Home Town Takeover is underway, and Ben and Erin Napier are showcasing their hard work in Sebring, Florida. In the third season of the series, the duo gathered their team and some of their HGTV friends to give the town a much-needed makeover.
Ben and Erin stepped in to update the home of a local teacher, and the results were nothing short of stunning. From the updated front porch to refreshed dining room to the "dreamboat" kitchen, the Napiers gave the home a fresh new look while keeping its historic integrity.
But fans of show were quick to question one design element: the placement of the range in front of a window. Erin said, "This is my first time to put a range in front of a window, and I am so into it!" When Erin shared photos from the show on her Instagram account, viewers left messages like, "Not a huge fan of the stove being under the window. I want to look outside when I'm washing dishes" and "Agreed! Also, the window will get greasy, so cleaning it means reaching over the stove. đŽ"
But others shared their support of the placement: "I LOVE the stove there!!!!!! And opening my window *when* I burn something! How convenient! đ¤" Erin jumped in the comments section herself to say, "itâs no different than spraying and wiping a glossy backsplash tile. i LOVE it."
HGTV shared a clip from the episode on their account and got a similar response. One viewer said, "you really messed up on this one! No way it does not look good at all very odd."
Erin offered a lengthy explanation: "i'll be the first to tell you we make silly choices every now and then because it's pretty, but let's chat: you can spray and wipe a solid piece of glass same as you can a tiled backsplash, except this is easier to clean because there's NO grout. i cook every single day and rarely have to clean the backsplash - what are y'all doing to have filthy backsplashes? frying chicken on the back burner? boiling spaghetti sauce so hard it's hitting the wall on the back burner? and the windows aren't open in the summer in florida letting the flies in, baby. windows closed, AC ON. AND FINALLY that is a vent above the range, same as we always do. đ"
Ben jumped in the comments section to give his thoughts on the matter. He wrote, "actually, itâs done all the time. We are not the first and certainly wonât be the last. The best view in the house is actually from the sink, but you werenât paying attention to that. You see the gorgeous backyard that leads to lake jackson. So, it is actually a win win! The homeowner approved and loved the designs before we ever started demo. Sorry, youâre in the wrong here."
Ben is rightâthe homeowner seemed thrilled with the renovation, and that's certainly all that matters!
Katie Bowlby is Digital Director at Country Living, where she covers pop culture news including country music, Yellowstone, and all things HGTV, plus gift guides and product reviews. She has been with Country Living for more than 11 years. Before that, she worked for Southern Living. The Indiana University grad also stitches up the cross-stitch pattern for every issue of the magazine.Â
