Erin and Ben Napier have been starring in their HGTV series “Home Town” since 2016, but believe it or not, they say they STILL get butterflies!
In a clip posted on the Tamron Hall Instagram page July 1, Erin and Ben talk to Tamron about a special moment on “Home Town Takeover” when they surprised a teacher named Jen, a divorced mom of three who had “fallen on hard times.”
Tamron shows a clip of the Napiers revealing Jen’s new kitchen, with Erin saying, “It’s so important to feel like you’ve got a safe place, right?” Coming out of the clip, Tamron says, “You say you still get butterflies when that moment happens?”
“Yes,” Erin replies, “Because, I mean, for them, they’re not just seeing a pretty house. They’re seeing their whole future. And what the next step in their life is going to look like.”
Erin goes on to explain, “For her, this was not just a beautiful kitchen. This was freedom. And something she could be proud of, to show her friends. She’s also a teacher and she wanted to have other teachers over. And she wanted the house to be something her kids could be proud of.”
Sebring Residents Say ‘Home Town Takeover’ Is Still Affecting Town
And believe it or not, those “butterfly moments” continue to have impact long after Erin and Ben Napier’s renovations are complete.
It’s been months since Erin and Ben staged their latest “Home Town Takeover” in Sebring, Florida.
But one Sebring resident says there’s still good coming from what the Napiers did there.
Shellie Phelps Whitfield, who owns Big Fish Art Studio in Sebring, commented on the Tamron Hall Show’s Instagram post, writing, “And the positive momentum in Sebring is still rolling since the show! It is unbelievable how@much good has come from Ben and Erin’s work!”
Making a Positive Impact Has Always Been Ben & Erin’s Goal
But Erin and Ben Napier have had a goal of making a positive impact since long before HGTV came calling.
While their show “Home Town” debuted in 2016, the Napiers and their friends decided to take action to revive their hometown of Laurel, Mississippi in 2008.
Erin told Southern Living, “When we all came home from college—Mallorie and Jim Rasberry, Emily and Josh Nowell, Ben, and me—we were the only people who lived downtown. It was just us and the feral cats. For the six of us, all in our twenties, it was like a game: How can we make downtown Laurel feel alive again?”
The group founded Laurel Main Street. “We all did what we could,” Erin said. “Josh had done some real estate development. He had a bird’s-eye view. Ben and I were the storytellers. I would take photos of a corner downtown that people might overlook. I kept a journal online, and I mocked up some murals in Photoshop. We put some lights in the trees and had these potluck parties and invited our friends from Hattiesburg. We were just like, ‘Yeah, Laurel’s a cool place—you didn’t know?’ “
Their efforts skyrocketed once they got their show on HGTV.
Since then, according to the Wall Street Journal, Ben and Erin have renovated more than 100 Laurel homes.
And now Ben and Erin have signed on with HGTV through at least 2027, with at least 32 more episodes to come. Which means 32 more Laurel homes renovated by the pair.
How do the Napiers stack up against other HGTV stars when it comes to success? Find out here.
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What Gives Erin & Ben Napier ‘Butterflies’