Ben and Erin Napier Love Life, Struggle & Road to Success as HGTV Stars 2022

Ben and Erin Napier are two of the most popular television husband-and-wife team star on Hometown, a show that sees the duo revive old houses in Mississippi. Most of their work relies on the skills they have picked up over the years.

For instance, Ben is a carpenter with years of experience in woodwork and business. In contrast, his wife Erin is a great designer. Her unique vision and sense of style serve as a guideline during their renovations. Explore several key details about Erin and Ben Napier’s Road to success.

Early life

Ben Napier was born on September 24th, 1983, in Mississippi, making him 38 years presently. Growing up, he was raised as a member of the Methodist church, which explains why religion is important. His parents, Bennie and Das, are both Methodist ministers with solid ties to the church. Most people are not aware that Ben was named after his mother, Bennie.

In contrast, Erin Napier was born on August 30th, 1985, suggesting that she is 36. Like her husband, Erin is also a native of Mississippi. When she was young, she had a knack for succeeding in most things she did. Erin was a fantastic painter, writer, and even the occasional musician. She could not only sing but also play the piano and guitar. As a high school student, Erin would regularly perform at her local coffee shop in her hometown.

Erin Revealed She was a V1ctim of Bully1ng.

Long before she found her confidence, Erin revealed that she was a victim of bullying, particularly in the fourth grade. She said that her peers thought she was odd. In the same interview, Erin also talked about an incident at a sleepover party she had been invited to. When it was her time to count, the other girls pulled a horrible prank on her.

Erin Napier revealed of bullying in childhood — Erin Napier

Ben and Erin Napier Met In Highschool

They left her all alone inside and went to the next house. Though Ben and Erin Napier may share a hometown, they did not meet until college. Less than a week after they went on their first date, the two decided to get married.

According to Erin’s blog, Ben asked her to marry him back in September 2007, during his birthday weekend. He took Erin and a few of her friends to Square Books. One of her roommates would then give Erin a book that essentially detailed her love story with Ben.

Their wedding took place on November 22nd, 2008. As of this year, Ben and Erin Napier have been together for 13 years. Within that time frame, they had two daughters, Hellen and Mae Napier.

Education

After high school, Ben and Erin Napier both attended Jones County Junior College. This is where they’d meet for the very first time. Back on December 7th, 2004, Erin was working as the design editor for the college yearbook.

Ben, on the other hand, was a popular student at the same campus. Erin admits that she had a secret 2-year crush on Ben before they officially met. After graduating, the two joined Ole Miss (the University of Mississippi). Ben pursued a BA in History.

Ben and Erin Highschool image — Ben and Erin Napier at college

While in college, he also honed his upholstery skills and learned how to fix old cars. Moreover, he even became actively involved with woodwork.

Comparatively, Erin pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree, majoring in Print Design.

Career before Television

For nearly ten years, Ben worked as a youth minister for the Laurel First United Methodist Church. This was a ministry back in his hometown. Ben held the position right up until 2014, when he finally decided to resign. At the time, he wanted to advance his woodworking skills actively.

Moreover, Ben and Erin were also looking to advance their family business, Laurel Mercantile Co. and Scotsman Co. Despite leaving his post, Ben continued to be an active member of the Methodist Church.

Besides being an active member of the church, Ben also worked with Laurel’s Main Street America chapter. This is an organization that promotes the development of the downtown district. Ben served as the president of the chapter for a single term.

Erin also enjoys an extensive career background. Fresh off college, she joined Corporate America, working as a graphic designer for several businesses. Using all the knowledge she picked up from these companies, Erin went on to launch Lucky Luxe.

Perfect couple, Ben and Erin Napier — Ben and Erin

Erin reveals that she was inspired to create paper pieces after Ben proposed to her. For their wedding, she was keen on designing pieces that would reflect their relationship and the wedding venue. After their marriage, Erin decided that she wanted to design print artwork for other weddings as well. She tried to help other couples express their style and have beautiful weddings.

Today, Erin’s company is a critically acclaimed wedding boutique company that has received plaudits from various magazines. These include publications like Mississippi Magazine, Martha Stewart Weddings, and WellWed Magazine. Some of Erin’s most prominent clients include famous rock bands like the Goo-goo dolls and even pro-athletes.

Struggles the two have faced

Fertility Issues

For the longest time, Erin thought she’d never been able to have children. After she turned 19, Erin had to deal with multiple trips to the hospital. This is because she suffered from serious abdomen issues that left her writhing in bed for hours on end. Erin went to see several specialists, who sent her home without a proper diagnosis.

Eventually, she’d have to go under the knife in 2014 in exploratory surgery. Her doctors discovered that she had a perforated appendix. It had been rapturing and healing for several years, causing tissue scarring in the process.

Erin Napier with her beautiful daughter, Helen — Erin Napier and her daughter, Helen

Upon review, her doctor added that it would be difficult for her to get pregnant. This caused her a lot of emotional turmoil as she was eager to have kids. Fortunately, she and her husband discovered that they were expecting a baby three years later.

Weight Issues

Looking at Ben, we also learned that he had to deal with weight and health issues. In an Instagram post, Ben revealed that he came from a family of big men. He stands at an impressive 6 feet 6 inches. Unfortunately, with their size came a lot of health concerns.

Weight loss image of Ben Napier — Ben Napier lost weight after having a daughter, Helen

Ben’s 60-year-old father had to undergo an emergency bypass surgery before his birthday. This, and the birth of his daughter Hellen, inspired Ben to lose 55 pounds. He hit the gym hard, four to five days a week, switching between cardio and weight training. Moreover, he also adopted a better diet.

How Ben and Erin Napier began renovating homes

Erin and Ben initially started renovating a few properties in Laurel, Mississippi. They originally had the goal of reviving the historical homes across their hometown. In total, the couple first renovated 11 different houses to begin with.

Ben and Erin began renovating homes — Ben and Erin Napier

How they got into television

Erin and Ben Napier’s journey on television can be traced back to 2014. The couple was featured in a popular magazine, Southern Weddings. Because of this, Erin got several new followers on her Instagram account, who loved her art.

One such follower was HGTV executive producer Lindsey Weidhorn. She was impressed with the pictures Erin had posted and reached out to the couple with an offer to give them their show. Interestingly, when Lindsey first reached out to Erin, the latter thought she was interested in their stationery print work.

Moreover, they weren’t sure if a show based in Laurel would get enough viewership. So initially, they refused. However, Lindsey managed to convince them to give it a go, and their show went into production. Hometown aired its first episode on January 24th, 2016. In the five years, it has been on the air, the show has released six seasons.

Ben and Erin Napier have a new show.

Owing to the success of Hometown, HGTV producers greenlit a spin-off show in January 2020. They told fans that Ben and Erin would embark on an ambitious project that would see them renovate an entire town. The couple eventually settled on Wetumpka, Alabama, and found 12 historical properties to work on.