds style to this storefront.

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“To do the navy, I paint-matched to those bricks that had navy on them,” Erin says. Sure enough, some of the darker bricks have a bit of navy, which perfectly matches Erin’s paint color.

Once applied, the paint complements the brick in a way that combines the old and the new seamlessly. It’s a great look that can set a good example for homeowners looking to add some more color to their brick house.

The blue pulls out the darker tones in this old brick.

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Choose easy-to-clean flooring

This black-and-white floor adds charm to this barbershop.

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This barbershop was once a dentist’s office, and it still sort of looks like it! Erin and Ben want to change the sterile white walls and update the furniture, but their main concern is the carpet.

“I just think about all the hair that lives in it,” she says. They replace the carpet with a vinyl flooring that will be easier to clean and adds some character.

“This looks like a classic checkerboard floor you might see in a barbershop in Brooklyn, but it’s vinyl,” Erin points out.

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