Home Town - General Discussion

[3 is enough]

They showed bits and pieces of the kitchen during one of the commentary episodes or a preview episode.

They did cover the renovation in a journal entry. https://www.laurelmercantile.com/blogs/journal/our-new-kitchen-its-past-lives

I think they are really trying to stay away from filming at their home.  They had issues with fans ringing the doorbell and asking for photos just before the pandemic hit.  The problem with living in a small town is that you are easy to find.

Erin did use her favorite tile in her own kitchen. 

[HurricaneVal]

I like that they're not making the show about them-them-them <hard side-eye to Joanna and Chip Gaines>, but I do like them and am curious about their own home.  I would imagine it is charming with modern touches.  Or.....like many in the business....it is in a constant state of half-doneness because fitting in time to work on your own home when you have a business fixing up homes for others can be difficult.  Or one of those "I just can't look at another nailgun or piece of sheetrock today!" kinds of things.

[3 is enough]

If you go to the Laurel Mercantile website, there is  blog.  If you click on Erin's journal they are all there from 2010 until just after Helen was born.  She talks about the house a lot, and there are photos.  They redid their master bath before Helen was born, and the kitchen, but other than paint and a new roof and HVAC, their house is pretty true to the era.  Aside from Helen's room and the master bath it is mostly white walls.  Certainly not messy or half done.  She is quite neat.  

The journal is a long read- there is an entry every day for over 8 years.  Some are short, others longer.  Lots of pictures.  Some of the entries talk about church and faith- I kind of glossed over those. It is really cool to see how much they changed over 8 years though.

[CrazyInAlabama]

 

On last weeks show, with the soon-to-be empty nesters, the old kitchen was so dark, but it wasn't just from the cabinets, they just didn't have many lights in there. 

Adding the big cased opening to the living room/dining room/kitchen, and more lighting brightened the house up a lot.   Plus, the back splash in the kitchen was off white, and the counter tops were white, so the cabinets being green looked good to me.    

Tonight's new episode is with Ben's youngest brother, Jesse and his wife Lauren.   They're buying their first house.  I'm shocked that Jesse and Lauren lived in a 300 or 350 sq. ft. house since they got married.  

I'm so happy!   Jesse and Lauren are having a baby, and Erin's having another girl!   I'm so happy for Erin, Ben, and Helen. 

I loved seeing Ben and Jesse's mom, Bennie, and love that the stained glass from both sides will be in their home.    And Jesse and Ben building a crib for Jesse's baby is adorable.     The giant bathtub  for the house is great.   Sam the oldest brother is so cute.  It's Sam (the oldest), then Ben, then Tom, and Jesse (Ben is 10 years older than Jesse, and Tom is 8 years older than Jesse, I think). 

 

Edited April 12, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[Grrarrggh]

I loved the outside and the kitchen in their brother/sister-in-law's house, but not both in the same house.

[Barlowe]

I'll admit I didn't realize Erin was pregnant until they literally said the words. I just thought Ben was doing a joke about how Helen and Erin are his girls. 

[RoxiP]

This season's shows must be showing out of order, because I thought Erin was pregnant in one of the first shows of the season,whereas last night she didn't look that pregnant.  What fun for cousins to be so close in age and live near one another 

 

 

[3 is enough]

58 minutes ago, RoxiP said:

This season's shows must be showing out of order, because I thought Erin was pregnant in one of the first shows of the season,whereas last night she didn't look that pregnant.  What fun for cousins to be so close in age and live near one another 

 

 

I agree.  I also had a clue when she talked about moving Helen to her "big girl room" instead of just switching her crib for a bed in her nursery.

The blue kitchen was too much.  If the backsplash had been painted another colour it would have been better, IMO.  Just too intense for me.  

[Grrarrggh]

3 hours ago, 3 is enough said:

The blue kitchen was too much.  If the backsplash had been painted another colour it would have been better, IMO.  Just too intense for me.  

Wasn't it green, not blue?

[CrazyInAlabama]

It's blue, but sometimes the lights they use for filming do odd things to color. It looks kind of green in some photos.     

Here's the link:

https://www.laurelmercantile.com/blogs/journal/the-napier-house

Someone asked about the remodeled kitchen at Ben and Erin's house, here's a video tour from last year.  It's also an article about the new baby, due in a month!

https://www.today.com/parents/erin-napier-husband-ben-announce-she-s-having-2nd-baby-t214550

The cabinet color is Sherwin Williams Cascades, which they call a teal blue/green.    Tonight on the rerun, the kitchen looked more green, with hints of blue.   

I love Ben's interactions with his brothers, and the other family members.     But the partners in the Laurel Mercantile get along so well.   Josh and his wife, Jim and Mallorie, and Ben and Erin all seem like solid partners, and friends. 

There are only two more episodes this season, tonight, and next week, and then starting the first Sunday in May, the Wetumpka Home Town Takeover (or is it Makeover?) starts.  
 

Edited April 18, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[3 is enough]

I think it was teal- so it looked blue in some light and greenish in others.  But on my tv it looked like the granite they chose clashed with the paint.  If the backsplash had been more neutral maybe it wouldn't have been such a jarring contrast.  Also, the cabinet knobs were painted the same colour as the cabinet- I think they needed some contrast there too.

Maybe it looks totally different in person- some colours don't film well.  I liked the rest of the house.

Of course as long as Jesse and Lauren were happy that's all that counts.

Edited April 12, 2021 by 3 is enough

[Spunkygal]

Just a general comment and not specific about the recent episode: I really enjoy Ben’s interactions with friends Jim and Josh. I think Jim is Erin’s cousin. They are so funny together and so genuine. But Josh often helps in Ben’s workshop and he is my cutie patootie! And I don’t mean that in a creepy way, I just think he has a cute personality. 

Regarding the recent episode, Ben and Jesse are also cute together. I bet that family is a hoot to be around. Jesse was a bit deadpan on his comments which was adorable to me. That crib brought tears to my eyes and the tissue paper art made sense when I saw it on the wall. I couldn’t figure out what Erin had in mind when they were making it. It was great to see Ben’s mom! Yet again, a great episode even though I thought the cabinet color was a tad too strong. When I win the lotto, I’m kidnapping them and making them redo my house. I’ll happily babysit! 

[absolutelyido]

For anyone interested in the specifics of paint colors, etc., the producers of the show list all of the products for each episode on their website. Here is the link to the Napier house:

https://www.rtrmedia.com/the-napier-house/

[DVDFreaker]

On 4/12/2021 at 1:22 PM, 3 is enough said:

I agree.  I also had a clue when she talked about moving Helen to her "big girl room" instead of just switching her crib for a bed in her nursery.

The blue kitchen was too much.  If the backsplash had been painted another colour it would have been better, IMO.  Just too intense for me.  

I agree, blue is my favorite color but that is way too much blue! 

[RoxiP]

But as Erin is closely involved with her im-laws she undoubtedly knew that they would love it.  She mentioned several times their love of saturated color.  Obviously it is was designed for their taste. I would prefer a more neutral palette myself with just a few accents of color but its not my house. 

[DVDFreaker]

I rewatched the episode and I noticed that the stackable dryer and washer is behind the door in the bathroom, that is a terrible use of the stackable dryer and washer and is a pain in the ass opening and closing the door to use the washer and dryer, they could have put it somewhere else

[CrazyInAlabama]

A pocket door would have solved a lot of problems for that washer/dryer location.      

On Jesse and Lauren's house, the cabinets looked dark blue in some light, but was really a green with a little blue in it (teal). 

Jim is Erin's cousin.    He's also married to Mallorie.   Jim, Mallorie,  Ben and Erin, Josh and Emily (I think she's the Mercantile manager), are all  partners in the Laurel Mercantile.     They have the Scotsman store for Ben's stuff too, and they partner with Lott furniture to showcase their furniture collection.  

This season I've enjoyed meeting some other relatives, Jim's father, Uncle Danny, Rene Register (the little house), and her Mom Miss Sandra.   Plus, all of Ben's family in last week's episode with Jesse and Lauren.    

I really liked the couple last night.    That house was amazing after they worked their magic on it.    I love they went with the property with the bigger yard, and that amazing entertainment space.    The deck removal worked out so well.   I wouldn't have wanted the wooden deck, because I would worry about something living under it.   

Edited April 20, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[deirdra]

On 4/12/2021 at 4:11 PM, Grrarrggh said:

Wasn't it green, not blue?

Erin called it "dark teal"

[DVDFreaker]

16 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

A pocket door would have solved a lot of problems for that washer/dryer location.    

Jim is Erin's cousin.    He's also married to Mallory (or Mallorie?).   Jim, Mallory, Ben and Erin, Josh and his wife (I think she's the Mercantile manager), are all the partners in the Laurel Mercantile.     

This season I've enjoyed meeting some other relatives, Jim's father, Uncle Danny, Rene Register (the little house), and her Mom Miss Sandra.   Plus, all of Ben's family in last week's episode with Jesse and Lauren.    

I really liked the couple last night.    That house was amazing after they worked their magic on it.    I love they went with the property with the bigger yard, and that amazing entertainment space.    The deck removal worked out so well.   I wouldn't have wanted the wooden deck, because I would worry about something living under it.   

A pocket door is a good idea and they should have done that

[NYGirl]

I just watched Sunday's new episode with the couple from Georgia.  Two things:

1.  The Bowen House.  I think there's a Bowen house in every episode.  It didn't look familiar though.

2.  I did not like the mud room in the kitchen.  It was right behind the island.  Who wants dirty boots and stuff in the kitchen?

[CrazyInAlabama]

My guess is there are, or were, a lot of Bowens in town at one time.    If you went to the town my dad is from, there were a six siblings, some aunts, and uncles, and then the grandkids, over half were men.  So, if you asked for directions to the "Smith" house, (not the real last name), they'd have to ask you which "Smith" or maybe even more information to get to the right place. 

 Remember the two young women, looking at the Lott house?   One was part of the furniture company Lott family, but she didn't know if that Lott with the house was a relative.   

I don't like islands that much, but I bet the couple wanted one.    I bet the rain chain and the vessel, were moved to the final location, instead of where they had the competition between Ben, Josh, and Jim to get their pot picked.  

Edited April 25, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[RoxiP]

I didn't like the 'mudroom' either.  Lol - if I. Lived in the small town where my parents grew up half the houses would be named after my relatives.

[chediavolo]

On 4/19/2021 at 3:04 AM, CrazyInAlabama said:

A pocket door would have solved a lot of problems for that washer/dryer location.      

On Jesse and Lauren's house, the cabinets looked dark blue in some light, but was really a green with a little blue in it (teal). 

Jim is Erin's cousin.    He's also married to Mallorie.   Jim, Mallorie,  Ben and Erin, Josh and Emily (I think she's the Mercantile manager), are all  partners in the Laurel Mercantile.     They have the Scotsman store for Ben's stuff too, and they partner with Lott furniture to showcase their furniture collection.  

This season I've enjoyed meeting some other relatives, Jim's father, Uncle Danny, Rene Register (the little house), and her Mom Miss Sandra.   Plus, all of Ben's family in last week's episode with Jesse and Lauren.    

I really liked the couple last night.    That house was amazing after they worked their magic on it.    I love they went with the property with the bigger yard, and that amazing entertainment space.    The deck removal worked out so well.   I wouldn't have wanted the wooden deck, because I would worry about something living under it.   

I liked the redo also, Although I wish Erin would stop putting a humongous island in every kitchen.  I don’t think this was user-friendly for a plus size couple that likes to cook. I like a kitchen more roomy myself. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

So on the season finale (next Sunday starts the Wetumpka AL, Home Town Takeover series), Cindy has a $400,000 budget.      This should be amazing.   However, the "Grand" jokes need to stop. 

The second house is 4 bedrooms, 7 baths, for $300,000.  The foyer of the second house looks like King Arthur's decorator did it.   I don't know if it's supposed to be medieval, an Art Deco variation, or what, but it's hideous with the orange walls.   Pool looks lovely, and I like the remodel, but with the grandkids, fence the pool in. I did notice they only showed the living, dining, and kitchen in both houses. 

I like the house she chose.   It's lovely, and will be spectacular when it's finished.   I think the second house was too big of a project.   I love that Erin found the Sour Cream Pound cake recipe that the neighbor left behind, and Miss Dot is going to make a pound cake for Cindy the home buyer.       

Edited April 26, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[DVDFreaker]

11 hours ago, chediavolo said:

I liked the redo also, Although I wish Erin would stop putting a humongous island in every kitchen.  I don’t think this was user-friendly for a plus size couple that likes to cook. I like a kitchen more roomy myself. 

I totally agree with that, I rather have a roomy kitchen than have a humongous island that takes up space in the kitchen 

[deirdra]

Big islands in the middle of narrow kitchens with appliances & sink on three walls make no sense to me since you are constantly walking around the big island to get to the fridge, then around it to the stove etc.  That is why the original kitchen had a peninsula.  If you want an island, put it on wheels so that you can put it in the peninsula position like a bar for buffets, or rotate it 90 degrees like Erin's island if you had a bunch of people in there preparing food, but are able to pull it farther away from the other cabinets if several people need to access different parts of the kitchen.

My other pet peeve is 'designers' who put the long dimension of rectangular dining tables across the short dimension of the room.  If people are sitting in the end chairs, nobody can walk around the table.  It also looks dumb, not 'creative'.

[absolutelyido]

This was another good season of Hometown, a couple of overall thoughts:

-In the first episode a couple looked at a Tudor home that they didn't choose, but it continued to be featured in the opening credits. I kept waiting for someone else choose it. It just seems odd to have a house they didn't work on in the credits.

-They had so many friends and family on this season, it makes me wonder if they are running out of "regular" people to work with. The population of Laurel is only about 18,000, so there's only so many people wanting to move in or to a new home that needs remodeling.

On the final episode, I loved the wallpaper in the entry way. It was fun and whimsical, but not over-the-top.

[readheaded]

On 4/5/2021 at 8:45 PM, buttersister said:

That info made all my HGTV watching worth it🤗 Now if I can figure out how to avoid grout. I hate grout.

Me, too and I really hate dark grout, especially with light tile.  It looks like a dirty subway station to me.  

[3 is enough]

11 hours ago, absolutelyido said:

 

-They had so many friends and family on this season, it makes me wonder if they are running out of "regular" people to work with. The population of Laurel is only about 18,000, so there's only so many people wanting to move in or to a new home that needs remodeling.

They have always had a lot of friends on. The first season was only 10 episodes but at least half of them were friends of theirs.

I wondered about the size of Laurel limiting the length of the show too.  I think this season was more of a stretch due to the pandemic and all of the issues associated with it.  

There has not been a formal announcement of a sixth season yet,  but my guess is that they are taking a break from filming for a few months because of their new baby.  In the past they had already started filming the new season while the current one was still airing.

I did like the house last night, especially the kitchen. That copper hood was gorgeous.

[Vivigirl10]

I really enjoyed Cindy's episode.  The house that she didn't choose was so weird but Erin's vision seemed like it could have turned into something really special!  While I liked Miss Bunny's house better, I almost wanted to see how the second house could have turned out.

Loved, loved, loved the foyer and the wallpaper.  The kitchen with the new windows was just stunning.  Unfortunately, I just can't get on the shiplap bandwagon.  Even with it painted I didn't care for it.  I "get" it.  It's just not my cup of tea.

This show gives me the warm and fuzzies.  The people and town have the feel of a bygone era.  Ben and Erin and their friends are like throw backs.  They have talents and passions to share and focus on.  I'd be saddened and shocked to find Ben walking around with his face in his phone all the time, for example!

 

 

[Grrarrggh]

I was a bit disappointed the foyer wallpaper didn't have more colour in it. 

[RoxiP]

I liked the color they painted the dining room and thought that was a good use of shiplap  I'm not a fan of wallpaper in any way and I thought the foyer paper was too busy but the homeowner liked it and it had meaning to her so that is all that matters.

[Spunkygal]

Wasn’t too excited when I first saw the wallpaper going up but I liked it when I saw the completed project. It related well to the rest of the house. The copper hood was gorgeous! And I liked that Ben used the door he found in the family barn to make a china cabinet. I’d love to see the rest of the house. The homeowner strikes me as a lady who doesn’t let projects linger and I bet she had the other rooms finished too. I really enjoyed this season.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I wondered about only redoing the dining/kitchen/foyer/living, but it could be the rest of the house is in good shape.    I bet the other rooms only needed paint, and maybe a new light or something similar.   

[RoxiP]

I usually like Ben's projects but I didn't care for the hutch at all - I would have preferred it painted.  The bottom of the door was unattractive to me...but again, not my house.

[CrazyInAlabama]

On the Wetumpka series, it's a nice little town, but has two huge problems. 

1. The casino (Wind Creek Casino and Hotel owned and operated by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians) and hotel is huge, and has everything you would need on site, and you don't even have to go through the city to get to the casino/hotel.   (By the way, the Poarch Creek Band are great neighbors, and in the huge tornadoes that killed almost 30 people, they paid for all of the funerals.  They also have a lot of community initiatives, and I bet they contributed to the show's initiatives.)   I'm hoping that the Casino Hotel helped with the work on the town.  

 2.  Tornado two years ago, I live in Alabama, and I would never move to someplace that had been hit, because tornadoes often follow geography.   

I hope the publicity from the show and the remodeling help the town.     I really enjoyed seeing the residents, and the different projects that everyone from HGTV will help with.  

Edited May 3, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[Spunkygal]

Charming town, I liked the entire episode. My favorite things were the floor of Tapp18 and the quilts. Could have done without Sheryl Crow but I understand why they had her there. They should have saved the Big Fish house introduction until the next episode. 

[3 is enough]

Are all the episodes going to be 90 minutes long?

And who is paying for these renovations?  I got the Impression that unlike Home Town it was not the homeowners / business owners.  

I liked the end results.  
 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I suspect that the production company and HGTV are paying for it, with the help of any sponsorships they can get.     The next episode is only an hour, so this was just the introduction to the entire series.      I agree, the results were stunning.   

[3 is enough]

I hope that it does give the town the jump start it needs, but I am cautiously optimistic because it is a limited series. It’s only 6 weeks, and then it will be done.  People have short memories.

I do think the main reason for Laurel’s resurgence is because it has been featured on a tv show for the past 5 years.

 Hopefully people who visit the casino will go and visit because they saw the town featured on tv.

I don’t know how much input Erin and Ben had in the final decision, but I am guessing the Big Fish House made it a done deal for her.😉

[Grrarrggh]

I'm afraid this is all going to end up benefiting HGTV and their actors more than the town. Or it will benefit only the richer (and whiter) of the town. 

[chediavolo]

On 4/28/2021 at 8:57 AM, RoxiP said:

I usually like Ben's projects but I didn't care for the hutch at all - I would have preferred it painted.  The bottom of the door was unattractive to me...but again, not my house.

Is that the one where they used that ugly stained glass that belonged to someone in the family? I would’ve accidentally broken that shit. Unless of course you like the old grandma look😄

[chediavolo]

3 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

Charming town, I liked the entire episode. My favorite things were the floor of Tapp18 and the quilts. Could have done without Sheryl Crow but I understand why they had her there. They should have saved the Big Fish house introduction until the next episode. 

What was this? My TV or did not record it. So I only caught the last of it. It felt really strange
I could not stop staring at those two women who own the shop. The attire and the make up! just wow😳 Wish  I would’ve caught the whole thing and got some background. 

[Grrarrggh]

3 minutes ago, chediavolo said:

What was this? My TV or did not record it. So I only caught the last of it. It felt really strange

It's recorded under a different name than the normal Home Towns. It's called Home Town Takeover. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

57 minutes ago, chediavolo said:

What was this? My TV or did not record it. So I only caught the last of it. It felt really strange

This coming Sunday, the 9th, they will rerun a one hour version of the first episode from 6-7 pm Central, and then 7-8 Central is the next episode.      Maybe they'll cut out some of the part about how many cities applied.     

[chessiegal]

My stepdaughter has in-laws who live in Wetumpka, but not downtown. She said her in-laws had heard about some superficial changes downtown but weren't curious enough to drive to see it. Sounds like it didn't make much of a change.

[Vivigirl10]

23 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

My favorite things were the floor of Tapp18 and the quilts.

Yes!  The technique used to make the pattern on the floor was interesting!

23 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

Could have done without Sheryl Crow but I understand why they had her there.

The reaction that the daugher of Tapp18's owner had to seeing Sheryl was sweet, but I highly doubt she would have had any idea of who she was on her own.  Sheryl isn't exactly hot with the kids right now.  

The couple whose home was renovated - were those little boys fosters?  What a couple of cuties.  Not that it matters at all, I just wondered if they had any current fosters or it was something they planned to do.  God Bless anyone who is a foster parent.  

I liked the Big Fish House family ☺️ 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I think the two little boys were the couples children, and they said they had two more fosters (probably not allowed to show them on camera), and were hoping to get a couple more fosters when the house is finished.    I found an article that said the couple have two biological kids, and two foster kids, and possibly up to two more fosters.  I don't know where they moved from, but I doubt it was for the reno.  

It's good they're doing the twelve reno projects, but Laurel has been working on reviving the town, and Main Street for 10 years, a few years before the TV show existed. 

 So Wetumpka is a good start, but it will have to continue for a long time to make a difference.    The people in town will have to continue the effort. 

Edited May 5, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[Grrarrggh]

I wonder where the foster couple moved from? And if they only moved because they were getting a free reno?

[3 is enough]

5 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

It's good they're doing the twelve reno projects, but Laurel has been working on reviving the town, and Main Street for 10 years.   So Wetumpka is a good start, but it will have to continue for a long time to make a difference.   

Laurel got a huge boost from Home Town.  Five seasons plus all those reruns- lots of people have been tempted to visit.  I had certainly never heard of it before the show.  It's very much like the boost Waco got from Fixer Upper.  I just don't think a 6 week series will have the same effect.