Hardware Is A Small Adjustment With Big Impact, According To Home Town's Ben And Erin Napier
For seven seasons, married duo Erin and Ben Napier have been finding ways to transform homes in their small town, Laurel, Mississippi, while still maintaining the property's original personality and character. Filling a home with modern style and luxuries can be quite the task, especially on a budget, but on a recent episode, the couple shared an incredibly simple way you can create a sleek new look for just a few extra dollars.
In this episode, "The Buzzard's Roost," the couple tackles one of their largest challenges yet — a historic inn — so maintaining their budget and preserving the space's charm is an even more difficult project than the homes they typically renovate. They maintained and refinished the original fireplaces, allowed the exposed brick to shine, brought in colorful tile, and added upgrades that fit the inn's theme, but when it came to the furniture, they wanted to find a simple way to transform pieces that still added a historical touch.
Why switching hardware works
When it comes to budget-friendly upgrades, nothing beats a simple hardware switch. In this episode of "Home Town," Ben and Erin Napier wanted to bring some more industrial accents into the space, so they swapped hardware on existing pieces for heavy, weathered metal, even adding pulleys from a sewing machine to the bottom of a nightstand for a unique look.
"A piece of hardware, a drawer pull, can change a piece of furniture," Ben Napier said (via Realtor.com). If you're going for a specific theme in your home, try swapping your hardware for something with a bit more character. Opt for sleek gold or copper additions for a warm, luxurious look, or buy some vintage drawer pulls secondhand to add an aged touch to an otherwise-modern design. Installing new handles usually only requires a few minutes and a screwdriver, so it's one of the most low-cost and low-effort ways to change the overall feel of a space.
How to upgrade your space on a budget
Completely renovating your home gives you a massive amount of freedom in the final look of your space, but for many, a full-fledged overhaul isn't feasible because of time and budget constraints. Instead, the "Home Town" couple recommends opting for switches that provide the biggest impact at the lowest cost, preferably things you can tackle on your own over a weekend. Putting in a bit of elbow grease both saves you money and allows you to feel proud of your hard work.
"Anything DIY is always going to be the most economical," Ben Napier said in an interview with Qolture. "Painting rooms or cabinets can really transform a home. Painting a kitchen, walls and cabinets, then changing out cabinet hardware can add a lot of value and personal accomplishment to a home." Sometimes, all you need is a splash of color or some new accents to make your space feel brand new.