Erin and Ben Napier are putting a twist on the Home Town with Home Town Takeover, taking their renovation principles to makeover an entire small town. The Napiers explained to PopCulture.com that they’re trying to “change perceptions about what it means to live in a small town and what’s possible” and to show people that beauty can be found outside of the big cities. “Some people are born and raised in big cities and they struggle to pay their bills and to be satisfied in their career because it’s such a rat race and I just want people to see that there are other ways of living,” Erin said.
On Sunday, they’re bringing their skills to Wetumpka, Alabama, and the small town couldn’t be more excited. Wetumpka, which translates as “rumbling waters,” is set along the Coosa River and is known as “The City of Natural Beauty.” While the town only has 8,278 residents, they’re hoping that the Napiers’ influence can renovate and revitalize their town. The crew spent 4 months working on various spots around town, and people are eager to see how the show portrays life in Wetumpka. “We’re pretty excited,” Chris Carter of Coosa River Adventures told Alabama News Network.
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City leader Martha Brown told Alabama News Network that she thinks that the work down by the Napiers will “attract more artists,” citing all of the murals and other artwork that now adorns the revitalized streets. “It’s been a long time coming,” Mayor Jerry Willis told Ellis Eskew of Alabama News Network, revealing that “he and other city leaders have gotten small clues about what will be featured in the series, but he says they don’t know what all will be in the programs.”
One of the major draws of Wetumpka for Erin was the chance to work on revitalizing the old Victorian Collier House on East Bridge St, which was a major filming location for the movie Big Fish. “The Big Fish house was a dream come true,” Erin told TV Insider. “It’s my all-time favorite movie since 2003. I can recite the script for you. I was so excited. It’s a dream come true to work on a movie house because I’ve always been fascinated by production design.” The Napiers’ work in Wetumpka can be seen in the six-episode event series premiering May 2 at 8 p.m. ET on HGTV, and available to stream on discovery+ beginning May 2.
