How HGTV's Ben Napier Turns An Old Front Door Into A Chic Jewelry Storage Solution

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Ben Napier and Erin Napier have completed countless creative renovations on their HGTV show, "Home Town." As a woodworker, Ben is highly resourceful when it comes to carpentry and reimagining wood-based pieces. However, one episode stands out with a particularly innovative furniture flip. In Season 5, Episode 9, Ben was determined to turn the client's much-loathed front door into a functional addition to her home.

The idea for the flip actually came from Erin when she showed Ben an image of a jewelry armoire owned by the client's mother and asked him to make a replica of it. Ben explained his resourceful solution to bring Erin's concept to life: "The front door is a mahogany door, and we're wanting to use some of that to build her jewelry armoire. So, in that way, she's still getting that 'Home Town' treatment of, we're taking something of the house, from her home, and we're building her something new with it." The result is one of our favorite custom-cut "Home Town" DIYs from HGTV's Ben Napier. In fact, the reveal of the custom wood piece brought the client to tears — in spite of the fact that she never liked the overly traditional front door in the first place.

When Ben Napier started crafting the piece, he justified taking a few creative liberties: "What I'm wanting to do is, essentially, take the design of her mom and make it a little bit different, a little more Angie. I mean, she doesn't wear a lot of jewelry. So, we're going to keep it a little simpler." The finished result incorporated what appears to be the upper rail of her traditional wooden front door. The top section features classic door-style molding with a thick, rounded crown at the very top. When the hinged top opens, the surprise is that it reveals the hidden jewelry compartment. The bottom portion of the armoire is much simpler and more streamlined; it features a small cabinet above a few drawers with gold hardware. 

If you don't want to create an entire armoire from scratch, you can always take a pre-constructed base and add the decorative jewelry box top. Don't forget to follow this expert advice to keep your DIY wood project from looking cheap. For those who aren't woodworking experts like Ben, there are online options that also offer a similar visual effect. For example, consider this Hives and Honey Roman Locking Jewelry Armoire with a similarly warm wood tone. When it comes to creating or selecting the best jewelry organizer for your space, embrace the power of a standing, classic-style piece.