Ben and Erin Napier’s Latest $100,000 Renovation Includes a Kitchen Trend We Predict Will be Huge in 2021

Brach and Ashley Robinson knew instantly that this was the vacation home for them. The couple had been looking for a home in Laurel, Mississippi, where they could holiday with Ashley’s family, and this $165,000 mid-century bungalow ticked all the boxes. It had a huge kitchen and family room, and offered an amazing outdoor space for entertaining. It just needed a little TLC in the form of Ben and Erin Napier’s handiwork. In the image seen here, the exterior of the home’s been updated with new slatted wood feature walls (in place of old, frilly ironwork) and manicured landscaping, all for a trim $10,000.

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Ashley had her heart set on a large kitchen where she could indulge her passion for southern cooking, which made choosing this home a no-brainer, but transforming the original kitchen into the space you see here took a little more brain power. The kitchen was dark and dated, and had everyone seeing double: there were two fridges, two ovens, two stovetops, and two dishwashers. Erin ran with the theme and reconfigured the original massive island to create space for two: one for cooking prep and one for dining. (Could this be the start of a 2021 kitchen trend?)

You know what goes hand-in-hand with a big kitchen? A big price tag! To complete Erin’s vision for two islands, new robin’s egg blue cabinetry and countertop, and spiffy new appliances, Ashley and Brach earmarked half of their $100,000 renovation budget to complete the kitchen. But judging by Ashley’s giddy face when she toured the finished room, it was worth every penny.

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Much like the kitchen, the living room was spacious and bright, something Ashley and Brach had hoped for in a vacation room. Space is great, but to ensure it felt cozy, Erin designated the room into two spaces: one area in front of the fireplace for socializing, and another behind the couch that operates as a study with open shelving, a desk, and a games table.

Ben repurposed the classic cherry cabinets pulled out of the kitchen for a DIY games table in the living room. Set on its own rug, with a pair of handsome chairs, the games table feels quite sophisticated, and invites family members to play a round or two while Brach and Ashley prepare seafood stews and gumbo.

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Laurel, Mississippi may not be a typical destination for a vacation home, but Erin still wanted the makeover to capture the easy, breezy style synonymous with oceanside escapes. Erin carried the blue from the kitchen through to the den, and paired it with a bright white paneled wall (a nod to the home’s retro ’60s origins). The drab carpeting was removed to make way for gorgeous wood floors, and the overall look is beachy, with enough traditional touches to ensure it doesn’t feel too kitschy. All in, $15,000 was spent on this portion of the makeover.

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With $100,000 to put towards the entire renovation, Brach and Ashley were faced with a choice: they could use their remaining $25,000 on the primary bedroom and bathroom, or spend it on an epic backyard patio with an outdoor kitchen and primed swimming pool. When Brach heard Erin and Ben’s vision for the backyard, it wasn’t even a question for him. Ashley could have her dream kitchen, and Brach could have his dream outdoor kitchen. (Talk about a marriage made in renovation heaven!)

Brach and Ashley’s renovated backyard fits them to a T. The refurbished kitchen has a grill, hearth and sink, and Ben designed a custom outdoor table for crawfish boils (the table has a hole cut in the middle for bowls to fit in and catch the empty crawfish shells).

The final puzzle piece of this picture-perfect vacation home is the massive swimming pool. Erin and Ben’s team were able to easily clean out the debris that had settled in, and now we can admire just how huge it is. And let’s not forget the adjoining hot tub! Forget Florida; Laurel, Mississippi is America’s new vacation station!

Watch a video of this incredible transformation.

With a $100,000 renovation, Ben and Erin Napier transformed the $165,000 mid-century home into a dream getaway, and put million dollar smiles on Brach and Ashley Robinson. After touring the entire makeover, Ashley even remarked it may not be a vacation home for long: the space is so stunning, it has primary residence written all over it!

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