Home Town Takeover) are expecting their second child very soon, and before he becomes a father of two Ben took some time to chat about the unexpected parallels between parenting and woodworking.
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Parenting is its own kind of craftsmanship. My parents are both United Methodist ministers, and while I grew up doing little projects around the church or parsonage, it wasn’t until college that I started woodworking and building furniture. I was studying history and had always been drawn to the stories behind antiques, the way furniture reflected how people lived and worked. On our TV shows, I get to design pieces I hope people will keep and pass on, so when my wife, Erin, and I found out we were having our daughter, Helen, I wanted to make a crib that would become a family heirloom.
Ben and Erin Napier are known for rolling up their sleeves to restore treasured properties in their hometown of Laurel, Mississippi. Now after five successful seasons of
Home Town, the HGTV power couple is hitting the road to Wetumpka, Alabama (population 8,278), and testing their renovation skills like never before in
Home Town Takeover.Â
The six-episode spinoff follows the Napiersâ massive undertaking of revitalizing an entire town in four months. In all, theyâll focus on a dozen projects including historic homes, restaurants, stores, restaurants, public spaces, and bringing a largely shuttered downtown street back to life.Â
This charming dynamic duo canât do it alone, however. So theyâve enlisted other Discovery universe all-stars to lend a hand through the process. Everyone from Eddie Jackson (Food Network and Cooking Channel Host) and Randy Fenoli (TLCâs