‘Home Town’ Shocker! Ben and Erin Napier Mix Midcentury Modern With Southern Charm

HGTV; realtor.com

“Home Town” stars Ben and Erin Napier have a very specific home design style that they use to make over houses in Laurel, MI: classic Southern charm. But what happens when these two stray from their usual look in favor of something more modern?

In this week’s episode, this HGTV husband-and-wife design team help their clients Giorgio and Josh create the vacation house of their dreams. Giorgio grew up in Laurel and had moved away, but now he and Josh return to visit a few times a year. They’ve selected a very old-fashioned-looking home, but they want it made over in a midcentury modern style.

Can Erin and Ben pull off this massive makeover, which seems so far out of their comfort zone? Find out how it goes, and pick up a few pearls of wisdom from the choices they make.

New windows make all the difference

These old windows needed an upgrade.

HGTV

Erin and Ben have a quirky name for the windows on Giorgio and Josh’s new house: Florida windows. The reason? Erin explains that she’s seen these long, rectangular shutter panes, which are officially called “louver windows,” on old 1960s houses in Florida.

These new windows give the exterior a much cleaner feel.

HGTV

But the odd name is neither here nor there, once Erin and Ben decide to remove these old windows and replace them with simpler ones that give the home a modern Mississippi style.

In the end, the windows look amazing. As Erin explains, “Windows change everything on an exterior.”

A dark-blue fireplace can brighten a living room

This room needed a strong pop of color.

HGTV

When they first show Josh and Giorgio the living room, they know the space will need some work. It has good bones, but the whole room is stark white and has no personality. Luckily, Erin knows just how to inject some life into it.

After choosing a dark blue for the front door, Erin decides to paint the fireplace to match. It’s a beautiful, masculine color that gives the room some depth. Plus, it provides a perfect mantel for the custom painting Erin has done of Giorgio and Josh’s beloved dogs.

How to remove a bad paint color from brick

Painted brick has come into style in the past decade, but, like everything else in life, there’s a time and a place for it.

A dark-blue fireplace? Great use of color. Green porch brick steps? Maybe not.

Erin and Ben don’t love the green paint on the few steps leading up to the house, so they decide to clean up the look and expose the natural color of the brick. To do this, they cover the steps in solvent, scrub it, and power-wash the paint away.

The exposed brick looks perfect on this house, giving the exterior a more rustic and refined look.

Paint your kitchen cabinets for a more modern look

These brown cabinets made the kitchen feel too dark and dingy.

HGTV

Erin and Ben want to give the kitchen a design that is classic, like the home’s exterior, but they also want to give it a fun, edgy vibe. To do this, they paint the cabinets mossy green and add a backsplash that sparkles with midcentury charm.

These green cabinets give the kitchen a ton of personality.

HGTV

To tie it all together, they offset the dark cabinets and backsplash with a pure white countertop, because, as Erin says, “We need something to keep it light in here.”

Of course, Giorgio and Josh love their new kitchen. It’s a perfect blend of Southern charm and midcentury fun.

Build a ‘his and his’ bathroom

This bathroom feels comfortable but glamorous.

HGTV

When Josh and Giorgio first see this house, they can’t help but notice that the bathroom is a little small … and a little underwhelming. Erin and Ben know they have to make a lot of changes to this bathroom to get it up to snuff. They push out the wall to create more space, upgrade with a gorgeous new shower (with a beautiful glass door), and they install barn doors to create a separate room for the toilet.

But it seems Erin’s favorite upgrade is the “his and his” vanities. The vanities have glamorous white counters, but the black pipe legs give it a rustic feel.

“I was insistent that I wanted something that felt like a really bougie hotel in New York,” says Erin.

Is this house a ‘Home Town’ hit?

Josh and Giorgio had wanted to stay under $150,000 buying and renovating this home—and luckily, Ben and Erin have no problem with that. The house itself costs only $53,000, then, combined with an $80,000 renovation budget, the final all-in price comes out at only $133,000.

And as for the style? While Erin and Ben are used to designing houses with lots of old-fashioned flair, they do an amazing job adding some midcentury modern vibes—proving that modern taste and Southern charm can indeed coexist.

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