Before & After: This HGTV “Home Town Takeover” Helped a Family of 6 Open a Cramped Living Space
It’s one thing to renovate a home — which is a lot of work in itself — but revitalizing an entire town? That’s what you call next-level. Ben and Erin Napier, who host HGTV’s “Home Town,” took the task on in their new show “Home Town Takeover,” where they’ve chosen the lucky town of Wetumpka, Alabama, to be the star of the series. 12 renovations in four months is the goal, and in the premiere episode, the Moody family was first to get a transformation.
The Napiers meet Kasey and Ray Moody, a married couple with two children who were also fostering two kids — and the possibility of two more. To help as many children as possible, hey needed to figure out how to make the most of their living spaces to fit up to eight family members at a time.
While the kitchen and living room space was partially open, a large bar area with a column separated and reduced flow between the two. So, the Napiers decided to get rid of the large column and remove the walls that framed it, then add a kitchen table that served its purpose without taking up a lot of space.
The living room had a brown rug and some wood paneling that darkened the space, plus a dated ceiling design that Erin described as a “domino scoreboard.” In order to bring light and airiness into the room, they made a few simple yet impactful changes: they painted all the wall panels a bright white, got rid of the ceiling panels and painted the ceiling white, and replaced the old carpet with a light wood flooring. Add in a new ceiling fan, neutral colored furniture, and some greenery, and the Moodys had a refreshed hangout that’s also sturdy enough to withstand lots of kids.
The old kitchen’s layout had an entrance that took up basically an entire wall. To free up that space, the Napiers got rid of the door (which they relocated to the living room) and added a brand new hooded stove as well as some cabinetry and countertops to maximize storage. Plus, they added the same light wood flooring to match the living room and connect the two spaces.
Perhaps the biggest change, both functionally and design-wise, was the kitchen cabinets. While the Moodys’ white cabinets with granite countertops were just fine, Ben and Erin installed new sage green cabinetry with gold hardware to bring new life into the space — and there’s no doubt that it added a needed pop of color. They also added a sleek apron-front sink and quartz countertops that are stain-proof (a must-have when you have several kids running around).
To see the process from start to finish and the kids’ room renovation, be sure to check your local listing or watch the episode on Discovery+.
This post originally ran on Apartment Therapy. See it there: Before and After: HGTV’s “Home Town Takeover” Opened Up This Cramped Living Space for a Family of 6