Our Story
Let’s start at the beginning.
Before HGTV ever approached Erin and Ben Napier about filming their very own home renovation television show, Erin was a budding entrepreneur. She left a normal 9 to 5 to create something on her own - a custom wedding invitation shop.
With her background in art, she created beautiful wedding invitation suites for couples and documented her daily life with Ben on her blog, Make Something Good Today. She shared the process of renovating their historic home in downtown Laurel, MS along with stories of friends and family.
Because of Erin’s diligence, creativity, and storytelling, the Napiers found themselves at the precipice of something life changing. After a key feature of their home renovation online, the couple received a very unexpected email asking if they had ever considered filming a television show.
She had no idea that what started as a leap of faith would unfold into something so extraordinary!
After Ben, Erin, and the HGTV team filmed the pilot, they weren’t getting their hopes up that they would actually get their own series or if the pilot would even air on television at all. After a year of waiting (and radio silence), they learned that the pilot would air on HGTV in January of 2016. The pilot was a smashing success and season 1 of Home Town was greenlit. The whole town was buzzing with excitement!
With the release and following success of the show, there was a spark of hope that downtown Laurel would be revived. Downtown Laurel, MS was once a booming downtown shopping district, but over the years businesses closed, doors were shuttered, and there was only a small sense of hope that downtown Laurel could be saved.
The possibilities of bustling sidewalks, renovated storefronts, and a new life for our hometown became a reality. It was nothing short of a miracle!
Fast forward to the Fall of 2016, Ben, Erin, and their 4 best friends made a commitment to revitalize their hometown of Laurel, MS. Together they opened our flagship store, The Laurel Mercantile. After months of hand selecting goods that would line the shelves of the store, Erin had an idea to create a custom candle that perfectly represented the smell of Laurel on its finest day - Sweet Olive Blossom.
The Laurel Candle was such a huge success - it was almost impossible to keep it on the shelf! Not only did people appreciate the American Made craftsmanship of the candle and vessel itself, but the story coupled with the calming aroma of the candle reverberated with people all across the United States.
It did not take long for the LMCo team to realize that our candles and fragrances were something special and would quickly sell out. It was easy to see that the candles, room sprays and hand soaps needed a place of their own. And they had the perfect location in mind.
Fast forward to 2022 and the team set out to refurbish and restore yet another dilapidated storefront in the downtown streets. After a complete renovation, all of the scents and stories had a new place to call home - the Scent Library.
When Erin and her team were just beginning to conceptualize the Scent Library she knew that she wanted to pay homage to the original building’s Art Deco history. Everything from the floor-to-ceiling library bookcases, the leather sofas, and the building’s refurbishment allow you to step back in time and experience what it would be like to walk into a library 100 years ago.
This special candle shop is an ode to Erin's nostalgic nature and love for specific scent memories. She dreamed of opening a space dedicated to her growing candle line that would offer a memorable experience for nostalgic folks like herself. This is the perfect place for Home Town fans to explore Erin's world and her scent memories. And perhaps, make a few new memories of their own.
A Family of Brands
Found out more about our family of American made brands including Laurel Mercantile Co. & Scotsman Co.