Home Grown Facts About HGTV Home Town Stars Erin And Ben Napier
Erin and Ben Napier are all about simple southern living and giving properties new life in their HGTV series Home Town. Set in Laurel, Mississippi, this couple just so happens to be as fun-loving onscreen as they are off.
But what else do fans know about the Napier's? From their family life to almost not moving back to Laurel and starting the popular series, here are some facts about the HGTV stars.
After Six Days, Ben Told Erin He Was Going To Marry Her
Ben and Erin didn't actually meet in Laurel but at the University of Mississippi. After only six days of dating, Ben went out on a limb, telling Erin he loved her and was going to marry her one day!
While they met in 2004, the two didn't actually get married until 2008.
Being On TV Feels Like A Normal Job
According to Erin and Ben, being on a successful television show really isn't a big deal. To them, it feels like a typical 9 am-5 pm job! During an interview with House Beautiful, Ben said, "It doesn't feel like a big thing."
"We get up, we work with our coworkers, and we go home."
Mae's Name Was Hinted at In An Episode Of This Is Us
Erin and Ben happen to be friends with This Is Us actor Chris Sullivan who plays Toby on the award-winning series. During an episode where Toby writes down baby names, he sneaks the name "Mae" onto the list.
It's a cute Easter egg to honor his two HGTV friends and their unborn baby girl.
They Make Time For One Another
Even with two young children in the fold, Erin and Ben make sure to spend quality time with just the two of them. In 2021, they even did an at-home Valentine's Day celebration after the girls were asleep.
They set up candles, an assortment of desserts, strawberries, and champagne for the occasion!
Erin Doesn't Like When Ben Leaves His Shoes Lying Around
Even after being together for years, Erin still has a major pet peeve for her husband -- she hates that he leaves his shoes lying around the house. At a size 14, they take up a lot of space if not put away!
During an interview, Erin said, "I fall over them, and I break my toe on his enormous boots that are just everywhere."
They Were "Discovered" Through Instagram
Erin and Ben didn't go to an audition to get on HGTV. Instead, they were found through Instagram in a quirky way. Before the show, the couple ran a stationery business, something they advertised on social media.
A producer, Lindsay Weidhorn, fell in love with their small, historic town and found Erin through her hashtag, #ILiveInLaurel. At first, they thought Lindsay was contacting them about stationery!
He Proposed In A Bookstore
According to Erin, Ben's proposal was the most shocking and beautiful moment of her life. Bringing her to a bookstore under the ruse of needing a book for class, Ben had Erin's roommates in on the secret, telling them to give her a leather-bound book to read.
Little did Erin know, but the book was their story. The last page said, "Come upstairs for the rest of the story..." On the balcony of the bookstore, Ben proposed!
Neither Thought The Show Would Be A Success
When Erin and Ben were contacted about making a show in Laurel, Mississippi, they thought it was a joke. The town was quaint and small. Who would watch it? During an interview, Erin said, "We didn't think it would be possible."
"Why would it be possible to make a TV show in a town like Laurel, Mississippi? We love it very much, but that doesn't mean everyone else would. So we had fun and never had any expectations."
Renovation Isn't Their Only Business
The Napier's have more than Home Town on their plate. They actually run a few other businesses on the side and are constantly working and taking care of their two girls.
Aside from the show, they run two retail-type stores, Laurel Mercantile Co. and Scotsman Co., as well as the furniture line Vaughan-Bassett.
Ben Doesn't Like Erin's Passive-Aggressiveness
Ben might love his wife, but there is one thing she does that apparently gets on his nerves -- when she passively-aggressively asks him to do something without actually asking.
During an interview, Ben gave an example, saying, "For instance, she might say 'Man, the garbage is getting full." He just wants her to straight up ask him to do it!
Moving Back To Laurel Almost Didn't Happen
Home Town is literally set in Erin and Ben's hometown of Laurel, Mississippi. Interestingly, they almost didn't move back. While in college, the couple thought about moving to New York and even Birmingham, Alabama, Memphis, Tennessee, and Nashville, Tennessee.
But, when they got closer to graduation, going back home seemed like the more natural thing to do.
Ben Writes Erin Daily Letters
Even after years of marriage, Erin and Ben are still madly in love with one another. Erin even said during an interview with People that Ben gives her a little surprise each morning in the form of a letter.
She said that they aren't all long letters, but they're always there when she wakes up.
Erin Doesn't Deal With Ben's Dad Jokes
Ben is the dad of two girls, so he is entitled to dad jokes. Well, not according to Erin. Even on their series, Home Town, she will shut her husband down if he begins blurting them out to clients.
During one episode, Ben said, "Y'all shouldn't trust atoms. They make up everything!" To which Erin said, "Stop, you're just blurting out unrelated dad jokes right now."
They Want The Town To Feel Magical
The couple decided to move back home and make it more appealing to the younger generations, people who are considering moving, and even themselves. Most importantly, they wanted to make it a town their children would want to come back to after growing up.
According to an interview with People, Erin said, "We want our kids to grow up in a place that feels magical."
Erin And Ben Co-Authored A Book
In 2018, Erin and Ben released a book together, Make Something Good Today. The book is a memoir of their lives, going back to their childhoods, the beginning of their relationship, and everything in between leading up to their fame on HGTV.
Most importantly, though, the couple wanted to remind readers to find the good in their lives.
Their Cameraman Was One Of The First At The Birth Of Mae
Working on Home Town for so many years, the crew became less of co-workers and more like family to Erin and Ben.
So much so that their cameraman was one of the first people to show up at the hospital when their second daughter, Mae, was born in 2021.
Ben Makes An Annual "Year In Review" Book For Erin
Each year, Ben gifts Erin with a book of the best things that happened throughout the year. Then he gifts it to her on their anniversary in November.
Erin did mention during an interview that due to their hectic schedules, she sometimes gets the book during a holiday, like Christmas or Valentine's Day.
They Wanted A Sibling For Their Daughter
In May 2021, Erin and Ben welcomed a second daughter into the family, Mae. Along with their then-three-year-old Helen, they were a family of four.
During an interview with People, Erin explained that they wanted Helen to grow up with a sibling, as they wanted them to grow up together and keep stories of their family alive.
A Family That Loves Big Dogs
Before their daughters came into the picture, Erin and Ben were bonified dog parents with two huge Great Pyrenees, Baker and Chevy. The latter actually came from a working farm, while the former was a rescue.
From the looks of their Instagram pages, it looks like their little girls love the dogs, too!
Separation Does Not Make Their Hearts Grow Fonder
While many couples enjoy alone time, the opposite can be said about Erin and Ben. Instead of bickering if they are together too often, they get on each other's nerves if they are apart.
During an interview, Ben said, "Most couples, when they spend too much time together, they start to get on each others' nerves...for Erin and me, when we're apart, we start to bicker. So, we do a lot better when we're together."
