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In Season 8, Episode 2 of HGTV’s Home Town, Erin Napier used matte black hexagonal tile to create a continuous shower feature for a client seeking a modern home. Lighter taupe tile and warm gold fixtures softened the look; the episode’s design offers ideas for adapting a bold tile choice, though the report does not give project costs or installation details.
Erin Napier used matte black hexagonal tile to create a continuous shower feature in a modern home shown in Season 8, Episode 2 of HGTV’s Home Town. The design, which ran down the shower wall, across a shelf and onto the floor, marked a departure from the show’s familiar vintage-inspired look while responding to a client’s request for a modern interior.
The episode, titled “Chasing Waterfalls,” followed Erin and her husband, Ben Napier, as they designed a home for a client who wanted a contemporary feel. Erin described the project as “a little bit dramatic, a little bit mysterious, a little bit sexy,” according to Hunker’s report on the episode, adding that the last description was not a word often used for houses on Home Town.
In the bathroom, the tile created the “waterfall moment” that gave the episode its title. The black matte hexagons formed a strip from the back wall of the shower, over its shelf and down across the floor. Hunker described the finished effect as striking and masculine without feeling overly severe, and reported that the client was pleased with the result.
Napier balanced the dark tile with lighter taupe tile elsewhere in the bathroom and warm gold fixtures. Hunker said those choices helped keep the overall design from feeling too dark and connected the modern feature to the warm, vintage-influenced style associated with the Napiers. The report also names two possible product alternatives: Floor & Decor’s Opal Black Matte Cement Look Floor and Wall Porcelain Tile, described as suitable for floors and walls, and TileBar’s Level Black 1-inch Hexagon Matte Porcelain Tile, a smaller-format option.
A Modern Detail in Home Town
The bathroom offers a specific example of how a bold surface treatment can change the character of a room without requiring every finish to follow the same style. The continuous tile pattern gives the shower a strong visual line, while taupe surfaces and gold hardware introduce lighter tones and warmth. For viewers, the design is less a call to copy the room exactly than a demonstration of how contrast can make dark tile feel considered rather than overwhelming.
The choice also shows the Napiers adapting their approach to a client brief. Their public image is closely associated with Southern and vintage-inspired interiors, but this episode presented a more contemporary project. That matters to viewers looking for design ideas beyond the couple’s usual palette, and to homeowners weighing how to bring a dramatic material into a room while maintaining a balanced overall look.
The practical design choices described in the report are relevant to anyone considering a similar installation. Tile size, the shade of surrounding surfaces and grout color can all change how the finished pattern reads. A dark grout can make individual hexagons blend into a more continuous field; a warm-gray grout can make each shape stand out. Those are styling considerations, not proof that one finish will suit every bathroom or budget.
matte black hexagonal tile for shower
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The Client Asked for Modern
Home Town follows Erin and Ben Napier as they renovate and design homes, with projects often associated with a warm, welcoming, vintage-inspired look. Hunker’s report places this bathroom within that broader design reputation but focuses on the couple’s response to a client who specifically wanted a modern home. Erin’s description of the project signaled that the result would differ from the show’s typical presentation.
The relevant development is the design shown in Season 8, Episode 2, not a newly announced product line or a formal design rule. The episode’s waterfall feature is a particular treatment: matching hexagonal tile connects vertical and horizontal surfaces to create a visual path through the shower. Hunker also suggests that homeowners could pursue a similar look with named retail products, but the report does not establish that those products were used in the television project.
Costs and Installation Details
Hunker’s account does not provide the bathroom’s project cost, tile quantity, grout specification or installation method. It also does not identify the tile brand used in the episode, so the two products listed in the report should be treated as possible alternatives, not confirmed materials from the renovation. The episode’s air date is not supplied in the source material.
The report describes the client as pleased but does not include a direct quote from the client or details about how the bathroom has performed over time. It also does not say whether the design was adapted to address specific maintenance, accessibility or ventilation needs. Those details cannot be inferred from the visual description alone.
How to Adapt the Tile Feature
For viewers considering a similar look, the source report points to choices that can be adjusted: select tile rated for the intended surface, decide whether to use dark grout for a more blended effect or warm gray to emphasize the hexagons, and balance the black area with lighter finishes. The named Floor & Decor and TileBar products are examples supplied by Hunker; availability, pricing and suitability for a particular project may vary and are not confirmed here.
The next step for anyone planning a bathroom renovation is to check product specifications and discuss the layout with a qualified tile professional, especially where floor and shower surfaces meet. The source provides no further episode or project updates, so it is not clear whether the Napiers will revisit this home or similar contemporary designs in a later installment.
Key Questions
What did Erin Napier design in the Home Town episode?
In Season 8, Episode 2, she used matte black hexagonal tile in a continuous feature running down the shower’s back wall, over its shelf and across the floor.
Why was the bathroom design different from Home Town’s usual style?
The client requested a modern vibe. Hunker describes the project as a departure from the warm, vintage-influenced look commonly associated with the Napiers’ work on the show.
How did the design keep the black tile from dominating?
The bathroom paired the dark tile with lighter taupe tile and warm gold fixtures. Hunker says those finishes softened the overall look.
Which similar tiles does the report mention?
Hunker lists Floor & Decor’s Opal Black Matte Cement Look Floor and Wall Porcelain Tile and TileBar’s Level Black 1-inch Hexagon Matte Porcelain Tile as alternatives. The report does not say either product was used in the episode.
What is the effect of choosing dark or light grout?
According to Hunker, charcoal or near-black grout can make the hexagons read as a more seamless dark surface, while warm-gray grout keeps the individual tile shapes visible and adds texture.
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