Ben and Erin Napier became stars for renovating homes on HGTV’s Home Town.
Now the couple is facing their toughest challenge yet.
And Ben and Erin Napier are ready for a fight by tackling this major project for HGTV.
A new season of Home Town Takeover coming to HGTV
Ben And Erin Napier are filming what they call their biggest challenge yet for their new season of the HGTV show, Home Town Takeover.
The couple are headed to Sebring, Florida in the south-central part of the Sunshine State.
They called the lakeside town “the forgotten Florida,” away from the beach and the major tourist destinations.
“These are coincidentally our favorite parts of Florida,” Ben said.
“When we look back at our parents’ and grandparents’ vacation photos, it’s of places like this,” Erin added.
The couple said that Sebring has a relaxed vibe despite their hard work in trying to transform the town.
“It’s a bit more relaxed here. We’ve had summer vacation feelings the whole time, even though we’re working harder than we’ve ever worked in our lives,” Erin explained.
The couple used a town’s history and culture for past seasons of Home Town Takeover in Fort Morgan, Colorado and Wetumpka, Alabama.
Erin Napier is turning some very Florida-appropriate colors for this season in Sebring.
“I got to use pinks and corals and sage and orange — true orange,” Erin explained. “Those are fun colors we don’t get to pull out of the color box all the time.”
The Napiers said that they begin their turnaround by getting the community invested in what they’re doing.
“You have to have the community buy-in. This community has to be excited,” Erin said.
The Napiers help revitalize the downtowns of communities
Ben Napier said that the couple uses extensive planning and preparation before rehabbing a downtown.
“We do months of research before we even come here,” Ben explained. “How do you get locals to rediscover the magic of downtown? We look at what businesses are going to have the best legs. What’s going to last?”
Erin added that sprucing up an existing business can take it to the next level.
But the approach to home renovations requires a different strategy.
“We look to the people who are doing the most good in the town,” Ben remarked. “Because if you’re helping hundreds of people a day, but you go home at night and your crown moldings are falling, emotionally, you wear those things, they affect you. So, we come in and say, ‘We’re going to fix all this so you don’t have to think about it, and you can keep doing more of what you’re doing.’”
“You have to help the people who are here for their community,” Erin said. “That’s the only way small town America survives.”
Even small changes to downtown can set the tone for bigger changes to come.
“Even the little changes, like painting the facades around [downtown’s central] circle. It’s enough that locals see it and notice something is different . . . and that excitement spreads,” Erin explained. “People start fluffing [the town] up, filling the empty storefronts, even before the show hits TV!”
Sebring, Florida could be the next hidden gem transformed by Home Town Takeover.
Read All About It will keep you up-to-date on any developments to this ongoing story.
