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Erin Napier showcased a departure from her signature vintage aesthetic in Season 8, Episode 2 of HGTV’s Home Town. The episode featured a modern bathroom design centered on a black hexagonal tile waterfall. This design choice highlights Napier’s ability to adapt to specific client requests for contemporary, dramatic interiors.
Erin Napier deviated from her established vintage-inspired design style in Season 8, Episode 2 of HGTV’s Home Town, implementing a contemporary black tile waterfall in a client’s bathroom. The episode, titled Chasing Waterfalls, required Napier and her husband Ben to address a client’s specific request for a modern, dramatic aesthetic rather than the warm, traditional look typically associated with the show’s brand. This design choice demonstrates the couple’s flexibility in meeting unique client preferences while maintaining functional beauty in residential renovations.
The renovation project centered on a client who explicitly sought a modern vibe, a direction that Napier acknowledged as unusual for their portfolio. This house is a little bit dramatic, a little bit mysterious, a little bit sexy, Napier stated regarding the project scope. She noted that such descriptors are rarely applied to homes on Home Town, which usually emphasizes Southern charm and nostalgic elements. The central feature of the bathroom was a waterfall design created using matte, hexagonal black tiles. This tile strip ran down the back wall of the shower, continued over the shower shelf, and extended across the entire bathroom floor, creating a continuous visual flow.
To prevent the dark palette from overwhelming the space, Napier incorporated balancing elements. She paired the black hexagonal tiles with lighter taupe tiles and warm gold fixtures. According to the report, this combination allowed for a sleek, contemporary design that retained a sense of warmth. The result was described as striking and masculine but not overly severe, a balance that ultimately satisfied the client. The design serves as a case study in how contrasting textures and colors can soften modern, monochromatic installations.
Adapting Signature Style to Client Needs
This episode highlights a critical aspect of professional interior design: the ability to adapt personal aesthetics to meet client-specific goals. Napier’s willingness to step outside her signature vintage brand suggests that Home Town continues to prioritize client satisfaction over rigid stylistic consistency. For viewers and homeowners, this serves as a practical example of how modern design elements can be integrated into traditional frameworks without losing comfort or livability. The use of black tile in a small bathroom space also challenges common design myths that dark colors always shrink a room, showing instead how continuity and lighting can create depth and drama.
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Home Town’s Evolution in Design Trends
Home Town, hosted by Erin and Ben Napier, has built its reputation on historic home renovations that preserve Southern heritage. The show typically features white shiplap, vintage fixtures, and pastel palettes. However, as the show progresses into Season 8, the couple has increasingly encountered clients with diverse design tastes that do not align with the traditional HGTV formula. This episode reflects a broader trend in home renovation television, where designers must navigate contemporary minimalism and bold color choices alongside classic styles. The hexagonal tile waterfall is a specific trend within modern bathroom design, characterized by continuous tiling from wall to floor to create a seamless, immersive look.
Specific Product Availability and Cost
While the report identifies the design intent and general materials, it does not disclose the exact cost of the renovation or the specific brand of tile used in the episode. The article suggests alternative products from Floor & Decor and TileBar for viewers wishing to replicate the look, but it is not confirmed whether these specific products were used in the actual renovation. Additionally, the long-term maintenance requirements for matte black porcelain in a wet environment are not detailed, leaving questions about durability and cleaning protocols for homeowners attempting this design.
Replicating the Waterfall Effect
For homeowners interested in replicating this look, the report recommends sourcing matte hexagonal porcelain tiles approved for both walls and floors. Key steps include selecting a charcoal or near-black grout to maintain the seamless waterfall effect, or a warm-gray grout to emphasize the tile pattern. Designers suggest balancing the dark tiles with lighter surrounding tiles or gold fixtures to prevent the space from feeling too dark. Future episodes of Home Town may continue to feature such style deviations, offering further insights into how the Napier team handles non-traditional client requests.
Key Questions
What is a tile waterfall design?
A tile waterfall is a design technique where tile runs continuously from a vertical surface, such as a shower wall, over a horizontal surface like a bench or shelf, and down to the floor. This creates a seamless, fluid appearance that visually connects the walls and floor.
Did Erin Napier use black tile in this episode?
Yes, according to the report, Napier used matte, hexagonal black tiles for the shower wall and floor. She balanced this with lighter taupe tiles and gold fixtures to keep the space from feeling too dark.
What grout color did Napier use for the waterfall effect?
The report suggests that a charcoal or near-black grout was used to make the hexagon pattern blur into one dark plane, achieving the seamless waterfall look. A lighter grout would have kept the individual tiles visible.
Is this style typical for Home Town?
No, Erin Napier explicitly stated that dramatic and sexy are not words typically used to describe Home Town renovations. The show usually focuses on traditional, vintage-inspired Southern styles, making this episode a notable exception.
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