25 Facts About Ben and Erin Napier That Every 'Home Town' Fan Should Know
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HGTV features a lot of fabulous duos who make watching homes being redecorated or flipped that much more exciting. But if you haven't already familiarized yourself with Home Town couple Ben and Erin Napier as they revitalize their small town of Laurel, Mississippi, you're seriously missing out.
Not only are they the perfect team on camera, but the history behind how they met, fell in love, and ended up on television may be worthy of another show entirely. Until that day comes though, here's everything you need to know about the pair.
They almost didn't move back to their hometown after college.
Ben and Erin almost didn't return to Laurel after their college graduation. The couple revealed to People that they considered living in Memphis, Birmingham, Nashville, and even New York City instead. "But then, as we were getting closer to graduation, and we knew we were getting married and starting our lives, it just felt right," Ben told the outlet.
They continued to discuss the stigma around going back home after leaving—how it's seen as admitting defeat. "The more rebellious thing is going home," Erin told the outlet. "When you're young, you think the world is so much better if you could just get away from home—that the grass is always greener—but it's just not. Everywhere has problems. You can either complain about them and leave, or you can stay and do something about it."
The couple stayed to make their hometown a more appealing place for themselves, those who live in it, and others who might consider moving. But they also wanted to make it a place where their kids will want to come back. "We want our kids to grow up in a place that feels magical," Ben explained.
Their most dramatic renovation yet involved working with three homeowners.
Ben and Erin recently transformed a crumbling Victorian built in 1900 into a charming family home. It's perhaps their most dramatic project to date for Home Town—and it's the first time they’ve had three homeowners to please for one renovation. Those homeowners are all adult siblings dispersed across the country, who wanted a home base in the town where they grew up so that their kids could experience the community that shaped them. You can virtually tour the home and browse before-and-after photos here.
One of their favorite restaurants is David's Grocery.
The couple loves to frequent a place called David's Grocery, which is "a gas station that's also a butcher shop, that's also a grocery store, hardware store, and a restaurant," they tell House Beautiful. The restaurant reopened in 2023 after being closed due to a fire, and the reopening was very big news for the Napiers and the local community in Laurel.
They have two children.
The couple welcomed their first child, Helen Napier, in January 2018. In May 2021, the couple announced the birth of their second child, Mae Napier.
In a candid Instagram post, Erin gave a heartfelt explanation for why they wanted to add another member to their small family.
"I watched my daddy and his brother standing at my grandmother’s graveside. Two men with many differences strengthened each other, " she wrote. "Two men who knew her better than any of us ever could. Siblings do that, they know and remember and keep the stories of a family alive. And we wanted that for Helen."
Mae Napier's name was hinted at on the TV show This Is Us.
Erin Napier told her followers on Instagram that her newborn daughter's name, Mae, was shown during NBC's This Is Us during a scene where two of the lead characters were awaiting the birth of their child. The Napiers are friends of one of the characters, Chris Sullivan, who plays Toby on the show, so he wanted to see if they would spot it once the show aired, she explained in the post.
They're still adjusting to life with two children.
With the birth of their second daughter, Mae, in May of 2021, the couple has had to adjust. In an interview with Today Parents, Erin explained that she and Ben went through a "period of grieving" before the birth of their second daughter. "I was just grieving our time as a family of three and thinking, 'It will never be like this again.'" But once baby Mae made her grand debut, the couple's fears went away. "All of our worries were unfounded," she said. "It feels like Mae was always there."
Of course, juggling a toddler and newborn is no easy feat, something Erin has opened up about on Instagram since. "This is not a beautiful, styled and staged photo of what I cooked for dinner but it is the first real meal I have cooked since Mae was born," Erin wrote in an Instagram post. "Ben’s favorite pork tenderloin with roasted vegetables and basil rice," she said. "Our baby is 7 weeks old now, and it took us this long to figure out how to plan and juggle and cook a real meal with two small children under foot or in my arms." She added, "I am impressed and amazed by the wherewithal of moms with more than two kids, and I’m very proud we have made this baby (😉) step toward normal days. Onward, moms and dads!"
In a separate post, Erin jokingly wrote "sleep when the baby sleeps" underneath a photo of Ben snoozing on their couch. Looks like the couple has their work cut out for them!
Despite their new-baby-exhaustion, the couple knows how lucky they are. Shortly after Mae was born, Erin posted a heartfelt tribute to her rockstar husband. "If he’s not scooping me up off the sofa as I’m still recovering from surgery, he’s mixing a bottle or taking Helen swimming. And I have kissed him every time he’s in arm’s reach because I know exactly how lucky we all are," she wrote. She ended the post with a sweet call for other couples, "A reminder for those with spouses: tell them often — 'thank you for everything you do for us.' and MEAN IT." Ben lovingly responded to her post by writing, "Thank you for EVERYTHING you do for us, lover."
They love to go all out for the holidays.
Erin and Ben safely celebrated Valentine's Day 2021 at home in the most romantic way. "Dinner by chef @e.p.bell in 'nyc' and pajamas with my 17-year long crush while Helen sleeps upstairs," Erin wrote on Instagram, alongside a trio of photos from their celebration. She referred to the night as "a dream date for the introverted."
In Erin's photos, Ben is seen sitting at a small two-person table with roses, a candle, wine glasses, and some decadent desserts. Dim lights and a New York City-style background make it almost hard to believe that this is their house. Well done, you two!
You pronounce their last name "Nay-pier."
In case you were unsure and never heard them say it before—it's nay, as in "yay or nay" (or neigh like a horse), plus pier (like the landing dock for boats.)
They were surprised by how much having a TV show really feels like a normal job.
"It doesn't feel like a big thing," Ben told House Beautiful. Noting that working from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day isn't as exciting as some might think. Some fans, particularly Laurel residents, tell the HGTV stars how cool it looks to be on TV, but Ben and Erin say it's just a normal job. "We get up, we work with our coworkers, and we go home."
They thought the producer who connected with them via Instagram to do the show was contacting them to buy stationery.
Producer Lindsey Weidhorn fell in love with the couple's small town through the #ILiveInLaurel hashtag, which Erin used on many photos. At the time, they owned a stationery company, so when Lindsey connected with them about the idea of shooting a series in Laurel, they assumed she was contacting them to buy stationery. Instead, she wanted to put them on TV. A not-so-classic mixup.
After hearing this, Erin's initial reaction was that "it would never go anywhere."
"We didn't think it would be possible," she explained. "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."
Now, many seasons later, the couple can't believe it ended up the way it did. "I don't think you can ever anticipate something like this. It is such a happy surprise."
Now, there are few days when they're not working.
Between juggling their companies (Laurel Mercantile and Scotsman General Store & Woodshop), a furniture line with Vaughan-Bassett, other projects, and the show, they don't have many days off. But when they do get the time to sleep in and relax a bit, Ben shares that they'll opt for a leisurely breakfast together with their kids.
➡ Love knowing what your favorite HGTV stars are up to? Same. Let's keep up with them together.
Because, of course, they get antsy when they're not busy, on the few days they do have off, they'll make projects for themselves to do around their home.
Six days after they met, Ben told Erin he loved her and wanted to marry her.
The two met at Ole Miss (University of Mississippi) on December 7, 2004, but Erin was in the art school and had crushed on Ben—the popular guy—from afar for a long time before they actually met. So when they finally did, she was ecstatic to hear Ben say "I want to tell you something. I think I’ve fallen in love with you."
They've grown up together.
Since meeting in 2004, they've spent every birthday together. For Ben's 38th birthday, Erin posted a series of sweet never-before-seen snaps on Instagram of the couple throughout the years. "We’ve spent 16 of your 38 birthdays together, and I’m thankful for every one of them, that we had the luck of growing up together," Erin captioned the post. "Your girls all love you more than pancakes and Elvis. Happy birthday, Big Ben. 🥳🥰"
They've been married for 14 years now.
Ben wasn't joking! Like he said would happen after six days of knowing Erin, they got married on November 22, 2008. Ben had proposed to Erin on September 21, 2007. Here's how it happened, as Erin shared it on her blog:
Ben asked me to come with him to Square Books so he could get a book for a class. It was his birthday weekend. My roommates said they needed to go there too and asked to come along. Ben went upstairs to “look for his book” while I, Mallorie, Jennifer, Rebecca, and Josh browsed the books downstairs. Jennifer handed me a little handmade leather bound book and told me to read it. It was the story of an unlikely couple who met in college and fell in love fast. I had no idea it was about us at first. Then the couple began sounding a lot like us. Then it was us. And I was shaking all over, anticipating what was going to happen. The last page said, "Come upstairs for the rest of the story."...
I walked up to the balcony where Ben was standing. He took my hand and tried to speak, but he began to cry and so did I. So he leaned down to my ear and whispered this: “You know how much I love you?…And you know I will always take care of you…I talked to mammaw (my grandmother)… and in the words of James Rasberry, 'I’ve got something for you.'" Then he got down on one knee and said:“Will you marry me?”And I couldn’t say yes enough or cry enough. It was the most shocking and beautiful moment of my life.
Even after 14 years of marriage, Ben is still courting Erin.
The couple is big into romance. In an interview with People, Erin revealed that she wakes up to a sweet surprise from Ben every morning. “Every day he’s up before me, and he writes me a letter. It’s a short one, but it’s a letter. And since I don’t do coffee, I drink Coke, he’s got one waiting,” she explained. The thoughtful morning ritual is a no-brainer for Ben, who told the magazine: “Erin is my dream girl. Why would I not continue to court her and win her over every day? That’s always my goal.”
Erin shared one of Ben's notes to her Instagram Story, and it's incredibly sweet. Ben started the note off by telling his wife that it's going to be a great day and reminding her to "seek out the joy God has built into our life." He continued: "You and Helen are my greatest sources of joy. I love you both so much." Ben finished the note off by writing "I can't wait to spend the day with my wife," as if he doesn't see her every day (my heart). He signed the note "Big."
They love to roast each other.
Erin and Ben love to pick on each other. During season four of Home Town, Erin even called out Ben for his clever science pun. Ben said, “Y’all shouldn’t trust atoms. They make up everything!” to which Erin responded, "Stop, you're just blurting out unrelated dad jokes right now." Oooh, she shut him down! Watch that moment below.
They shared two dogs together.
Ben and Erin shared two Great Pyrenees—Baker and Chevy. The couple rescued Baker, while Chevy came from a working farm. Unfortunately, Erin announced in an Instagram post in July 2021 that the couple had lost 12-year-old Baker.
"All dogs go to heaven ❤️," wrote Erin underneath a photo of her first daughter, Helen, hugging the white pup. "We (and especially she) will miss Baker. Thankful for the 12 years he lived," she adds.
They wrote a book together called Make Something Good Today.
Make Something Good Today
$23.99
barnesandnoble.com
Erin and Ben penned Make Something Good Today, an uplifting memoir that reminds readers to seek out the good in life even when times are tough. From their struggles to triumphs, this book shares anecdotes of the couple's relationship before and after reaching Home Town fame. It includes tales of their childhood as well as family photographs. Erin even contributed some hand-painted sketches to the memoir.
On Erin's 35th birthday, Ben shared some of the sentimental photos of Erin that are included in the book to Instagram. He noted that she was born on the day that the classic hit "The Power of Love" by Huey Lewis & The News hit number one on the charts. The photos he chose to honor his lady include shots from Erin's childhood, her high school career, their junior year in college together, the day he proposed, and so many more cute tidbits from their life together. You can get a feel for what's included in the book (as well as how much he loves her) from Ben's sweet birthday post to Erin below.
Erin's Pet Peeve: Ben has a bad habit of leaving his shoes lying around their home.
"His shoes are really really big," Erin spilled, and she's not exaggerating...they're size 14 big. "And I fall over them and I break my toe on his enormous boots that are just everywhere." To this, Ben insisted, "I'm getting better though." Erin didn't agree.
Ben's Pet Peeve: Erin gives Ben hints about things she wants done without actually asking him to do it.
"For instance, she might say 'Man, the garbage is getting full,'" Ben said.
"And he wouldn't take it out just to spite me!" Erin responded. "He's like 'If you want me to take the trash out, just tell me to.'"
Home Town's cameraman was one of the first people to see Helen in the hospital when she was born.
After working with the same people for so long, the cameras aren't something they even think about anymore. "We've gotten to know our team so well," Ben said. Erin added, "We're not so guarded...They're like family. It's like just hanging out with family all day."
Every year for their anniversary, Ben makes his wife a book about the best thing that happened every month of that year.
He writes the text throughout the year and then he makes it into an actual book before he gives it to her. Because of their busy schedules, though, it doesn't always happen on their anniversary in November. Sometimes, it ends up being a gift for another special occasion—like Valentine's Day, Christmas, or even Erin's birthday.
"Every year, the cover is related to whatever the traditional anniversary gift is," Erin shared of the gift, the first of which she received during the proposal. One was made of paper, another cotton, a third floral fabric, etc. The original idea was actually inspired by Erin's cousin Mark's "Year in Review" books he had made for his wife. After the first, the rest is history. "He's set the bar high," Erin joked.
For other special occasions, they give each other books in which they write handwritten notes at the front.
Together, the duo has a collection of books with heartfelt notes from one another inside the cover. In one such instance, Erin gave Ben The World According to Tom Hanks because, she said, Tom Hanks is "America's Mr. Nice Guy," and Ben is the same way.
They don't do very well away from one another.
"Most couples when they spend too much time together they start to get on each others' nerves...for Erin and I, when we're apart we start to bicker," Ben shared. "So, we do a lot better when we're together."
Erin added, "We're also both 100 percent for Helen. We do everything together...He gets her up in the morning, and I put her down at night, and we share everything in between, that's the only way we know how to do it."
They shared adorable never-before-seen photos in honor of their 13th wedding anniversary.
Erin and Ben never fail to express their love for each other during their "anniversary week." In honor of their 13th one, they both shared throwback photos on Instagram. Erin's post includes photos from their wedding—showcasing everything from the moment they were married, to when they cut the cake, to detail shots of Erin's dress and an empty, classic Coca-Cola bottle. It also features photos of the newlyweds on a trip to New York City. She captioned the post: "13 years ago we became family then went to NYC for Thanksgiving. Every year on our anniversary week, I’m so very thankful for you and the life we’ve made together. Thank you for loving me, @scotsman.co."
Ben posted two photos: one of the couple dancing at their wedding (while looking lovingly into each other's eyes!) and a black-and-white one of Erin presumably slipping on her garter. He captioned the post: "Happy 13th anniversary to the best one of all time. I love you more than ever, @erinapier."
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