You'll Love Erin Napier's Adorable Final Touch On This Home Town Takeover Home

If you tune into any popular HGTV show, you're probably familiar with stunning home renovations, interior design tips, and fixer-upper transformations. Many shows share the same plot — updating homes to reflect the unique needs and personalities of their clients — but then comes along a show that takes revitalizing spaces to a whole new level. Take Home Town Takeover, for example, a community-focused show where spouses Erin and Ben Napier breathe new life into homes and local public spaces while still preserving their historical charm. In one episode, Erin comes up with an idea for a charming little free library for their client's front yard. The kicker? It's a miniature version of their home.

In the episode, Erin consults with Ben about installing a little free library for her client's house that resembles the main home. Since the location of the home is the gateway of Sebring, Florida, she thought it would be an appropriate opportunity to display educational brochures with information about the lakeside town. "So it's like a visitor's center in miniature," she explains.

There are many benefits of having a free library in your yard. For one, it promotes literacy and community as it connects you with neighbors. It's a unique alternative to thrift store donations that allows neighbors to access resources, information, and books. You can go the same route as the Napiers, and incorporate information about your town to connect neighbors and visitors alike, or you can go the traditional route and allow others to borrow books that you've read or want to share with your community. To make it official, you can apply for a steward account on the Little Free Library website to allow others to locate your library.

To build your own free library, you'll need plywood, screws, waterproof glue, and other materials that are resistant to weather. A plexiglass sheet is perfect for keeping the reading materials in place and safe from heat, rain, or other weather patterns. The Napiers face the display shelf on the side of the actual free library so that the miniature version of the renovated home faces outward, but you can also place it below the mini house library.

As for the style of your little free library, you can incorporate some architectural elements of your own home. For example, you can match the trim, shingles, and door style, as the Napiers did, to make the details cohesive with your house. It's worth noting that routine maintenance is important. Clean the library often, ensure that the books or materials are safe from damage, and dust regularly to maintain cleanliness and an aesthetic appearance.