Home Town: A Traditional Charmer Ready to Entertain

Erin and Ben gave a colonial-style house some serious love and created the perfect home for a young couple in Laurel, Mississippi.

By: Deanne Revel

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Photo By: Todd Douglas/ Getty Images,Todd Douglas/ Getty Images,Todd Douglas/ Getty Images

Photo By: Todd Douglas/ Getty Images

Room to Grow

Erin and Ben Napier were thrilled to help a new pediatrician and calligraphy artist find their dream home in Laurel. After seeing Erin’s sketches for two homes, the young couple chose a traditional house with colonial elements...and tons of disrepair. But when others see a lost cause, the Napiers see potential. Click on to see the incredible before and afters from this massive overhaul.

Exterior: Before

The home’s exterior wasn’t bad, just not exactly inviting. Overgrown weeds, dark colors and a lack of landscaping weren’t giving the home any curb appeal.

Exterior: After

Erin and Ben brightened the exterior with a slate blue for the door, shutters and awning. The color pops against the red brick and allows the home’s colonial elements to shine. They also added pavers, new plants and a wreath to clean up the front of the home and create some much-needed curb appeal.

Kitchen: Before

This dated kitchen had a lot of space, but it wasn’t being utilized. The layout was choppy and segmented by a long island. And the layout wasn’t chef-friendly because the kitchen had so many extra doors that separated cabinets and appliances.

Kitchen: After

Erin and Ben removed an extra door and created a seamless wall of cabinets and appliances. They replaced the 80s-tastic tiled island with a chic and useful butcher block. Now the couple has a dedicated spot for chopping veggies without using any counter space.

Kitchen: After

Erin and Ben kept the home’s original brick flooring, but replaced the dated appliances with stainless steel gourmet options.

Kitchen: After

Riffing off the homeowners love of traditional style, Erin created a bright, inviting kitchen with lots of white and dove grey. The grey backsplash is actually tile in the style of beadboard.

Kitchen: After

One of the best features in the new kitchen is the breakfast nook. Erin and Ben created custom seating for the bay window that is as pretty as it is functional. The decorative mesh in the bench is actually made from the room’s air vents.

Dining Room: Before

The dining room didn’t have any big issues, but the dated paint colors weren’t doing the space any favors.

Dining Room: After

Erin and Ben painted the room a cool dove grey and painted the trim and built-in cabinets a crisp white which now allows the built-ins colonial details to pop.

Side Entrance: Before

The home’s side entrance opened into a mudroom and featured a gorgeous brick arch that Erin loved, but the entryway was super dark and depressing.

Side Entrance: After

Erin and Ben gave the walls a fresh coat of bright, white paint which helps the gorgeous brick arch really pop. They also took out the faux wall situation and created a larger and useful laundry room off the side entrance.

Mudroom: Before

A wall of cluttered, bulky cabinets made the mudroom feel dark and cramped.

Mudroom: After

Erin and Ben revamped this wall with a custom built-in that features tons of storage without making the mudroom hallway feel like a tight squeeze.

Patio: Before

One of the coolest things about this home--and what the homeowners fell in love with--is the massive courtyard in the center of the house. But it was clear this secret garden hadn’t been used to its full potential and needed a lot of work.

Patio: After

Ben and Erin transformed the patio from a sad dirt pit to a cool outdoor living room complete with new furniture, bistro lights, landscaping and a custom grill station made by Ben.

Patio: After

Erin and Ben added an additional door to connect the patio to the kitchen for easy access while cooking and entertaining. The door is a Dutch door, and works perfectly with the home’s colonial design, making passing food from the kitchen to the outdoor living room a breeze.

Den: Before

This is one of the saddest dens we’ve ever seen on Home Town. The space was huge, but offered no thought in the layout. You couldn’t even access the room from inside the house. The homeowners had to walk outside and around to get in!

Den: After

Erin and Ben created multiple room areas and vignettes within the large den to better utilize the space. Erin even staged a calligraphy workshop area for the homeowner to work at home, complete with a vintage hutch she upcycled to store art supplies.

Den: After

The Napiers did a complete overhaul inside, and created a hallway--and door--to connect the den to the rest of the home. No more walking outside to get back inside!

Home Town: A Traditional Charmer Ready to Entertain

Related To:

Shop This Look

Room to Grow

Exterior: Before

Exterior: After

Kitchen: Before

Kitchen: After

Kitchen: After

Kitchen: After

Kitchen: After

Dining Room: Before

Dining Room: After

Side Entrance: Before

Side Entrance: After

Mudroom: Before

Mudroom: After

Patio: Before

Patio: After

Patio: After

Den: Before

Den: After

Den: After

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