The Home Team

Old friends join forces to breathe life into a historic home on HGTV’s hit television series “Home Town.”

- MARY NEFF STEWART

Since 2016, Erin and Ben Napier have made a name for themselves through their city pride and their revitalization of Laurel’s historic properties while being featured on the HGTV show “Home Town.”

During the second season of the show, the Napiers were granted the opportunity to create a home filled with unique touches and loads of charm for their dear friends Aly and Jordan Smith. Jordan grew up in nearby Ellisville and met Aly through mutual friends while she was a student and he was a cheerleader at The University of Mississippi. Jordan was friends with Erin and Ben in school, and the couples’ friendship grew stronger throughout the years. When Aly and Jordan got engaged, Aly asked Erin to create their wedding invitation suite while taking Erin out of her normal creative comfort zone. Erin’s design was amazing, and Aly knew instantly she could trust Erin’s eye for style. The Smiths moved to Tennessee for their careers after they married, and then moved to Laurel in 2017. Jordan continued his work as a certified public accountant; at the same time, Aly left banking to become the store manager of Laurel Mercantile Company, the storefront and studio owned by their college friends, the Napiers, the Nowells, and the Rasberrys. One of the business’s goals is to strengthen the core of their hometown through historic preservation and design.

When “Home Town” first aired in January of 2016, Aly and Jordan watched as Erin, Ben, and their team restored, renovated, and designed 11 homes before asking for help.