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“Bargain Block” is a bonafide hit for HGTV, which means co-hosts Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas are busier than ever filming, doing appearances, and renovating homes in Detroit. The real-life couple, who got engaged in 2017, has been so busy building their renovation business and TV show that they haven’t even had time to get married.
In new interviews, the couple revealed how they keep their personal relationship healthy when their workdays can be so stressful, including taking a break from TV.
Bynum Says It’s Important To Know When To ‘Stay in Your Lane’
In a Pop Culture interview published July 26, Bynum said he’s amazed by how many people ask how they balance work and love.
“I don’t think about it a lot,” he said. “We’re always working and, amazingly, we have the same goal, at the end of the day, but we have very different paths to get there. I think the key to the success of working with your partner, I think, is finding balance and finding respect, and also, a little humor goes a long way.”
Though Bynum is the designer and Thomas is the builder in their renovation work, their skills tend to crossover and their opinions sometimes clash. So respecting each other’s expertise is important, they said.
“Stay in your lane,” Bynum advised other couples who work together. “I don’t try to step on his toes a lot. He does always try to step on my toes in design, but that’s OK.”
Thomas countered, “I pretty much let him do things. I might make suggestions, but…” and Bynum quipped, “Strong suggestions. But that’s what we found works for us.”
Bynum Says They’re Taking a “Break From TV”
The couple is also proud of how far they’ve come. They met in Denver but moved to Detroit on a whim several years ago to start a new life of refurbishing starter homes. Still struggling to make ends meet when the first season of “Bargain Block” aired on HGTV, the couple would sleep in the houses they were renovating no matter the condition.
At the end of each show, they’d put their air mattress and belongings in a grocery cart and move down the block to their next renovation challenge. According to Hour Detroit, that shopping cart is now located near the entrance of Nine Design + Homes, their 10,000 square foot retail and office space. And they have their own place to call home at the end of each workday.
“We have felt a lot of momentum building,” Bynum told Hour Detroit. “I sometimes can’t believe how far we’ve come.”
The “Bargain Block” duo’s latest endeavor together has been scouting new trends and products for their store at the Summer Las Vegas Market. On July 27, they sat down with Home Accents Today to talk about their experience running a home decor store. Bynum said they’ve seen a “huge uptick online” with the airing of Season 2 on HGTV, and they’re actively adding new items there and in-store.
“Our brand is very eclectic, so I’m sure our online store will be built out to be also that,” Thomas said. “The goal for this market is to find as many fabulous furniture pieces that we can throw online and our fans can purchase.”
Bynum added, “I’ve gotta find some good side chairs!”
Though the network hasn’t officially renewed “Bargain Block” while Season 2 is airing, Bynum recently alluded to a Season 3 on Instagram. But he told Pop Culture that for now, the couple is on “a bit of a break from TV” to focus on the other aspects of their work and life together.
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