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On the March 17 episode of HGTV’s hit series “Home Town”, Ben and Erin Napier surprised not only their clients, Dara and Dylan, but themselves when they tackled their first-ever new construction project.
During the design phase, the Napiers played with the idea of including a small arch over the front door to the home, but in the end, opted for a small striped awning instead. Now, in a March 18 Instagram post, Erin is reflecting on her experience building a completely new home, and explaining why she and Ben went with the awning for any fans who felt the archway would have been a better choice.
Hear Erin’s thoughts on the project below.
Erin Napier Says Fans Didn’t Have All the Information
“Our first new build and on a $150k budget, but we did all we could to infuse it with historic charms. I know y’all were upset I asked for the striped awning vs. the arched porch: it was edited such that you didn’t hear the part where we learned the cost to do that (about $3500) would have made it too expensive to have any woodwork and larger trim inside,” Erin wrote in her caption.
Erin went on to explain that she and Ben decided they needed to focus on how best to spend their budget to give the home some character and old-fashioned charm on the interior, rather than the exterior. “The juice wasn’t worth that squeeze for us—millwork is the difference between new construction and historic homes when you’re talking interiors, and with LVT floors we needed every last bit of character inside. I love the charming awning, and it seems like they did too. 😄 #HGTVHomeTown (huge shout out to our amazing architects @lakeandlandstudio who are the pros at designing new old homes!),” Erin finished her caption.
Fans were pleased with the end result, although some still would have preferred the archway from the Napiers’ original design, letting the couple know in their comment section.
“Love the original plan with the arch around the door. That was more fairy tale cottage inspired than the cloth awning,” one fan wrote.
“I’m so glad you explained this. I thought the finished home was gorgeous, but that outside arch positively made me swoon. Now that you explained why it wasn’t included, it makes perfect sense. This home is adorable !” another user added.
“I was sad when the arched doorway didn’t make the cut, I felt like it took the home to a whole other level. But it was such a beautiful and charming home. You knocked it out of the park once again! 😍,” a third fan shared.
Erin Napier Compares New Construction With Renovation
Ben and Erin learned a lot during their first new construction experience, noting during the episode that there were certain advantages with time and cost, such as being able to use pre-painted siding, thus saving money and time by eliminating the need to wait on painters. Erin even said during the episode, “It’s night and day difference between how fast it is to build a new house versus fix an old one.”
One fan took to Twitter with their thoughts, writing, “A new build should be a lot easier! #HGTVHomeTown.” Erin quoted this user’s post, adding her own message, “yes building new is infinitely easier!”
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