Keep It Simple

In the 1950’s and 1960’s, the middle class of the USA blossomed. But in small towns the flush of success eventually proved to be temporary, as their economies were stabbed and gutted by glitzy competition. Mom and Pop restaurants and stores couldn’t match the prices and advertising of flashy discount stores and online shopping. And who would invest in a town scarred by boarded, peeling facades?

One answer came from a married couple who refused to sit quietly as their home town faded away and their neighbors left. Instead, in 2016 they initiated a reality series on HGTV called HOME TOWN. Over the years, they would restore over a hundred old houses using many reclaimed materials. The idea was that a beautiful, vibrant town would help itself survive by attracting new occupants and businesses. With characteristic humor, humility and optimism, Ben and Erin Napier use custom craftsmanship and tasteful, educated design to transform neglected homes into modern, appealing spaces the town of Laurel, Mississippi can present with pride. They specialize in preserving bits of sentimental history alongside unique style for the family that will occupy their work. Occasionally, they tackle commercial spaces with color and flair. The series has lasted ten years and has no end in sight.

In one recent episode of HOME TOWN, the Napiers were tapped to help design and deliver a Laurel welcome center using a former apartment space in which locals and tourists can witness artifacts celebrating the happy evolution of the town. One popular exhibit features a typical 1950’s apartment from the area, complete in every detail except operational plumbing. As she surveyed the finished product, Erin Napier commented on the small size and simplicity in contrast with the elaborate requirements of today’s homes–style and convenience she and her husband create for their clients. For example, the apartment has no countertops—granite, quartz or otherwise. No walk-in closet. No king-sized bed. No shower. No dishwasher. Only a single corded telephone sharing a party line that included a number of strangers. And yet people of the time felt blessed to have so much. Neighbor children shouted from the yard to ask the kids to come out to play. Holiday celebrations with friends, neighbors and/or family felt full. When we watch a film such as A CHRISTMAS STORY, we see that families thrived even without a family room, streaming TV, or man cave.

Modern adults who view the Laurel Welcome Center apartment so like a place where their parents or grandparents might have lived exclaim, “I could never cook Thanksgiving dinner is such a tiny space! There’s no prep area!” or “Look at this bedroom. There isn’t enough room for all my shoes.” Or “We really need a king-sized bed. We’d kill each other trying to roll over in a bed like this.” Our view of what’s actually necessary has changed radically. We aren’t as concerned about the environment or neighborhood as we are about our own comforts and conveniences. Meanwhile, too much sitting kills. Physical isolation depresses. We throw away much of the food we cram into our huge refrigerators. Many of us feel a need to hire someone to tidy our living spaces because they take too much time and effort to clean. Only those who spend extended vacations in non-luxury RVs or tents or tiny homes have a glimpse of how much we could do without. The sales pitches seduce, exaggerate, and often lie.

Are we rich or have we substituted stuff for community?