Every so often, a television duo comes along whose story stretches far beyond what happens on screen. HGTV’s Ben and Erin Napier are exactly that—a couple whose passion for design, community, and small-town living has turned them into household names. For nearly a decade, audiences have watched them pour love and creativity into their hometown of Laurel, Mississippi, reviving forgotten houses and breathing new life into streets that once seemed lost to time.
But now, they’re preparing to take on what could be their most ambitious project yet. And this time, it’s not just about restoring a home or even an entire block—it’s about bringing an abandoned downtown landmark back to life in front of millions of viewers.
A Major Announcement That Took Fans by Surprise
On August 21, 2025, HGTV unveiled its lineup for the upcoming 2025–2026 season. Fans were delighted to hear that Home Town, the Napiers’ flagship series, would return with new episodes after Christmas. Yet tucked into the announcement was something even more exciting: a brand-new spin-off series titled Home Town: Inn This Together.
The show will follow Ben and Erin as they team up with their closest friends—Jim, Mallorie, and Josh—to transform a massive 25,000-square-foot Kress building in downtown Laurel. Built in 1930, the once-grand structure has sat vacant for years, its faded beauty a reminder of the city’s past. Now, the group has a bold vision: to turn it into a boutique hotel, complete with a food venue and storefronts, in hopes of sparking even more growth in Laurel’s downtown district.
Erin announced the news in her trademark playful fashion on Instagram. “NEW SHOW ALERT!” she wrote. “Inn This Together: wherein our best friends are crazy enough to buy a long vacant cornerstone building in downtown Laurel and convert it into a boutique hotel.”
Accompanying her post was a video that perfectly captured the couple’s dynamic. Erin, brimming with excitement, wandered through her home to find Ben before revealing the big news. Ben, lying on the floor in another room, played along with exaggerated shock. “Who’s in it?” he asked, to which Erin gleefully replied, “Our best friends, Jim and Mallorie and Josh, who built a dang hotel. And we helped them.”
Ben chuckled and couldn’t resist adding a joke: “I wanted to call it Inn It To Win It.” Erin laughed, shaking her head at his dad-humor before confirming the show’s title: Inn This Together.
Ben Napier Drops Bombshell — Erin Reveals Heartbreaking Truth About Their New Show
Why This Project Matters
The announcement wasn’t just about launching another HGTV spin-off. For Ben and Erin, the show represents something deeper: a continuation of their mission to save and celebrate small-town America.
Laurel, Mississippi, has always been at the heart of their story. When Home Town premiered in 2016, the series wasn’t just about design trends or house flipping—it was about restoring soul into places that had been left behind. Viewers connected instantly with the couple’s devotion to Laurel, a once-struggling town now known as one of Mississippi’s best examples of community-driven revival.
Through Home Town and its spin-off Home Town Takeover, Ben and Erin proved that restoration could be about more than wood and paint. It was about dignity, pride, and hope. Their projects didn’t just give families beautiful homes; they gave towns like Laurel a second chance.
Now, with Inn This Together, the Napiers are applying that same philosophy to an even bigger canvas. Restoring a massive 1930s-era building is no small task. The walls may hold decades of dust, the floors may creak under years of neglect, but within those spaces lies the promise of a new gathering place for locals and visitors alike.
HGTV’s official description sums it up perfectly: “The trio believes the 25,000-square-foot space will be the perfect setting for a hotel, food venue, and storefront, but they’ll need Ben and Erin’s magic touch to make their dream a reality.”
Fans React with Joy and Anticipation
The news sent shockwaves through HGTV’s loyal fanbase. Erin’s Instagram post quickly filled with celebratory comments from viewers eager to follow the couple on this new journey.
“This is so exciting! Congratulations! As an artist, I love watching your creativity!” one fan wrote.
Another added, “I was in Laurel at the end of June and saw the hotel! Can’t wait to see how it turns out.”
Others were already imagining themselves as future guests. “Y’all need to have a wait list to book a room!!!!” one commenter insisted. Another gushed, “We so love you guys, your shows bring happy and make folk want to be your friends!”
The anticipation speaks to the deep connection fans feel with Ben and Erin. Unlike many TV personalities, the Napiers have cultivated a sense of authenticity that resonates far beyond the screen. They’re not just entertainers—they’re neighbors, friends, and community leaders viewers feel invested in.
A Look Back: How the Napiers Became HGTV Icons
To understand why Inn This Together feels like such a natural next step, it’s worth revisiting how Ben and Erin first became HGTV’s most relatable stars.
Erin, a graphic designer and artist, grew up with a love of Southern culture, storytelling, and historic preservation. Ben, a woodworker with a heart as big as his six-foot-six frame, brought a craftsman’s eye and a deep affection for tradition. Together, they blended creativity with practicality, showing viewers that design wasn’t just about aesthetics—it was about honoring history while making homes livable for modern families.
Their charm, humor, and down-to-earth personalities made Home Town an instant success. Audiences fell in love with Erin’s artistic vision and Ben’s booming laugh, but more importantly, they admired the couple’s commitment to their community. At a time when many renovation shows were about flipping houses for profit, the Napiers were restoring homes for the sake of pride and preservation.
Over the years, they expanded their reach. Home Town Takeover saw the couple bring their expertise to other struggling towns, proving that Laurel wasn’t an exception—it was an example. Along the way, they launched product lines, wrote books, and continued raising their two daughters in the very town they helped transform.
What to Expect from Inn This Together
While HGTV has not yet revealed a full episode guide, fans can expect the series to combine the charm of Home Town with the drama of large-scale restoration. This isn’t just a house remodel—it’s a massive commercial venture with countless moving parts. From design challenges to unexpected construction hurdles, viewers are bound to see both the struggles and the triumphs.
At its heart, though, the series will still be about friendship and community. Jim, Mallorie, and Josh aren’t just business partners in this project—they’re the Napiers’ closest friends. That means viewers can expect plenty of humor, warmth, and heart as the group navigates the ups and downs of turning a dream into reality.
With Home Town continuing after Christmas and Inn This Together slated for release in 2026, the Napiers show no signs of slowing down. In fact, this latest project might just cement their legacy as more than just TV stars. They’re preservationists, entrepreneurs, and visionaries proving that even in the modern world, small-town life has endless value.
Their journey is a reminder that revitalization is possible when people care enough to try. And for Ben and Erin Napier, caring isn’t just part of their brand—it’s who they are.
As one fan put it best: “This is absolutely incredible news! We love Home Town so much, and we’re thrilled for Mallorie and the gang on their new show as well.”
With Inn This Together, Ben and Erin are once again proving that restoration isn’t just about buildings—it’s about bringing people together. And if history is any guide, this might just be the Napiers’ most impactful project yet.
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