Home Town, Season Three: The Guays

Home Town is back on HGTV, and we are thrilled! This season features 13 all new families and homes in beautiful Laurel, Mississippi. We can already tell that season 3 is going to be the best yet, so we’re going to post recaps of every episode!

Not to mention, there are lots of Lott Furniture Co. pieces featured! That means you can shop the look you see on your TV and get your home looking like Erin and Ben designed it! 

“Houses with big porches and rocker chairs on them…for us that’s pretty much Southern Charm!” -Patrick and Peggy

Last night, we saw something unprecedented on Home Town. A couple moving all the way from Quebec!

Patrick and Peggy came down and visited us once, and the rest is history! They fell in love with the heat, the culture, the people, and the small-town homes.

Luckily for us, they decided to buy a vacation home that they can use later for retirement. We’re so happy to have this Canadian addition to Laurel!

“They’re doing a great job for their community. I want to be part of that.” -Peggy quoting Patrick on how they chose to buy a home here

 

LET’S TALK BUDGET

Patrick mentions that their all-in budget is $140,000. That’s pretty good! Especially if they choose an older house that hasn’t been renovated in some time.

My prediction: Cottage Home 

THE CHANDLER HOUSE

Built in 1935, the Chandler House gets its name from Gary and Ginger Chandler, who lived there for 23 years. Its asking price is $74,000, and it features 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, and 1600 square feet.

The first thing I noticed was what great condition it was in! However, the modern updates did leave it a little plain. My hope is that the inside will match the exterior in condition, but have a little more charm. *fingers crossed*

As we move inside, there are more complaints on the modernity of the home. I agree and disagree with that. There are modern light fixtures and laminate flooring, but there are also areas of the home like the only bathroom that are very dated. 

Although, Erin had a ton of great ideas to make things feel a lot more homey! Making the bathroom bigger and adding an antique tub, salvaging the original sink and cabinetry in the kitchen and replicating it, and bringing some color to the exterior by painting and sandblasting the brick.

With everything that needs to be done, they end up right on budget at $140,000. Is that too close for comfort?

The best part: Absolutely the incredible back deck. The entertaining space is to die for!

THE KEY HOUSE

Built in the 1940s, the Key House gets its name from Peggy Key, who lived there over 20 years. Its asking price is $51,000, and it features 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, and 1300 square feet.

The first thing I noticed with this one was how overgrown the yard was. It seriously needed some attention! It was honestly so bad, I didn’t notice much about the exterior of the house.

Once they gave us some closer up shots of the home, I was wow’ed by the size of the porch. It totally matched what Patrick and Peggy were looking for. It also had some remaining craftsman details that gave it some historic charm.

The inside boasted original flooring and french doors in the living room. The only downsides were the bright red walls and the stucco ceiling. There was also a window unit that indicated no central heat or air.

Fun Fact: A lot of the homes (especially un-renovated ones) in the historic district still have no central heat or air.

Erin and Ben had loads of great ideas to make this home feel like a cozy Southern cottage. Some of the best were: getting built in bookshelves for the living room and adding a fireplace, custom butcher-block countertops in the kitchen, and adding some great tile in the bathroom. All of this comes out at $136,000.

The Key House is 100% my pick because of all the cute little details. It just needs some love!

THE AFTER

In my opinion, Erin and Ben totally nailed what Patrick and Peggy requested on this one. Somehow, after they were finished, the house even seemed bigger. They did lots to open up spaces by knocking down walls and adding the vaulted ceiling. Paint colors and floor plans had a lot to do with it too.

Something about this house was just so insanely cozy. 

The vintage bath tub, faux-vintage sink and fridge, and the cream and black color palette just made everything feel so classic. Not to mention the Ben builds in the master bedroom and the new fireplace!

And there were a few Lott Furniture Co. items hiding in there! 

The Guay’s loved the Navy swivel glider so much, they bought it! The Hogues from the last episode also bought one for their home.

Overall, we all enjoyed this episode so much! It was a pretty challenging house, with a few (fixable) problems during the reno that were interesting to see. Also, we love Patrick and Peggy! They have been great customers after the show, but even better friends.

We proudly welcome them to the Laurel community!

-Keri Rowell, Lott Furniture Co.

Follow along with us and check back here for a new recap on the blog every Tuesday during Season 3 of Home Town! Sign up in the gold box for email updates to be the first to discuss the episode with us every time we post.

Let us know in the comments what you thought about this episode!

RESOURCES

-Haven’t seen the episode yet? Watch for re-runs on HGTV, or visit their website or the HGTV app to stream the episode after airing for free. (Depending on your cable provider) Not to mention, you can find exclusive content here like photos, videos, and the new digital series “Erin’spired” and “Talkin’ Shop” with Erin and Ben.

-Want to know everything Home Town used in the Watts House, down to the paint color? Visit RTR Media’s resource guide after every episode to shop exact pieces and fixtures as seen on the show.

**** This is solely our commentary. Our opinions do not reflect on Home Town Season 3 Productions, HGTV, the cast and crew, or Scripps.