Home Town: Room to Grow

In desperate need of a new home for themselves and their two daughters, Adam and Lily Trest enlist the Napiers in their quest for more space. After picking a new property, Ben and Erin transform their choice into a modern, spacious farmhouse.

By: Ben Breslerman

Show: Home Town

Related To:

Shop This Look

Photo By: Todd Douglas/ Verbatim

Photo By: Home Town, HGTV, Laurel, Mississippi, Ben & Erin, redesign, makeover, after, exterior, landscaping, flower boxes, ben build

Photo By: Todd Douglas/ Verbatim

How Sweet It Is …

Along with an impressive new reno, this project also included a very special headboard for Adam and Lily Trest. And if you couldn’t tell from the photo above, working together isn’t the only thing Ben and Erin love.

Before

Formerly known as the Eason House, guests were forced to trek through overgrown grass just to reach the front door. With a sturdy foundation intact, a new roof, railing, columns and vinyl cleaning are all desperately needed.

After

The exterior now features a metal roof, landscaping around the whole house, and new, chunky wood columns to replace the old posts.

Meet the Homeowners

With two kids in tow, Adam and Lily Trest are in desperate need of more space. At their last house, Adam and Lily’s bedroom was located right across the hall from their daughter’s room. Fed up with sharing one bathroom and with an all-in budget of $200,000, the Trests are looking for a stylish, cool and artistic house with a big yard and a studio for Adam’s work.

Exterior, Before

Fragile looking columns and an unassuming door make up the front exterior of the old Eason house.

After

Along with new columns, Ben also removed the old shutters and replaced them with custom-made “shaker style” shutters — in a deep, dark green — for a more “substantial” look.

Front Porch, Before

Although the “well worn” front porch can keep it’s original vinyl siding, several other changes have to be made in order to satisfy Adam and Lily.

Front Porch, After

With an already sturdy foundation — new columns, handmade shutters and a fresh vinyl cleaning — was all that was needed for a strong front porch transformation.

Kitchen, Before

Hate is a strong word, but Lily came close to using it when describing the Eason house’s original kitchen. Along with the old tile countertops, matching backsplash, and worn-down cabinetry, the “odd-shaped” island in the middle of the room — referred to as a “diamazoid” by Erin — has to be replaced.

Kitchen, After

The kitchen and dining area now feature new furniture, cabinetry and window treatments. With good bases left in the cabinets, Erin and her team only had to remove and replace the doors and drawers.

From: Erin Napier and Ben Napier

Kitchen, Detail

The new, deep slate countertops — made of commercial-grade quartz — add depth and gravity to the room, while the new backsplash is set with neutral, classic-style subway tiles to help ground it.

Kitchen, Detail

Once an eyesore, the old, trapezoid-shaped island was replaced with a new, rectangular-shaped island with a built-in cook top. A large, stainless-steel hood vent was also added to help make the kitchen pop.

Living Room, Before

Described as “buttery” and “baisey” by Lily and Adam, the Eason’s living room was in desperate need of a facelift, starting with the removal of the fireplace and the old wainscoting.

Living Room, After

The living room now features white walls and window treatments to keep the room bright and open. Due to the fact that the Trests have 2 kids, live on a farm, and now own a swimming pool, Ben and Erin decided to replace the old, dated floor tiles with a new, luxury vinyl tile that looks like oak and makes for a durable, easy-to-clean surface.

After

Now that it has an open floor plan, the kitchen, dining area and living room flow seamlessly together.

Living Room, Details

Two side-by-side, 5-tiered bookshelves were placed in the living room to help give the room some character.

Living Room, Before

This dark and dingy entry + stairway is in serious need of some light, bright and airy paint to give it a gallery feel.

Living Room, After

The living room now features newly painted white walls and brand-new wainscoting to add an architectural feel to the room. New stair treds and a railing were also added in order to maintain the sturdiness of the stairway.

Master Bedroom, Before

Like “a piece of clothing you can’t get clean,” Ben and Erin will have their hands full getting rid of this very dark, very brown carpet.

Master Bedroom, After

The master bedroom took a lot of work, but turned out better than imagined. Ben and Erin replaced the old window with French doors and built a screened porch to give Adam and Lily more space. The light blue paint also complements the complete interior design, while the vinyl flooring that replaced the carpet adds to the clean, modern look.

From: Erin Napier and Ben Napier

Where There Was Once a Window

During renovation of the master bedroom, a private screened porch was added, with new French doors replacing the hole in the wall where there was once a window.

Master Bedroom, Details

Years earlier, Adam and Lily purchased an old door frame with incredible, unique carvings, but could never find a use for it. That is, until Ben and Erin came knocking. Along with wood from an old shed on the property, Ben used the mahogany wood beams to create an incredible new headboard.

Bathroom, Before

After removing the tub from the “super 90s” bathroom, Ben discovers that the foundation had been cut into and there was a hole in the concrete, as if “someone took a sledgehammer to it.” Rerouting the plumbing will be necessary if the Trests want their dream bathroom.

Master Bathroom, After

The master bathroom change was a complete 180. All the existing fixtures and materials were gutted, and a new double vanity, subway tile shower and large soaker tub were installed to create a wonderful (and private!) getaway.

Bathroom, Before

Master Bathroom, Details

A peek inside the master bathroom of the new shower lined with white subway tile and the freestanding soaker tub.

Master Bathroom, Details

Ben built a shower bathtub caddy to accompany the new room design.

Master Bathroom, Details

After trashing the old one, a beautiful new double-vanity was installed for Adam and Lily. As mentioned by Erin, the dark, walnut color of the wood “plays really nice with the light floor.”

Pool Deck, Before

The rundown backyard is complete with tall weeds and mossy-green pool water.

Pool Deck, After

With the addition of a new pool liner, dining space and a fun, fire pit for entertaining, the pool area is now fully redone and looks ready for summer.

Pool Deck, Details

Front Yard, Details

After discovering a “pile of junk” shed on the property, it was torn down in an effort to save some of the lumber. That lumber was then used to build a chicken coop, marking the official beginning of Trest Farms. To top it all off, Ben designed a door and window shutters to match the appearance of the Trest’s new home.

Behind the Scenes

Giddy with the arrival of their family's newest addition, Ben shows off the details of the surprise crib he's building for their new daughter, Helen.

Behind the Scenes

Ben works on a custom, handmade crib to surprise Erin with.

Behind the Scenes

Ben and Erin work on a custom headboard for the Trest’s master bedroom.

Behind the Scenes

The Reveal

Stunned is probably the right word to use when describing Lily’s reaction to seeing her new home.

Home Town: Room to Grow

Related To:

Shop This Look

How Sweet It Is …

Before

After

Meet the Homeowners

Exterior, Before

After

Front Porch, Before

Front Porch, After

Kitchen, Before

Kitchen, After

Kitchen, Detail

Kitchen, Detail

Living Room, Before

Living Room, After

After

Living Room, Details

Living Room, Before

Living Room, After

Master Bedroom, Before

Master Bedroom, After

Where There Was Once a Window

Master Bedroom, Details

Bathroom, Before

Master Bathroom, After

Bathroom, Before

Master Bathroom, Details

Master Bathroom, Details

Master Bathroom, Details

Pool Deck, Before

Pool Deck, After

Pool Deck, Details

Front Yard, Details

Behind the Scenes

Behind the Scenes

Behind the Scenes

Behind the Scenes

The Reveal

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