Ben & Erin Napier’s Behind-the-Scenes Secret to Designing on ‘Home Town’

HGTV Ben and Erin Napier on the set of "Home Town."

For five seasons of “Home Town,” HGTV stars Ben and Erin Napier have renovated and designed homes in their town of Laurel, Mississippi. But what is their secret to figuring out a homeowner’s style?

“Erin has this really cool survey that we use on ‘Home Town,’” Ben explained during a December 2021 appearance on “The Drew Barrymore Show.”  He added, “All of our homeowners get this survey and it asks questions like ‘What’s something weird you can’t live without?’”

As Erin revealed in their interview, “Weird is wonderful and that’s the only way I know how to design.” In their own home, that translates to a bust of Elvis on the bookshelf and a painting of Tony Soprano with his racing horse above their kitchen table.

She revealed the questionnaire also asks, “What’s your favorite childhood memory?” As the 36-year-old elaborated, “I think that reveals a lot about who we are deep inside and the things that make us feel at home. It comes from childhood memory I think.”

The Napiers have become HGTV’s go-to couple, not only starring in “Home Town,” but its spinoffs “Home Town Takeover,” “Home Town: Ben’s Workshop” and the upcoming, “Home Town Kickstart.” Season 6 of their flagship series is set to premiere on December 26, 2021, at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific times.

Sharing “one little” spoiler for the upcoming season, Erin explained to Barrymore, “So this one homeowner, his best childhood memories were spent with his grandparents out in the country – cutting trails through the woods and they did a lot of planting berries and gardening – and I took that information. It’s a very important part of what we are doing with that homeowner’s house.”

Erin Gets Stopped by Fans in Paint Stores

HGTV referred to Erin as “The Queen of ‘Grandmillenial Style’” and it seems fans cannot get enough. During her appearance on “The Drew Barrymore Show,” she revealed, “If I’m in the Home Depot or Lowes, someplace like that … if I’m like walking past the paint, they’ll be like, ‘Hey, I’m painting my bedroom. What color do you think would be best?’”

But as Ben pointed out, that “is such a loaded question, because there’s so many details.”

Erin admitted she is “excited to help choose,” but told the 46-year-old host the three questions she first needs to have answered: “What’s the lighting like in the room? How big is the room? Do you have carpet or hardwood?”

Barrymore Inspired Erin’s Signature Haircut

While the couple had previously video chatted with the “Never Been Kissed” actress, this was their first time appearing on her talk show in person. As Ben noted, “This is Erin’s dream come true.”

“You were seriously my all-time favorite in high school,” the graphic designer admitted. “I cut my hair off to look like you. … This is the grow-out from my Drew Barrymore cut freshman year of college.”

It was that short hair that first caught Ben’s eye. The mother-of-two added, “He loved my haircut. Thanks, Drew, it’s all because of you”

Barrymore – a self-described design enthusiast – responded, “I love when people find love in their life. I love when people are willing to include other people in that love story.”

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