By Kayla DeKraker
HGTV’s HOME TOWN star Erin Napier had to beg the network to allow her and husband Ben to take on one special project that meant a lot to her personally.
While the couple’s show usually focuses on renovating homes in Laurel, Mississippi, this time, Napier wanted to renovate a maternity ward that means a lot to her.
“My dad worked there for 44 years,” Napier revealed in a discussion with Fox News Digital. “I was born there. My babies were born there. All my friends’ babies were born there. Nieces and nephews were born there.”
She explained the massive importance that even a single room at the maternity ward has.
“We have a million special and important, huge moments in this maternity ward, especially when a new person joins your family in your world. And it always happened in this one room,” she said.
Related: 5 Fun Facts About HOME TOWN’S Ben and Erin Napier
She continued, “This was sacred ground for me. Imagine how scared you are having your first baby ever. And this is the place where it happens. And I felt so loved, so comforted. These nurses, these doctors are so incredible that I wanted to honor them in what we did.”
Thankfully, those in charge of the hospital were excited for the renovation and had a vision for it as well.
“The CEO of the hospital wanted it to feel like a five-star hotel experience. So I was just hugely honored and also had to, like, beg HGTV to let us do it because it’s not a house, it’s not a garden, but it was so important,” Napier said. “And I cried twice in the episode. Isn’t that ridiculous? It was so ridiculous.”
Napier also noted that this was the last place she remembers her grandmother being lucid, making the experience even more emotional.
“This is one of the last times my grandmother was lucid and she held my baby niece in that room,” she added. “I mean, it’s as important as a grandmother’s house. And so making it as awesome as possible was important.”
Napier talked about her intentional design for the space, especially when it came to the lighting.
“Having very glowy, ambient, warm lighting that emanates kind of around the ceiling and with sconces that feel residential. Lighted mirrors in the restrooms for the mom to feel beautiful, even if she’s just been through the ringer that day. Things like that. Lighting was key,” she said.
The season premiere of HOME TOWN aired this week, showcasing the Napiers’ renovation challenges. In a teaser post to Instagram, they described another new project as “the biggest challenge” they’ve ever had.
HOME TOWN airs Sundays at 8/7c on HGTV.
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