Home Town's Ben and Erin Napier Marry Southern Charm With Hobbit Style in This $200,000 Dream Home

Kathy and Isao came to Ben and Erin Napier with a truly unique request: help them create a home that was equal parts southern charm and hobbit style. With a $200,000 budget to work with, Erin found the perfect storybook cottage for the couple, and proved while she may not be lord of the rings, she’s certainly lord of the renos.

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Fairytale cottage with red brick and green accents

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A Happy Hobbit Home

When Ben and Erin Napier first showed this fairytale cottage to Kathy and Isao, the retirees couldn’t believe their eyes. The 1930s bungalow they’d purchased for $40,000 read more like a horror story than a fairytale. It had fallen into disrepair. But, after Erin and Ben’s renovation, which included a fresh coat of English green paint on the exterior walls, cream trim, copper lanterns, and a “hobbity” bench made by a famous local woodworker, the home was all charm, no harm.

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The Original Hughes House

Looking back at the home prior to the renovation, it’s hard to believe Kathy and Isao could have seen the potential in the 1930s build. Thankfully they had Erin and Ben to point out the winning features: the lot was huge (perfect for creating a magical and woodsy first impression), and the home had beautiful bones. Plus, who could resist the charming brick walkway? As Isao said, “Follow the Laurel brick road!”

With a $200,000 budget to play with, Kathy and Isao bought the $40,000 home and put $150,000 towards Ben and Erin’s renovation, with $40,000 going towards the exterior upgrades.

Abandoned living room with yellow and blue walls

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From Horrific to Terrific

Smelling like a pet shop is never a good feature in a home. Looking like the set of a horror film isn’t either. Somehow, Erin and Ben were able to convince Kathy and Isao they could fix all of that and more. They promised cozy living spaces that would satisfy Kathy’s desire for a Hobbit-style cottage, and incorporate touches of Isao’s native home, Hawaii.

Cozy living room with elegant furnishings

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Home Sweet Hobbit Home

Erin and Ben reconfigured the home to create an open concept plan, that still felt cozy thanks to layered rugs over the beautiful wood floors, ample textures, and a colour palette of warm tones. To ensure the spaces all felt cohesive, Erin opted for neutral putty-coloured kitchen cabinetry, with a unique flat rock backsplash made using floor tile. (You could say we were floored by Erin’s backsplash!)

A Handmade fireplace mantel with wood leaves

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Home is Where the Hearth Is

Kathy and Isao were excited for their fresh start in Laurel, Mississippi, but they did bring a few treasured items from their past, including this handmade mantel with exquisitely carved leaves. Erin even joked the leaves were so perfect, they must have been carved by Hobbits. Sounds like Ben has a little competition!

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A Real Life Dumpster Fire

Because the initial state of the home was so rough (Ben referred to it as a “real life dumpster fire”) Erin had full reign to reconfigure the home and create spaces that fit Kathy and Isao to a T. She designed a new primary bedroom suite, including a spacious walk-in closet and bathroom.

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One Man’s Trash is Another Man’s Treasure

Thanks to Erin’s eye for design, the dumpster fire is no more, and in it’s place, a formal dining room fit for Her Royal Highness (or Hobbits, as the case may be).

Erin opted for mix-and-match chairs to achieve a relaxed vibe. You can also spot touches of copper on the tablescape and throughout the home (it’s a favourite design element of Kathy’s). A beautiful copper tray on the table adds a gorgeous contrast against succulents and indoor herbs. (Learn how to easily recreate this DIY indoor herb garden for your own home.)

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A Warm and Cozy Retreat

Erin took a bit of a risk with the palette for this bedroom, but as she brought Kathy and Isao to see their new room, she introduced the clay-coloured walls as her new favourite paint colour! The room feels warm and cozy, like a cave perfect for hibernating! And we love Erin’s choice for bunny bedside table lamps, they feed in perfectly to the woodsy theme of the home.

Primary bathroom with green tiled shower

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A Magnificent Moss Green Shower

The primary bathroom might just be our favourite space in the entire home! Erin created a spa-like bathroom with two large vanities with plenty of storage and an exquisite shower clad in moss green tile. It gives the illusion of an outdoor shower in the woods (minus the mosquitos).

Ben and Erin Napier seated by a fireplace

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Gifts from the Earth

Ben really wanted to give Kathy and Isao something special for their new home, that would tie into their woodsy theme. He managed to source a piece of Redwood from a mill that salvages naturally fallen trees. These trees are anywhere from 600 to 2000 years old! Creating something from Redwood is a bucket list item for a woodworker, according to Ben, and he was overjoyed to create a live-edge table for Kathy and Isao’s new home! To show their appreciation, Kathy and Isao gifted the Napiers traditional Hawaiian leis.