Home Town, Season Three: The Watts
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!
On last night’s episode, we got to meet the vibrant Watts family!
Toy has a new job as school district superintendent, so she’s moving her family inland from the Mississippi coast. Toy and her husband, Cory, need help finding a large home with architectural details and plenty of space for their three kids. Their $300,000 all-in budget goes a long way as they consider two massive homes: a 5000 square foot brick beauty and a 3600 square foot home with a pond and gazebo. Along with a new kitchen and living room, a spa-like bathroom is high priority for these professionals to relax after a busy day. (episode description from RTR Media)
FIRST OF ALL, LET’S TALK ABOUT BUDGET.
The Watts family has an all-in budget of $300,000. For a lot of places, this is pretty average (or even below average)! But in Laurel…that’s a big budget for our real estate market!
Laurel’s median home value is $83,700. Compared to the USA national average of $222,800, that’s a crazy deal!
Hearing this got us all excited to see what Erin and Ben could do with that budget!
THE YEATES HOUSE $221,000
Our first stop this episode is the Yeates House! Built in 1978 by Geraldine and William Yeates, and it features a whopping 5,300 square feet! That includes 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, and a huge garage.
Toy’s first impression of the exterior was that the colors were a little “drab”. The interior was in great condition, and featured tall ceilings and a huge kitchen. Although the house was beautiful, it just wasn’t very “Watts” yet. (Even though they did like it.)
We think this fun-loving family needs a home with some personality! Thankfully, Erin had some pretty great ideas on how to spruce up the place.
We loved the Yeates house, but with the reno budget leaving everything at an even $300,00, we think that might be cutting it a little close!
Best Feature: The back yard was absolutely outstanding. It had lots of space and a beautiful landscape with a pond. It seriously had us swooning.
THE HERNDON HOUSE $210,000
Our second stop is the Herndon House! Built in 1979 by the Herndons, this house is absolutely stunning. It’s not as big as the Yeates house, but it’s still a great size of 3,600 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 3.5 baths.
The first thing we noticed was the beautiful New Orleans style wrought-iron balcony. Secondarily, we love the large front yard and circle drive. Like the Yeates House, this one also has pretty neutral coloring.
As we venture inside, the first thing we see is the beautiful wood flooring in the foyer, along with a stately chandelier. Not to mention the gorgeous, rounded doorways and elegant moulding!
The Living Room
Then we travel to the living room…and there a good many pros and cons.
The spacious size with an open concept to the kitchen is awesome and perfect for entertaining! The balcony dining area and stairs are also such a nice touch to the character of the home. Not to mention, it’s the most extreme (and coolest) sunken living room we’ve ever seen.
What we don’t love: The paneling and carpet.
Wood-paneled walls were a huge trend in the 70’s. Mix in some carpet, and voilà! You’ve got every 70’s family’s dream sunken living room. Somehow, we just don’t think this is the best combo for the Watts family.
The Kitchen
Todd Douglas / Getty Images – Taken from https://www.hgtv.com
On to the kitchen. (Spoiler: Matching wood-paneling)
Although we’ve got some more very 70’s details like yellow-ish formica countertops and cabinetry that matches the walls of the living room, this kitchen has major potential.
What we love: The brick-framed oven.
The “nook” for the oven is the best focal point in a kitchen we’ve seen on Home Town thus far, and Erin had the idea to add a tile backsplash to make it even more beautiful. (Swooning, again.)
The Master Suite
Like Erin said, “it’s a very Scarface bathroom”.
The bedroom was a nice size, and really just needed new carpeting, light fixtures, paint, and what-have-you. But, the bathroom had lots of interesting surprises.
More carpet. Smoky mirror. Fake columns. Not one, not two, but three vanities.
Yes, this bathroom had an interesting “before”, but we’re more than ready to see the “after”.
Overall, we loved the Herndon House and all the potential it was sporting. We’re so glad the Watts picked it!
AFTER
Obviously, Erin and Ben completely transformed this house into something even more beautiful and so personal to the Watts Family!
The exterior had more contrast and color, and the landscaping was cleaned up.
There were way bigger transformations inside, namely making everything feel so much more open. (If that’s even possible!)
Our Favorite Room
Although the entire home turned out perfectly, our favorite room is the living room. (I mean, just check out the transformation!)
The TV in the mirror is quite possibly the coolest DIY we’ve ever seen on the show. Not to mention, we’ve got a Lott Furniture Co. item in here!
The Watts Sectional is the perfect addition to any big space. It even has a removable, rounded corner piece for switching things up! If you remove it, this sectional can act as a freestanding sofa and loveseat set.
Contact Lott Furniture Co. to shop the Watts Sectional today!
This premier definitely started out season 3 with a bang. We’re just smitten with the Watts family and are so proud to welcome them home to Laurel, Mississippi.
Follow along and look for a recap blog every Tuesday throughout the season. Be the first ones to discuss the episode with us, and sign up in the gold box for email updates every time we post!
-Keri Rowell, Lott Furniture Co.
