Home Town, Season Six: The Hinnant House

Allison and Scott Hinnant are initially from Petal, Mississippi, a neighboring town to Laurel. As their youngest of two sons was finally leaving the nest to go to college, they felt the desire to try something new.

Laurel attracted the Hinnants because of its community, quiet nature, and inviting downtown events and shops. Allison always found herself drawn there on weekends to explore.

Allison said, "I've always wanted a historic home, and that was something that I was attracted to in Laurel. I've been visiting downtown and started shopping, and I liked it. I like the constant buzz and revitalization that's going on. I just thought it would be cool to have something like that one day, but I never imagined a house like this!"

She continues, "I feel like we're entering that stage of empty nesters, and a lot of people probably wouldn't make sense to get a big house when you're about the empty nesters. But in my mind, I wanted to play for my family could come back to, and then I would always have room for them."

With help from Ben and Erin, they found the perfect 5,000 square foot home with plenty of space for her two sons and the rest of their family to visit and stay awhile.

Allison and Scott are excited for their eldest son's future, as he is currently engaged to be married. They hope to offer a place for his future family, too. 

She shares, "He'll have a family before long, and then my younger son is going to college. When they come home, I want them to have plenty of room and feel comfortable. I also want it to be a place where they can bring their friends because our house was always a hub for all of their friends. We'd have 20 teenage boys running in and out and in, eating all the food in our refrigerator, and watching movies hanging out in the night. I like my home being home for a lot of people."

Before the renovation, Erin and Ben were stunned by the immaculate craftsman details, like the 11-foot ceilings and original trim and woodwork that hadn't been touched in 92 years. Although it was in excellent condition, the house wasn't without some peculiar details. 

Allison shares, "When Erin and Ben showed us the bathroom, it was the most random and strangest room. There was tiger printed carpet in the bathroom, and it became the biggest joke between Scott and Ben. Ben kept joking that they could reuse it in the new house or make matching loincloths! It was the funniest moment, but honestly, the layout was weird. In my mind, I was like, I don't see how they're going to make this better, but I trust you."

Allison and Scott were thrilled with how the Napiers combined their styles to reflect their interests. The Hinnants are entrepreneurs, as she manages her wellness and beauty business with Arbonne, and he owns an outdoor company called Conviction Outdoors that specializes in building game calls.

Erin used neutral palettes full of blues, tans/cognac, along natural textures and imagery to draw out these elements.

Allison says, "I trusted their ideas from the beginning because I knew that they would do something amazing. I've watched the shows, and they always value the home's history. I think they understood that I didn't want it to look like a brand new house. I told them to leave the scratches and the scars on the floor because I'm okay with that. It just shows that this house has been lived in and loved. People are the same; everybody has scars that show that you've lived a little bit."

Though this is the Hinnants' new empty nest, Erin and Ben wanted their sons to be a part of the transformation as well. Ben had Gage and Cole visit the woodshop and build a surprise for their mom and dad. 

"Our boys helped Ben build a bench that sits on our front porch. They built it out of the wood that Scott uses for his game calls. It's called Vietnamese Acacia Wood, along with some of the porch railing. It was a thoughtful touch to have their names engraved on each side. It's a piece of furniture that we'll always cherish,"  she says.

Scott mentioned that his favorite part was the small, meaningful touches that included their friends and family. He says, "I think they were trying to pull on our heartstrings a little bit. We've always wanted a wraparound porch because I have so many memories of sitting on a porch with my grandparents, rocking in a chair, and just being present. As I get older, I realize how significant those moments were. When you're young, you don't realize that those moments with them were special, so we want that same special moment with our kids or grandkids when they come to our house."

We're so excited to see how Allison and Scott's family will grow and what memories will be made in their beautiful home in Laurel. You can shop their home here in the Hinnant Collection!