Home Town hosts Ben and Erin Napier are HGTV’s new darlings. It’s merited, of course, because they’re great: Erin’s designs feel homey and lived in, and big Ben’s use of reclaimed materials in his woodworking projects is extremely admirable. They’re also funny, cute, and in love. They even named their Airstream trailer Jolene. C’mon now. Since everyone (justifiably) loves the Napiers, HGTV tapped them to host its new event series Home Town Takeover, which finds the couple and other personalities from around the network making over an entire small town previously in need of a little love. Though over 3000 towns vied for the honor, the team picked little Wetumpka, Alabama, where parts of the movie Big Fish were filmed. (Erin’s favorite movie, by the way.) Takeover premiered last weekend on HGTV, and as we move into week two and the show’s big redo of one of Big Fish’s signature residences, we thought we’d chat with the Napiers about Home Town, Home Town Takeover, and why they think people should put all their preconceived notions aside and consider living in a small town. They tell us about the revitalization of their town, the famous Laurel, Miss., and how they’ve been handling parenting, pregnancy, and television production during a pandemic. If you’re a Home Town fan or even just an HGTV dabbler, you’re going to want to watch this one. It’s a cutie. Home Town Takeover airs Sunday nights on HGTV.
