Heavy/HGTV HGTV and New Kids on the Block star Jonathan Knight
As New Kids on the Block (NKOTB) member Jonathan Knight turns his love for home restoration into a family affair on HGTV’s new “Farmhouse Fixer: Camp Revamp,” a four-episode spinoff that chronicles his efforts to restore 10 cabins at a rundown New England resort with a vision of welcoming other families to the property in the future.
But in the premiere, which aired on June 18, 2024, Jonathan’s family — including his mom, Marlene Knight, — expressed concern about the project, which he admitted in the show’s first minutes is “the biggest risk of my life.”
Jonathan Knight’s Mom Warns Him He May Be ‘Spreading Yourself Thin’
On “Farmhouse Fixer: Camp Revamp,” Jonathan, 55, attempts to fully renovate a formerly thriving resort where the once-quaint cabins are now infested with mold, mice and moss. There’s also a main house, where he said he sees himself staying with his husband, Harley Rodriguez.
According to online property records, Jonathan purchased the property on Onway Lake in Raymond, New Hampshire — about an hour drive from his home in Essex, Massachussetts — on February 22, 2023, for $1,601,000. That matches the offer he told his real estate agent to submit during the show’s first episode.
As contractors and his family looked over the condition of the cabins, it became clear to Jonathan that his budget might be blown out of the water given structural issues that needed to be addressed. Adding to his stress, he was also juggling renovations while preparing for his upcoming NKOTB summer tour, which kicked off on June 14 in Ohio.
At one point in the premiere, he asked his brother and NKTOB bandmate Jordan Knight, “Am I crazy?”
“Like, I see it in your face, like you want to do this,” Jordan replied, “and my head is seriously exploding. Because I’m the type of person that wants to, like, know all the numbers, get all the estimates, blah blah blah. And you’re the one who just…”
“Jumps in,” Jonathan interjected with a smirk. “And if I swim, I swim.”
After their conversation, Jonathan gathered the rest of his family around to hear their thoughts, during which his mom revealed how worried she was.
“As your mother,” Marlene began, “I’m worried about you spreading yourself thin financially, and emotionally, and physically.”
Jonathan responded that the project reminded him of his youth, when he and his siblings got to spend joyful summers at their grandparents’ cottage on Lake Erie, and they all agreed the nostalgia made it a meaningful pursuit.
“Sure brings back those memories for me,” his mom said. “Growing up, watching my parents put together a cottage and then being able to take my own children there in the summertime to enjoy it. So I think it would be really wonderful.”
“And I trust your vision, honey,” she assured Jonathan. “I really do. We’re digging in and we’re gonna help.”
Jonathan Knight Says ‘Camp Revamp’ Was Worth Risk, But He Hasn’t Committed to Continuing ‘Farmhouse Fixer’
“I’m taking a huge risk to pursue a dream I’ve been chasing,” Jonathan acknowledged to HGTV. “These types of properties are rare — and this is the one. It’s now or never and it’s all on me. My money, my designs, my problems. But the reward … that’s all mine, too.”
Looking back on the endeavor, Jonathan told People the risk was worthwhile just to create something with his family, who they all refer to as “the Knight clan” on the show.
“It was a lot of work, a lot of stress, a lot of fun and a lot of beauty,” says Jonathan. “But the best part of the whole thing is that I got to do it with my family because we do everything together.”
In October, ownership was transferred for $0 to a limited liability company called Waters Edge at Onway Lake LLC. During the premiere, Jonathan told his family that the resort was previously called Waters Edge, and was owned for 30 years by the same family.
The resort does not appear to be available yet for booking, and Jonathan told People he’s not sure what the future holds for him on HGTV once the NKOTB tour ends in late August.
“After we finish filming, I always say, ‘I’m not committing to anything in the future. I just need to decompress.’ And then in a few months I’m calling HGTV up, like, “Hey, so I have an idea,'” he told the outlet. “We’ll see where it all goes. I mean, that’s what life is all about — you never know what’s around the corner.”
However, Jonathan and his “Farmhouse Fixer” design partner, Kristina Crestin, are expected to appear on HGTV’s “100 Day Hotel Challenge,” starring Mika and Brian Kleinschmidt, per HGTV. Due to air by fall, multiple HGTV personalities pitched in during filming in the spring of 2024.