HGTV's Erin Napier Warns Against This Countertop Type In Old Homes

Season after season, Erin Napier and her husband Ben have tackled tedious renovation projects on their HGTV hit series "Home Town." In an episode titled "New-Stalgic Restoration," they take on a project that brings a Victorian home back to life. "We honestly were thinking that someone would, one day, buy and tear it down," Ben Napier remarks, adding what a shame that would be since Laurel, Mississippi isn't home to very many historic Victorians. Luckily, three siblings that grew up in the community purchased the property with the goal of turning it into a family retreat. When it comes time to pick out materials for an extensive kitchen restoration like this one, Erin Napier warns against selecting one particular thing: white countertops.

"I'm so tired of seeing slabs of white," Erin Napier notes. "It would feel really out of synchronicity to put a countertop like that in a house from 1900." Instead of white, she selected a granite countertop with swirls of brown and cream that coordinates with Shaker cabinetry painted in a greige tone and a cream-colored subway tile backsplash. Not a true representation of a Victorian kitchen, but these selections work well when modernizing an older home. 

At the turn of the 20th century, most kitchens held furniture like wooden dry sinks, tables, ice boxes, and storage cabinets rather than built-ins. These were practical workspaces and beauty wasn't a priority. Most homeowners these days prefer the modern look of built-in cabinetry and aesthetically pleasing countertops, though, like the granite Erin Napier selected for the "New-Stalgic Restoration" project.

When restoring an older house, you can also take inspiration from the pantries of Victorian homes since they were sometimes outfitted with wood, metal, or marble counters. Of these three, marble is the most popular choice these days, but quartz countertops mimicking marble are a more durable choice to consider. Or, you can put marble on the backsplash and another material on the countertops. 

If you're seeking a countertop in a darker color with a matte finish, another option is soapstone since it's also more resilient than marble when it comes to daily wear and tear. Honed granite offers a similar aged look with a matte surface that can fit nicely in an older home, too.

"The whole goal of this project and the way we renovated it was to restore and return it to what it was — what we think it was," Erin Napier remarks in the "New-Stalgic Restoration" episode. In essence, this means selecting modern materials for cabinets, counters, and fixtures that don't feel out of place in an old home.

For instance, installing a farmhouse sink offers a nostalgic look that fits right in with a historic home's aesthetic. You can even draw inspiration from the metal used in Victorian pantries by selecting one made of a material like copper. Painted Shaker cabinets like the ones Napier chose are also a nice complement to a modernized kitchen. You can even hide your fridge behind cabinetry, if that fits in with your reno budget. Wooden flooring is also at home in period kitchens. In fact, the Napiers took up layer upon layer of material to expose the original pine floors below in "New-Stalgic Restoration." This type of pleasant surprise happens quite frequently in older homes even if what you discover needs some refinishing. 

Of course, as Ben and Erin Napier teach us time and again, it takes a lot of work to bring a historic home into the 21^st century, but it can also be a worthwhile endeavor. Just remember to stay away from white countertops if you want a more authentic feel to your historic kitchen reno project.