HGTV’s “Home Town” may give viewers a peek into the homes renovated and decorated by Ben and Erin Napier, but there’s one detail that may surprise viewers. What the “Home Town” cameras aren’t showing you is that not all the furnishings featured actually belong to the homeowners. 

Okay, so calling what’s effectively set dressing a lie might be a little harsh. After all, it was Erin herself who revealed that some of the items inside the homes she and her husband work on are product placements. Taking to Instagram back in 2017, she clarified that what was seen in the houses was a mix of things owned by the homeowners and furnishings made by local artisans. “The homeowners’ budget usually does allow for lots of pieces they get to keep + the custom pieces @scotsman.co builds for each home,” she shared. Erin also shared that she generally preferred to use items the homeowners already had wherever she could. However, she added, “For what’s left, we fill the houses with goods from all our favorite local shops around Laurel … and the homeowners get a cataloged binder of everything we use that shows the special price our shop owners offer if they would like to keep it.” 

Erin went on to note that the special prices were essentially a welcome gift from local vendors to the newbies but didn’t say the homeowners were under any pressure to buy them. “Home Town” viewers have shaded the Napiers a number of times over the years, but that actually sounds like a pretty sweet offer. 

Erin Napier uses homeowners’ own furnishings where she can, but that’s not the only measure she and her husband take to keep their clients’ costs down on “Home Town.” A few days before sharing that she and Ben Napier used locally made items in the homes they renovated on the show, she also shared via Instagram that they seldom overhauled an entire house. Part of that came down to logistics, sure, but Erin also noted that budget was a factor. “We design the rooms that our homeowners tell us matter most to them (usually common areas), what their budget will safely cover, and what we have time to do for television,” she wrote. 

It bears mentioning that the Napiers aren’t the only HGTV stars (past or present) who go the partial reno route. Joanna Gaines has previously shared virtually the exact same sentiment on the Magnolia blog. “At times, we only work on rooms that are of priority to our clients and that work within their budget … Other times, we finish the spaces for them after the reveal and this is separate from the budget shown for TV,” she wrote (via Apartment Therapy). 

And just as the Napiers use furniture that won’t stay behind, the truth is “Fixer Upper” has the same policy. Best to keep that in mind should you ever find yourself working with either of the famed home improvement couples.