How To Decorate Your Home Like HGTV's Erin Napier

If you're endlessly inspired by Erin Napier's inviting interiors, you're not alone! The star of HGTV's "Home Town" is known for designing spaces that appear warm, welcoming, and full of personality. Each home tells the story of the homeowner, offering personalization and a sense of hospitality. Often inspired by cozy, vintage spaces, HGTV's Erin Napier uses old-school methods for home inspiration. And, part of the beauty of her designs is that they are attainable.

Getting the "Erin Napier look" is easier than you think. You don't have to renovate your entire home in order to give it a Napier-approved touch. If there is a specific room you want to enhance, this down-to-earth designer has some valuable approaches to consider. From DIY ideas to key products, you can easily transform your home in the blink of an eye. Discover the top home decorating ideas inspired by Erin Napier, and learn how to accessorize your home with affordable pieces.

In Season 1, Episode 1 of "Home Town," Erin Napier designed a very sentimental entryway for her clients. It included a gallery wall of family photos that stretched over two walls in the main foyer. She explained, "I called your mamas, and I asked them if they could give me some of their family photos. The first thing I want you to feel is welcome and like you're in an embrace." Gallery walls aren't an uncommon theme throughout Erin Napier's projects, and family is a huge influence in most of her homes. In fact, Erin Napier herself has a gallery wall of family pictures in her own entryway. So, a wall of sentimental photos is the perfect representation of her stylish sentimentality.

This isn't the first time Napier has sung the praises of gallery walls. In this HGTV sneak peek from "Home Town," she explains that you needn't limit yourself to exclusively family photos, so if you don't have a lot to hang, don't fret! Erin Napier says that, most importantly, it should reflect the things you love. You can hang your child's drawings, sentimental letters, and even your own artwork. If you're not sure where to start, you can purchase a frame set, like these Povrgive Picture Frames. Before you get started, learn how to create the perfect gallery wall for a designer look.

Whether they are real hand-painted tiles or simply tiles that appear to be crafted by hand, Erin Napier loves an artisanal touch in the kitchen. In Season 7, Episode 20, of "Home Town," she sang the praises of hand-painted tile by a local artist from Laurel. She said, "Bekye Fargason is an incredible ornamental artist. She painted each one of these tiles by hand. They felt like an archeological find, like something we discovered in Italy." Her love for unique tile pops up throughout several renovations, and this is a great way to add a Napier-approved touch to your home.

Hand-painted tiles are easy to fall in love with, but it can be tricky to choose the right style for your space. Determine whether the architecture of your home is contemporary or traditional. If you have a vintage home, an ornate style with Moroccan or Spanish tiles can elevate your space. For a more whimsical vibe, you can channel a vintage kitchen look using delft tiles. For a modern look, consider more minimalist, geometric, or post-modern motifs. If you want an affordable alternative, these Longking Peel-and-Stick Tiles are a great way to experiment with different styles in your space. Decorative tile isn't the only vintage-inspired trend the "Home Town" host is a fan of. The scullery is another historic kitchen feature that Erin Napier is reviving in 2025.

Given that Ben is a woodworker, natural wood details are prominent in almost every "Home Town" project. However, Ben and Erin Napier often favor a particular type of wood — unstained. For example, in Season 7, Episode 17, Erin highlights the home's details, saying, "It's natural wood. We left it unstained on the inside." Ben adds, "All the windows, the beams, we left it all natural wood." From trim to window frames, you can't have enough!

Painted trim is a popular choice in modern interiors, but historic homes can benefit from maintained natural wood trim that's left intact. As shown in this episode, new builds can also benefit from natural wood trim. Although it's not necessary to paint the wooden details throughout your home, it is important to finish and seal them properly. If you want to maintain the look of natural wood (and not alter the color too much), an oil or varnish can offer protection. After sanding, you can use a product like Minwax's Clear Polycrylic Water-Based Protective Sealant. If you want to adjust the color, then opt for a product that also contains a stain, SamaN Interior One Step Wood Seal, Stain and Varnish.

Erin Napier is a big fan of using the German schmear process to transform elements. Essentially, mortar is spread across the bricks and then wiped off to expose some of the original surface. In Season 7, Episode 13, Erin Napier showcased the method with enthusiasm, saying, "We kept the brick wall but lightened it up with the German schmear." It is an excellent way to brighten up your home while still maintaining the character of exposed brick.

There are several perks to the German schmear technique, including keeping the textured look with the bricks peeking through. It is possible to DIY, assuming you prep the surface accordingly. Always remove all dust and debris from the wall. Then, wet the brick before applying the mortar, and wipe off any excess on the sections you don't want completely covered. Another way to lighten your brick wall is through limewash, but there is a difference between the German schmear and limewash painting techniques. 

Erin Napier is a huge proponent of framed televisions that mimic the look of an art piece. In Season 7, Episode 10, Erin Napier revealed the living room with this key piece of decor, saying,"You have a TV that looks like art." The client responded, "That is phenomenal. TVs are like the center of our room, but when they're off they're kind of an eyesore." This is key to creating the homey, customized vibe that Napier is known for. A TV looks impersonal, whereas an art piece looks curated.

There are several options when it comes to exploring the trend of framed televisions. If you have a Samsung TV, you can use the DreamScreens USB to display art on the screen. To enhance the overall look, you can purchase a frame, like this Samsung TV Frame, to fit around your television. You can also cover your television with a piece of art by building a frame around your TV and then inserting a canvas when it is not in use.

Iron bed frames are a recurring theme throughout Erin Napier's "Home Town" makeovers, as they add historic charm without looking dated. In Season 7, Episode 18, the client commented on how much she appreciated the timeless look, exclaiming, "I love the bed, it's so vintage!" If a real antique frame isn't in the cards, Erin Napier recommends a reproduction. In her own home, she couldn't find a vintage bed long enough for Ben, so they selected a modern version that appears classic.

To copy this look, anchor your bedroom with a charming yet simple piece like Elegant Home Space's Vintage Bed Frame. Or for a less expensive way to give your bed a Napier-approved touch, you can just add a metal headboard to your existing bed frame. The Modway Lennon Modern Farmhouse Metal Headboard comes in several different metallic shades, so you can choose the finish that best suits your space. Finally, you can also keep your eyes peeled at thrift stores, flea markets, or estate sales for a real vintage frame. 

The Laurel Mercantile blog highlights several "Home Town" renovations that feature bold wallpaper in the dining room. Although Erin Napier frequently uses eye-catching wallpaper in a variety of rooms, the dining room is one of her top spaces for adding a statement-making pattern. Erin Napier has used everything from bold florals to subtle damask patterns to create a unique look.

Designers are loving bold wallpaper trends for a reason. You can experiment with patterned wallpaper in a variety of different ways. If you're worried about creating an overwhelming effect, try adding it to a smaller area like a powder or guest bathroom. Or, create an accent wall with the pattern of your choice. For just a splash of visual interest, try adhering wallpaper to the upper half of your wall and covering the lower half with wainscoting. This will create a high-end vintage appearance and allow you to incorporate bold designs.

Season 6, Episode 19, featured a stunning joint effort between Erin and Ben Napier. They chose to add a decorative feature by repurposing an old fireplace frame and filling it with chopped logs for additional visual interest. Their technique created a rustic, warm atmosphere with visible texture. It also highlighted their love for raw wood once again. This proves that you don't need to have a working fireplace to use one as a living room focal point.

We all wish we could have a stunning fireplace mantel in our home. Well, it's simple to recreate the look! Many vintage fireplaces are not functional anyway, so a working chimney isn't required to use a fireplace as decor. You can even DIY a stunning imitation fireplace using an IKEA KALLAX hack. If you don't currently have a fireplace, you can simply purchase a frame like Creative Co-Op's Victorian Fireplace Mantel to attach to your wall. There are several different ways to fill the empty space inside. You can do a DIY project like Erin or add some light by placing an array of LED candles on the floor below. Another option is to tile the inside of the mantel for an eclectic look.

If you don't have the budget to install an entire backsplash full of handcrafted or hand-painted tile, Erin Napier has a clever solution. She often chooses to lay statement-making tile between the oven range and the hood. For instance, in Season 6, Episode 16, Napier added a bold, floral backsplash above the range but kept the rest of the backsplash simple. She used this same technique in Season 3, Episode 1, where she added color with a touch of Spanish-inspired tiles.

There are both aesthetic and practical benefits to Erin Napier's hack. Besides how pretty it looks, adding tile above your oven range can make it easier to clean and protect your walls from heat and moisture. In order to find the perfect tile to install above your range, you have to decide on your stylistic goals. A mosaic pattern can be a great way to create visible texture and add a pop of artisanal style to your kitchen. However, you can also choose a simpler option and try a trendy vertical rectangular tile look.

Erin Napier advised on her blog to stay away from colors that are "too new, too bright" with her favorite white being Sherwin-Williams Dover White, a creamy neutral. Whether light or dark, she focuses primarily on soft, cozy, and timeless paint colors, and she lists Benjamin Moore Misty Air, Valspar Brown Buzz, and Sherwin-Williams Rock Bottom as go-to choices. A few shades mentioned in this Instagram post include Valspar Paint's Tea Stain, Grey Suit, and Pitch Cobalt. 

For the best alternatives to white walls, you can consider both warm and cool tones. If you prefer warmer shades, go with timeless variations of beige like vanilla, cotton, or this All-In-One Almond Paint for cabinets and furniture. On the cooler side, consider soft hues like sage, blue-grey, and light olive. For more inspiration, these stunning paint trends will keep your home's interior fresh in 2025 and beyond.