5 min readLeaving your small town to pursue your dreams is a classic move, but returning home can be even more fulfilling. After an upbringing in Laurel, Mississippi, three dispersed siblings found themselves craving a home base closer to their father, where their kids could experience the community that shaped them. Together, they purchased a crumbling Victorian house built in 1900 for a price befitting of its disheveled state: $14,000.
The building needed a major overhaul, not just so it would be livable, but to amplify its historic charm and make it functional for large family gatherings. To help them achieve their vision, the siblings called on a duo who knew the area better than anyone: Ben and Erin Napier, the renovation wunderkinds (and famous locals) behind HGTV’s Home Town.
Spanning 2,000 square feet, the two-bedroom, two-bathroom home had been neglected for many years. The foundation, siding, and flooring were all rotted. Dilapidated front steps, peeling wallpaper, and a dank kitchen rounded things out. “We honestly were thinking that someone would, one day, buy and tear it down,” Ben says, noting that would’ve been “a shame because Laurel doesn’t have a big collection of Victorians.”
The homeowners—siblings Pam Paulsen Danielson, Tom Paulsen, and Jennifer Paulsen Thornton, who range from their late 40s to early 50s—agreed on most design decisions and compiled a $178,000 budget for the project. But each had specific requests: a soaring kitchen ceiling, wallpaper galore, and distinct Victorian accents. With Ben’s woodworking skills and Erin’s design expertise, the husband-and-wife team has tackled a range of complicated projects on their show, but this was the first time they’ve had three homeowners to please for one renovation.
The home’s quintessentially Southern showpiece? A welcoming wraparound porch with a gingerbread railing and decorative upper brackets, outfitted with rocking chairs for alfresco chats. “I’ve never done any kind of gingerbread work, but it was amazing how simple it was and what a huge impact it has,” Ben says. Siding painted Rookwood Jade and porch flooring in Renwick Olive, both by Sherwin-Williams, make the home reflect the natural landscape.
Beyond the front door, a “welcome mat” parquet design was built into the wood floor, replacing a rotted patch of oak boards. Original pine trim and wainscoting, stained a dark chocolate brown by former owners, is now shiny with a gloss varnish that preserves and shows off the unique grain pattern. “Most people want to paint their historic trim, and I think it's a huge mistake 90 percent of the time,” Erin says. “Once you paint it, you can’t go back,” Ben adds.
At the heart of the home is the dining room, and central to that space is a custom, expandable table built by Ben and the team at Scotsman General Store & Woodshop. Made of maple wood, it rotates, collapsing or expanding to fit up to 10 people. In the middle, there’s a star design, made of salvaged wood from a basketball court at the University of Mississippi, the Paulsens’ (and the Napiers’) alma mater. “As a woodworker, I don’t want to just build something because it’s beautiful,” Ben says. “I want there to be a story there.”
To make the kitchen a place where the families would actually like to spend time, the ceiling height was raised, and seven layers of flooring were removed to reveal the original pine underneath. Shaker cabinetry with metal fretwork inserts on the uppers, painted Restoration by Sherwin-Williams, fit the house. A granite countertop adds a little texture and warmth. “I’m so tired of seeing slabs of white,” Erin says. “It would feel really out of synchronicity to put a countertop like that in a house from 1900.”
Art brings the whole space together: A framed piece of the home’s original cheesecloth wallcovering hangs in the kitchen. And a painting of the street where the siblings grew up, a commission by local artist and their longtime friend Shelley Bolton, greets visitors at the door. Since the renovation, the Paulsens’ father has passed away, but the house still stands as a testament to the family it brought together. Each little quirk and nuance is celebrated: “Imperfection is a sign of the growth and evolution of a house in history,” says Erin, “not something that we should cover up and be ashamed of.”
LIVING ROOM
Fern-clad grasscloth wallpaper adds a textural touch.
As the hub of the home, the living room had to feel both welcoming and true to the house's DNA. New wallpaper, Fernwater Cranes from York Wallcoverings, brightens the once-dark space, while traditional furniture silhouettes keep things classic.
DINING ROOM
Original features get star treatment.
Preserving the old millwork in the dining room was the top priority, so Ben coated it with a coat of glass varnish instead of trying to strip it back. “If you tried to sand this, it would turn into gum,” Ben explains. A verdant wallpaper helps to tone down the warmth of the wood. “I wanted it to feel like this very intimate and cozy hug in the center of the house,” Erin says.
KITCHEN
A neutral-but-better palette feels like a cozy hug.
In the kitchen, soft mauve lower cabinetry combines with putty-colored upper cabinets and tile for a welcoming scene that feels both timeless and very now. “Historic appliances were typically enameled, so our Viking range is a nod to that,” Erin adds.
BREAKFAST NOOK
Gauzy cafe curtains bring the charm while filtering light.
Tucked into a corner with windows, the breakfast nook is the perfect spot for a casual meal—and a great place to catch both sunrise and sunset. The chandelier, found in the house, was repurposed with linen drum shades. "Anywhere you eat should feel intimate, where you can have a great conversation," Erin says.
PORCH
Rocking chairs add that quintessential Southern touch.
The Napiers played up the home’s Victorian roots with a gingerbread railing and decorative brackets for the new porch. Rocking chairs from Sam’s Club set an inviting atmosphere, while French doors off the living room lead out onto the wraparound porch. “The porch makes this house,” Ben says. “Without it, the house was bland and ignorable.”
