Erin and Ben Napier of ‘Home Town’ Tackle Their Tiniest House—With Hugely Cute Results
HGTV
On HGTV’s “Home Town,” Erin and Ben Napier have renovated some small spaces, but the latest episode shows just how small they can go.
In the Season 7 episode “Second Chances,” the Napiers help Mike and Cornise renovate their guesthouse. However, the residence is only 250 square feet, so there’s not much to work with.
“This wins the award for the smallest house we have ever worked on,” Erin says. “I can’t imagine we’ll ever work on anything smaller.”
Still, Ben knows that the key to this project is making smart choices.
“It’s all about figuring out ways to make it bigger than it is,” he says.
The married couple give Ben and Erin a budget of $40,000, and the HGTV stars manage to turn this dwelling into a luxurious suite. Check out their smart tips, which might inspire some changes that can help make your own cramped areas feel a little bit bigger, too.
Expand your living space to the outdoors
Before: This guesthouse was built in 1998.HGTV
When it comes to the exterior, this guesthouse is already charming. Erin makes a few cosmetic changes, like adding shutters and replacing the dated iron columns, but her biggest change is functional: adding a screen around the existing porch.
“The screen porch will give it a little bit more square footage of living space,” Ben says when he and Erin first tell Mike and Cornise their plan. These homeowners love the idea, knowing that it’ll make the guesthouse feel twice as big.
After: The guesthouse now has a lovely screened-in porch.HGTV
The team moves forward with the screens and filling the porch with comfortable furniture. Immediately, the porch goes from being barely usable to an important part of the living space.
“It seriously adds so much square footage that the house didn’t have before,” Erin says of the reimagined porch. “It’s becoming something really special.”
It’s a great reminder that if a house doesn’t have a lot of interior space, homeowners could make a porch or balcony more inviting with screens or just new furniture.
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Install a microwave ‘drawer’ below the counter
Before: Erin and Ben Napier wanted to take space from the kitchen to make a bigger bathroom.HGTV
Ben and Erin want to create a bigger bathroom and make space for a bed, but doing so will leave only enough room for a small kitchenette in the guesthouse.
They decide to pare down this cooking space to the essentials: storage, a small sink, a refrigerator, and a microwave. However, they realize that a bulky microwave above the sink will stick out beyond the cabinetry and make the kitchenette feel even smaller.
“It’s more of a flow and visual problem,” Ben says of the issue.
“Right, but it’s a very valid problem,” Erin responds. “It’s not something we can just live with.”
After: This kitchenette is small but thoughtfully designed.HGTV
They give the space a drawer microwave, which takes the place of a lower cabinet but leaves the kitchenette more open.
While this change might cost them a little bit of storage space, it’s worth it to give this meal prep area a roomier feel.
Now, the microwave is in a perfect spot.HGTV
Vault a ceiling for the appearance of more space
Before: This ceiling was low and aesthetically uninteresting.HGTV
While Ben and Erin can’t shift the building’s walls out, they realize that they can go up.
They decide to vault the ceiling, making the guesthouse feel bigger. Then, to add some style to the space, they cover the ceiling with tongue-and-groove wood, which they stain.
After: The vaulted ceiling didn’t add square footage, but it did make the guesthouse feel more spacious.HGTV
“It’s such a nice, unexpected, luxurious finish for this ceiling,” Erin says of the design choice. “We didn’t have to put tongue-and-groove wood up there, could’ve been Sheetrock. But because you look up and you see this natural wood, it adds another layer of depth and texture.”
With a new shape, new materials, and a new color, this ceiling is absolutely transformed.
“The vaulted ceiling, it did a lot more than just give you head height,” Erin says. “It feels like we’re in a totally different building than what it was.”
No room for a bed? Try a fold-out couch
Ben made this unique daybed with a foam mattress he cut in half.HGTV
This house is small, but Ben and Erin know that guests will need a comfortable bed. Ben ends up building what he calls “my version of a pull-out sofa,” with a custom frame and comfy foam mattress that folds into a couch. He even makes some space for storage behind the headboard.
“We’ve figured out a very unique design,” Ben says. “It is the only one of these beds in existence.”
While most homeowners aren’t able to make their own furniture, Ben’s creation serves as inspiration to us all to find convertible furniture to save space.
This queen bed is perfect for visitors.HGTV
Get creative with the layout
Before: This dated bathroom wasn’t much to look at.HGTV
This guesthouse came with a small bathroom, but it wasn’t very functional. It had no shower and no aesthetic appeal. So Erin carves out a bigger bathroom, including a shower, pedestal sink, and elegant white tile to make this space look like a mini spa.
After: The Napiers added a new shower to this space.HGTV
Plus, this newly designed bathroom has a feature many people don’t have in their bathroom: a closet. The small square next to the shower provides just a little bit of storage space.
Closets are usually near the front door or in the bedroom—but this closet placement makes sense.HGTV
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