Home Town - General Discussion

[mojito]

Cornwall, NY

If you were walking past the boutique, would you peer inside and have anything catch your eye? I would wonder if the shop was still in the process of opening and was waiting for its inventory to arrive.

After the Wetumpka series, this series is a real letdown.

[3 is enough]

I caught part of the Cornwall episode rerun last night. Nothing really exciting.  I really liked the stain on the kitchen cabinets.  It was really pretty and a refreshing change from the white and grey we see all the time.  Plus the white countertops and backsplash kept it from being too dark.

Did not watch the new episode- La Grange Kentucky I think?  Since it was Alison Victoria I had no interest.  If anyone did watch can you let me know if she did a "statement" kitchen hood? 😉

I am not impressed with the show to be honest.  It just seems very rushed.  I think 6 episodes in one town worked much better than 1 episode each in 6 towns.

[mojito]

20 hours ago, 3 is enough said:

If anyone did watch can you let me know if she did a "statement" kitchen hood? 

I watched. I don't remember. It was all so forgettable. 

[Gam2]

Although I have no liking for AV, I tried to watch this show. Fell asleep about 10 minutes into it. I really cannot understand why these networks keep employing this woman.

[sadtvjunkie]

Did they only do 2 things in LaGrange? If more I missed it. This series just sucks.

[jaimesommers]

14 hours ago, sadtvjunkie said:

Did they only do 2 things in LaGrange? If more I missed it. This series just sucks.

They did 3: the house for the woman who provides day care for first responders’ children, the “Be Kind” mural, and the outdoor space in the alley with the 2 horse trailers remodeled to use as pop-up businesses plus a sitting area and party lights strung over the area. 

[pasdetrois]

What infuriates me is that all of these wealthy HGTV "stars" swoop in and out, flap around and mouth inane sound bites, and act as if their puny rushed efforts will help make an entire small town relevant and prosperous.

We are in very tough times. Their efforts are meaningless and insulting. Shame on this entire series and the entitled HGTV nitwits who participated.

I'm extremely disappointed in Ben and Erin. They've sold out.

[Gam2]

I have long been a  fan of Erin and Ben and their show. I understand their (and HGTV’s) desire to help other small towns as Laurel has been helped and revitalized. However, the way they’ve gone about it has been amateurish and so of hap hazard. I also don’t understand why they hired the “designers” they did hire. Victoria Allison and those twin sisters were total losers. I love Nate (not so much his partner) but even he seemed kind of lost as to what this small town actually needed. I think I can hang this up as “we tried but it didn’t work out” and quit it.

[buttersister]

Gam2, I find myself moving on as well. Although Jeremiah’s grown on me😉

Theres some beach show coming up or back, I dunno, I’m already out (preview had AV—HGTV, stop trying to make her happen.🤡)

But thanks for making shows that won’t eat up any of my time.😂

Edited May 23, 2022 by buttersister

[izabella]

Yeah, I am done with the stupid Kickstarts.  If no one wants to go to their own town's Main Street, then it's a dying town and fixing a storefront or two is hardly likely to revive diddly-squat.  WalMart is the new Main Street for most of these places, and some paint isn't going to lure residents to their actual Main Street which they abandoned long, long ago.

[buttersister]

I had recorded this, just in case. So I skimmed and watched the reveal and follow up. Don't think I'll bother with that again.

Particularly odd: WTH was with Brian standing with his legs 2 miles apart while FaceTiming with Ben and Erin?

So they redecorated somebody's basement. Wow. The storefronts were more modern versions of boring. There was some "gathering spot" that was also unimpressive--that concept may have been good, but 100% the executions are underwhelming. Good luck, town. Hope you vote in your best interests.

[izabella]

This could have worked a lot better if they had done multiple projects in one town with multiple designers.   They could still show a subset of projects each episode, but the town would benefit more substantially.  And viewers would be more engaged in the projects as well. 

The women with the Rescue Me store should organize a weekly farmer's market, and crafts market, somewhere in the square.  That would attract people to their Rescue store as well as the bakery.  Did they say if they were putting a coffee shop inside the bakery?  That would also attract more people.

I hope the hair salon is successful.  It looked like a fun place to get your hair done.

[CruiseDiva]

My best friend is from Thomaston, GA and her parents still live there. I'm looking forward to their take on the "kickstart" and especially the Piggy drive in.

[NYGirl]

I saw a couple of reruns the other day and one of them was the guy who had to have a "wet room" bathtub in the shower.  Boy was he strange....and annoying!  If he said it once he said it at least 15 times in the hour.  At the end he actually left Erin Ben and his wife on the front porch to go take a shower.  WTF???

[mojito]

2 hours ago, NYGirl said:

I saw a couple of reruns the other day and one of them was the guy who had to have a "wet room" bathtub in the shower.

Did you notice the placement of the tub's hardware? You would have to fill the tub from the ceiling shower head.

[Boudreaux]

Of all the kickstart episodes, the Minden one was the best. Also, I live very close to Minden so I was the most excited to see this one.  But I feel like it had the most heart. I do think the park area looked kinda amateur, but hoping the local leaders do more with it. I loved the house remodel the best, but still not sure what that family did for the community that was so inspiring.  Now the restaurant owner was amazing, I loved her story and hope her restaurant thrives!

[NYGirl]

13 hours ago, mojito said:

Did you notice the placement of the tub's hardware? You would have to fill the tub from the ceiling shower head.

He specifically requested a giant shower head over that tub.  I think he was going to lay in the tub with the water running down on him. 

Edited May 31, 2022 by NYGirl

[NYGirl]

I just watched Mindon.  OMG Paige Turner has got to be the most annoying host on HGTV!  Her voice...her loudness.  I had to mute it...  I don't know what show she hosts but I will stay away.

I saw all of the kickstarts.  I am wondering why the show is under the umbrella of Home Town when Erin and Ben don't even go to the towns or do any of the work.  I know it's to spotlight other personalities but then make it a HGTV Kickstarter instead.

I like what they did with the restaurant in Mindon.

[SunnyBeBe]

I suppose it’s a matter of taste, but……a wall of antique gold mirrors for a twenty some old couple.  Ok.  Formal China on display in the den…..classic custom made bed. So boring…omg. Like an old lady’s parlor. Lol It was good to cover the red brick exterior, but they went with a solid bright white!  Whiter than the actual White House. Lol 

[chediavolo]

13 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I suppose it’s a matter of taste, but……a wall of antique gold mirrors for a twenty some old couple.  Ok.  Formal China on display in the den…..classic custom made bed. So boring…omg. Like an old lady’s parlor. Lol It was good to cover the red brick exterior, but they went with a solid bright white!  Whiter than the actual White House. Lol 

Is there a new episode on? My DVR did not record anything. 

[SunnyBeBe]

4 hours ago, chediavolo said:

Is there a new episode on? My DVR did not record anything. 

I don’t know if it was new. I just happened to catch a couple back to back during the day.  It was a young couple who moved back to their home town and selected a traditional red brick house for renovation.  She took down some blue and white drapes to make herself a dress. LOL. 

Edited July 22, 2022 by SunnyBeBe

[CrazyInAlabama]

That was the surgeon who lived in NYC for training, and returned to Laurel.    Big Apple to Little Catfish was the title (or something like that).   It was the episode that featured the Reid Classics bed that Ben helped with, the woodworker who makes them is third generation in the business, and his workshop is where I live.   

 https://www.reidclassics.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwlemWBhDUARIsAFp1rLUBXRr41Nu5u7gUrj9cYkvvvQCsnpuuW3lisgYdJ6kuZbFUTDD-CvEaAg4REALw_wcB

[SunnyBeBe]

44 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

That was the surgeon who lived in NYC for training, and returned to Laurel.    Big Apple to Little Catfish was the title (or something like that).   It was the episode that featured the Reid Classics bed that Ben helped with, the woodworker who makes them is third generation in the business, and his workshop is where I live.   

 https://www.reidclassics.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwlemWBhDUARIsAFp1rLUBXRr41Nu5u7gUrj9cYkvvvQCsnpuuW3lisgYdJ6kuZbFUTDD-CvEaAg4REALw_wcB

Impressive craftsman, but it seemed very mature for a young couple, Imo.  They seemed to like it, though.  I couldn’t believe they didn’t select the contemporary house.  The proposed plan with open floor plan looked awesome.  

[CrazyInAlabama]

It was a rerun. 

I really liked the modern house, and hope it ends up on another episode.   

The lady who moved back to Laurel and wanted a home big enough for her entire family to visit, with the pound cake recipes from Miss Dot, had a first candidate house that didn't make the cut.    That first house has been redone, and has been on the market for over $700k, it looks better after too.  

[CrazyInAlabama]

On 4/3/2022 at 11:30 PM, 3 is enough said:

I liked what they did with the house.  And the family seemed very happy with the result. The kitchen and the bathroom were beautiful.  And the vase was really gorgeous.
Did anyone else notice the music? Coming back from a commercial there was some instrumental music that sounded very stereotypical “Asian”.  I don’t usually overthink things, but given that the family was Chinese the choice of music really surprised me.  HGTV is usually so PC about everything, and this seemed out of character for them.

I saw the rerun of this one.    They did play a few notes of music when Ben was working on the screened porch for the father.   It was a few notes of a very popular Chinese soap opera theme, and I bet it's the grandmother's favorite one.   They only played a few notes because I bet playing more would be very expensive.  I suspect it was a request from the homeowners for the grandmother. 

[3 is enough]

On 10/8/2022 at 9:13 AM, CrazyInAlabama said:

I saw the rerun of this one.    They did play a few notes of music when Ben was working on the screened porch for the father.   It was a few notes of a very popular Chinese soap opera theme, and I bet it's the grandmother's favorite one.   They only played a few notes because I bet playing more would be very expensive.  I suspect it was a request from the homeowners for the grandmother. 

That makes sense. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

Home Town returns Sunday, 4 December with new episodes, 7 pm Central, 8 pm Eastern.   (I wrote the wrong times.) 

Edited November 3, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[pasdetrois]

I'll watch this space to learn whether they are continuing their trend toward renovating big expensive houses, then decide whether to spring for a streaming subscription. 😁

[3 is enough]

In the six months since the last episode aired Erin and Ben have bought and renovated a house in the country. It will be featured on one of the upcoming episodes. They said they wanted their girls to have the same experience growing up that Erin did, but I do wonder if part of it was just trying to regain some privacy.  Their house in Laurel is pretty easy to find, I am told, and they constantly had strangers ringing their bell.

They also have a small role in a Discovery Christmas movie, are presenting at the CMA Awards next week, and Erin has opened a separate "scent library" location to sell her candles in Laurel.  I feel like they aren't "just regular folks from a small town in Mississippi" anymore.  Ben has also opened a factory that makes cutting boards in Laurel.  They seem to be going the Magnolia route, although, to their credit, they have stayed true to their made in America pledge, unlike the Gaines and also Dave and Jenny Marrs who have a line of home goods at Walmart. 

Edited November 5, 2022 by 3 is enough

[pasdetrois]

Erin has also been featured in "Southern Living" magazine four times, the most recent of which is about their new country home.

[buttersister]

Looking forward to seeing their country home--understand the attraction of it. Yikes, people, ringing their bell?

They've got two college educations to pay for, so going for it, while staying within their values is also understandable. As the owner of a grey and white kitchen (for 20+ years;-), I appreciate a lot of the kitchens they've done. I'm mostly transitional in design and/but I've seen homes they've remodeled that I could happily live in.

[RoxiP]

I think that they are smart to realize that the American public is fickle and they have to take advantage of their time in the spotlight while they can.  

[CrazyInAlabama]

I love the country place they bought.    It was an alternate house on the Zen Room show.    I love that Reid Classics bed that they have.    I love that the mothers made Ben's kilt.   The girls' rooms are spectacular, and I love they planned for the girls to have the cousins over.  The new puppy for Helen brought tears to my eyes.  The two grandmas, and the little girls are so cute.   I hope they're so happy there, and people give them their privacy.  

I bet the soapstone price Erin quoted would be much thicker counter tops, not just the minimum depth.    

I saw the rerun of the people who wanted the wet room, so the husband can spend his entire life in the tub.    Still bizarre to me.   

The Zen room episode was on too, and I really like the people from California realized they could never retire there, and looked for somewhere else, and decided on Laurel.    I know the tile wasn't traditional, but Erin and the tile guys really went all out giving the couple what they wanted.    The couple looked so happy at the reveal.   

HGTV is rerunning the Country House episode tonight (Wednesday) at 7 Central, 8 Eastern, if anyone wants to watch it again.   I'll watch just to see the puppy scene. 

Edited December 8, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[3 is enough]

The house was quite impressive. Not a style I would choose for myself but they did a very nice job with the renovations. Wonder if they will end up selling their place in Laurel?  I have no idea how far away the new place is from the town center. 

[Grrarrggh]

I feel for their daughters, but Erin and Ben brought this on themselves. They didn't have to film their children or reveal their names. They didn't have to bring cameras into their home(s) in order to do their jobs. 

[Scatterbrained]

They were much more emotional in this episode.  Understandable, but I prefer less of that.    Felt that they over-emphasized childhood (early childhood).  I get that it is both their children’s ages and a target bracket for selling cutesy items.  I just wonder if the girls will want to be in those rooms as teenagers with a lot of stuff, especially if they end up being tall like their father.  Perhaps there are other, full height, rooms downstairs which they will customize and move the kids into future episodes.

[pasdetrois]

The Napiers are headed toward Magnolia territory.

Southern Living has featured Erin and/or Ben in five issues and I'm over the aggressive push for fame and fortune.

[chediavolo]

I call pure bullshit on them having to do the bathroom floor themselves to save money and not being able to afford soapstone countertops! I cannot imagine how much that house cost plus all the renovations that they did. And personally I would’ve hired a carpenter who was knowledgeable in historic preservation come in and add to those beautiful cabinets that were already there instead of taking them down and using the doors as art projects😳🙄 otherwise the house was a damn dream and one of the styles that I truly love. Unfortunately at my age I’m having a hard time being happy for peoples fortunes after a lifetime of struggling and living in a fixer-upper. So I have to watch it and just realize that I will never have my dream, which gets kind of frustrating and depressing. I know they want to keep their privacy but I’m sure it’s pretty easy to find out where they really live because I wanted to see the outside of the house. I wonder if there’s any other forums or websites that shows the exterior

[3 is enough]

59 minutes ago, pasdetrois said:

The Napiers are headed toward Magnolia territory.

Southern Living has featured Erin and/or Ben in five issues and I'm over the aggressive push for fame and fortune.

Yes, I am kind of over it too.  They are taking full advantage of a window of opportunity to make a lot of money and I think they understand that this will not last forever, but I miss the early days when you could see how excited they were that someone wanted to put them on tv. 

I still appreciate the fact that not every house they do looks the same. Their commitment to using local companies and only selling American made goods at their stores is admirable. But I don't think this is must-see tv for me anymore.

[buttersister]

I’ve been waiting for this—not in the good way. The Magnolia playbook is understandable, but not special to watch. Oh well. At least they waited several years. And aren’t having babies every few years.

My non-rich friends have soapstone countertops, so the attempt to make Erin and Ben just regular folks—with a DIY floor—fell flat. And felt manipulative. Although I suppose they could have two mortgages, can always replace the countertops and work with excellent floor people.😏

I believe it was Ben’s mom who commented that the new kitchen looked much like the old kitchen. LOL. The cousin corner was good.

[Spunkygal]

2 hours ago, pasdetrois said:

The Napiers are headed toward Magnolia territory.

Southern Living has featured Erin and/or Ben in five issues and I'm over the aggressive push for fame and fortune.

Sadly this is true. My enjoyment of their show has slowly waned. Now they’re in a Hallmark movie like the other HGTV and FN pimps.  I laughed when Erin made a big deal of them installing the wood bathroom floor themselves but spending apparently big $$ on the Moroccan tile in the shower. I didn’t see what was so freaking special about that tile, both before and after installation. I could go to Floor & Decor and buy something similar for a fraction of the price and it would look just as nice. I am going to do what I do with other one hour HGTV and FN shows — watch the first 7 minutes and then FF to the end. 

[3 is enough]

A quick google search shows that granite costs between $40-$200 per square foot, while soapstone ranges from $55-$120 per square foot.  However, the honed granite they chose is much more expensive than polished.  So, yeah.

[pasdetrois]

The fake economy and modesty are annoying because it insults long-time viewers. Perhaps their businesses took a small hit during COVID, but Ben and Erin are wealthy, hanging out with country music stars, sought after by the media, and so on. They haven't been small town, small-house flippers for several years.

I will say one thing for them - I believe that they donate sizable amounts of money to charity. (Not that stupid HGTV show where designers "help revitalize dying small towns in 48 hours.")

Edited December 5, 2022 by pasdetrois

[chediavolo]

2 hours ago, 3 is enough said:

A quick google search shows that granite costs between $40-$200 per square foot, while soapstone ranges from $55-$120 per square foot.  However, the honed granite they chose is much more expensive than polished.  So, yeah.

Soapstone is cheaper than granite? So they are liars also. I know I have about 20 feet of granite countertop & it cost a lot of money 15 years ago. The granite they chose was ugly imo. 

[3 is enough]

1 hour ago, pasdetrois said:

They haven't been small town, small-house flippers for several years.

The truth is they never were small town, small house flippers.  Erin owned a custom wedding invitation business and Ben was a youth pastor.  Erin had a blog where she documented the renovations they did on their first apartment and their first home.  The blog caught the attention of an HGTV talent scout and they were approached about filming a pilot for a possible tv show.  It took almost a year for the pilot to get picked up.

Not saying they aren't perfectly nice people- I'm sure they do donate generously to charities, and they have always tithed 10% of their income to their church, which was something Erin was uncomfortable doing when their finances were tighter. Ben, being a minister's son, never had any such reservations.

They work hard and have taken full advantage of the opportunities that came with a successful tv show  and I can't fault them for that.  But the whole "we're just a humble couple from a small town on a tight budget " pretense is disingenuous at this point.

[RoxiP]

Maybe they are just careful with how they spend their money and aren't like some other home improvement couples who overspend on every aspect of a home renovation.  Perhaps they set a budget and that's what they spent...I know I would be in a much better position in life if I had learned that early on!  Perhaps it would have been nice if they had said as much when they started the renovation but they aren't in charge of editing the show.

I do think they are a relatively humble couple from a small town.  They don't come across as pretentious and seem to maintain a good relationship with their family and friends.  I can see that Ben, coming from a family where I think his parents were in ministry, is especially grateful for where they are now in life.  

[3 is enough]

I don't think their personalities have changed, and I don't doubt that they are grateful, but their lives definitely have changed.  

It's plausible that they had a budget, and wanted to stay within it.  

But at the end of the day, it's a tv show. And it is scripted.  They didn't really lay that floor themselves- they filmed a few minutes then they probably left to film at another property.  I'm pretty sure Ben does actually make those custom pieces but everything else is just tv magic.  So it is not out if the realm of possibility that the comment about the soapstone was just scripted.

[Badsamaritan]

So English country is considered warm and cozy? Huh. Definitely not the design decor my mind goes to when thinking about warmth and coziness lol.

I understand that folks love old houses but for folks like me with mobility issues, give me an open floor plan any day. Less narrow doorways to navigate and corners to get bruises. I sometimes wonder how designers, who swear by those slanted walls and nooks, would fare with having to look at these old houses with an eye for someone with a disability. Of course I admire the craftsmanship when I see these places but then I immediately think about where my first bruise would happen. 😅 

[Grrarrggh]

2 hours ago, Badsamaritan said:

I understand that folks love old houses but for folks like me with mobility issues, give me an open floor plan any day. Less narrow doorways to navigate and corners to get bruises. I sometimes wonder how designers, who swear by those slanted walls and nooks, would fare with having to look at these old houses with an eye for someone with a disability. 

Interesting, as my great-aunt has mobility issues and uses a wheelchair/zimmer frame and she can't abide open concept. Says the noise is too much and that her physical therapist tells her she needs to walk more carefully anyway lol. That and she (my great-aunt not the therapist) says walls are best when it comes to my great-uncle ;) 

[buttersister]

3 hours ago, 3 is enough said:

So it is not out if the realm of possibility that the comment about the soapstone was just scripted.

Time to re-cite buttersister's TV "Reality Show" Rule #1: Just because the script says something dumb, or untrue, doesn't mean you need to say it. Especially when you have clout, which they certainly do here.