Growing up in Laurel, Mississippi, Erin Napier had driven past what would one day become her dream home more times than she could count. Yet, she had never actually seen it. Hidden behind rolling green fields and towering pine trees along a quiet two-lane highway outside of town, the grand brick Tudor remained a mystery—until one day, everything changed.
In the spring of 2021, her husband, Ben Napier, sent her a real estate listing that stopped her in her tracks. The house she had unknowingly passed for years was right there on her screen, and it was love at first sight. “I was in love immediately—and that scared me to death,” Erin admits. “I thought, ‘We don’t need another house… but maybe we do.’”
At the time, Erin was nine months pregnant with their second daughter, Mae (who is now a year old), while their eldest, Helen, was three. Their cozy home in downtown Laurel had served them well, but as their family grew, so did their need for space—especially when family and friends came to visit.
For years, Erin and Ben had dreamt of having a weekend retreat—a quiet escape in the country where their children could run freely, play in the dirt, and grow up surrounded by nature. It would be a place to plant a garden, explore the great outdoors, and maybe even do a little fishing—one of Helen’s favorite activities.
That dream was deeply rooted in Erin’s own childhood. “I grew up on a 40-acre chicken farm and would pick out a baby chick to be my pet every time a new load arrived,” she recalls. Her days were filled with climbing trees, digging for arrowheads in the woods, and embracing the untamed beauty of country life. It was a childhood spent exploring, not scrolling.
“That’s not something our girls can do in town,” she says. “I want their bathwater to be dirty at the end of the day—not from playing on screens, but from making real childhood memories in the great outdoors.”
This house, hidden away just beyond the road she had traveled so many times, felt like fate. And with it, the Napiers found more than just a weekend getaway—they found a home that would give their daughters the same kind of wild, adventurous upbringing Erin had cherished.
“The house is built like a fortress,” Erin says. “Back in the 1980s, a tornado sent a tree crashing down on it, yet the structure barely flinched—it left nothing more than a small hole.”
However, it wasn’t just the home’s resilience that captured Erin’s heart; it was its unmistakable Tudor charm. “One of the biggest reasons we knew this house had to be ours was its distinctly British aesthetic,” she shares.
“It feels as if we’ve stepped out of Mississippi and landed somewhere across the ocean. For us, it’s like having a built-in getaway. The cozy rooms, rich dark wood, and timeless character create the feeling of sitting beside a roaring fire—it’s the home I’ve always dreamed of.”
Beyond its striking design, the house carries a fascinating history. The original owner was a World War I veteran who spent a significant amount of time in England, where he developed a deep appreciation for the architecture. Upon returning home, he poured his passion into building a house that reflected the charm and craftsmanship he had admired overseas.
Interestingly, his career extended beyond just chicken farming—a profession that immediately resonated with Erin, who grew up on a farm herself. But his most notorious endeavor was something far more clandestine: moonshining.
According to local lore, he was not only successful but highly strategic, designing hidden compartments throughout the house to conceal liquor. He even installed a concrete ramp leading into the basement, allowing vehicles to pull in discreetly—an ingenious touch for his underground operation.
This remarkable home was featured in a special episode of Home Town (Season 6), where fans got an inside look at the Napiers’ renovation journey.
The most emotional moment came at the very end when Ben and Erin revealed the completed project to their mothers, who had been kept in the dark throughout the entire process.
“For my mom, who’s a Realtor, not being able to visit was absolute torture,” Erin laughs. “When she finally saw it, she just stood there and cried through the entire tour.”
For the Napiers, this home is more than just a weekend retreat—it’s a piece of history, a labor of love, and a place where memories will be made for generations to come.
The Living Room
This room was the first space the Napiers stepped into during their initial tour of the house, and it left a lasting impression. One standout feature? A well-loved sofa with a sentimental history.
“My mom bought this couch back in 1999, and it was the absolute best,” Erin recalls, referring to the piece on the left. “Eventually, she decided she wanted something different and passed it down to us. We used it for years, gave it a fresh look with new upholstery, and Ben even handcrafted new feet for it. Every time she visits, she looks at it and says, **‘I can’t believe I gave that to y’all. I want it back.’”
The sectional on the right is a Rowe Furniture piece, complementing the warm, inviting feel of the space. The walls are painted in Misty Air (OC-44) by Benjamin Moore, a soft, neutral shade that enhances the room’s cozy yet elegantatmosphere.
The Dining Room
“This space has all the gravitas. It’s very serious,” says Erin. “Our kids live in every inch of the house but don’t come in here often. It’s where we eat for special occasions and holidays.” The piano is the one she grew up with, and the painting came from a flea market. They found the large mahogany table, a French antique, on Chairish. “Erin wanted me to build her a barley-twist table, but I’ve never had the time!” says Ben.
The Kitchen
“This is the one room we use every single day,” Erin says. “It’s our favorite space—the heart of the home. Everything happens here.”
As someone who loves to cook, Erin needed a kitchen that was both highly functional and inviting, a place where the family could gather while meals were being prepared. But beyond practicality, it also had to blend seamlessly with the home’s historic character.
“The kitchen is completely new, but I wanted it to feel like it was built in 1930,” Erin explains. “I envisioned something akin to the downstairs kitchen in Downton Abbey—a timeless, classic English design that’s simple, practical, and elegant in its own way.”
One of the most sentimental touches in the space is the biscuit painting above the door, a cherished piece from Erin’s grandmother Ouida’s home. “That’s my favorite thing in the kitchen,” she shares.
The space also features a screen door leading to a small patio, which becomes a favorite retreat when the weather is nice. “There’s so much natural light in here, and I swear you cook better in a sunny little kitchen,” Erin adds.
The kitchen walls are painted Netsuke (SW 6134) by Sherwin Williams, a warm, earthy tone that enhances the cozy yet sophisticated feel of the space.
The Primary Bedroom
“The bedroom feels like a luxury hotel suite,” says Erin, and much of that ambiance comes from the stunning four-poster mahogany bed handcrafted by Andrew Reid, the talented woodworker behind Red Classics in Dothan, Alabama. “I’m obsessed with Andrew’s work,” she adds, while Ben chimes in, “He’s my Michael Jordan of woodworking.”
Adding both function and character to the space is a partner’s desk with drawers on both sides, making it the perfect spot for morning coffee, sketching home designs, or hopping on Zoom calls for work.
One of the standout pieces in the room is an English blanket chest that Ben crafted himself using birdseye maple—a testament to his deep appreciation for traditional craftsmanship. His passion for woodworking began during his time at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) in Oxford, Mississippi, and has only grown stronger over the years.
“Building furniture completely changed my perspective,” Ben reflects. “The more time I spent creating pieces by hand, the more it felt like I had developed a whole new way of seeing the world.”
The Study
“This is my analog room,” says Ben. “I’ve got my typewriter, record player, transistor radio, and books.” The space also features a framed Duke University jersey (his father’s alma mater) and a vintage egg scale as a tribute to the home’s original owner.
Each morning, Ben retreats here with his coffee, typing notes to Erin and Helen—a tradition born from his self-proclaimed terrible penmanship. “The typewriter is the next best thing to a handwritten note,” he jokes.
The Girls’ Bedrooms
Erin affectionately refers to the second floor as “girl world”—a cozy retreat where her daughters, Helen and Mae, can sleep, play, read, paint, and one day, host sleepovers.
A standout feature in Mae’s reading nook is the stained-glass window, handcrafted by John Whitt, a skilled artisan from Moselle, Mississippi. Adding to the charm, the whimsical wallpaper comes from Rifle Paper Company in Winter Park, Florida, bringing a touch of warmth and creativity to the space.
