A spin-off in the works? Dirt cheap homes? And was one of the houses they renovated actually haunted?
Stay tuned to find out more about HGTV's "Bargain Block."
If you've tuned into an episode of HGTV's "Bargain Block"
you may have found yourself wondering if hosts Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas
were actually a couple. As noted by PrideSource, the two met via the online dating site Match.com
while they both lived in Colorado and have been going strong ever since. In addition,
the engaged couple does not appear to have any children — unless you count their dog, Belle.
While you might think that both living and
working with your significant other could present a problem,
this arrangement has been good for the couple's relationship, with Bynum sharing with PrideSource:
"This has been one of the best experiences because you really get to know somebody
in this type of environment. It's about finding a respectful balance."
Neither Keith Bynum nor Evan Thomas is originally from Detroit, Michigan,
so it'd be fair to ask how they wound up there. According to an interview the pair did with The
Detroit News, Bynum is originally from Texas, while Thomas hails from South Dakota. They
were each living in Colorado when they met and later partnered together in renovating homes.
However, as Bynum told EstateEnvy, they decided to look into other markets that
would be better-suited for their business. Detroit first landed on Bynum's radar after
hearing that a friend of his had had success with flipping houses there.
"There's a ton of abandoned homes - "
"Yeah."
"Actually I think when we first moved there, there was something like 30,000?"
"Yeah."
Additionally, the city's energy and art scene appealed to him, as he told The Detroit News -
"For the art community and creatives, Detroit is a mecca."
In January 2017, Bynum flew to Detroit, where he bought a house for $12,000,
later telling EstateEnvy:
"A house in Denver in similar condition would be 20 times that amount."
So, after a bit of convincing, Thomas agreed to join his partner and venture out to this new city.
He may be the carpenter on HGTV's "Bargain Block," but this is a relatively new career
for Evan Thomas. According to his bio on his website with partner Keith Bynum,
Thomas actually holds a PhD from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Bynum celebrated his
graduation with a post of himself and the newly-minted doctor on Instagram at the time.
So, how did Thomas go from scholar to carpenter? As he revealed in their interview with EstateEnvy:
"I had just finished graduate school, and I was sort of at a crossroads. I could try
and get a job with my degree or start this business with Keith in Michigan."
However, he still puts his physics degree to good use in his current work,
as it comes in handy to ensure their renovation projects are finished on time and on budget.
Though his partner holds a PhD,
"Bargain Block" designer Keith Bynum's background is also pretty impressive.
The artist's bio on their shared website reveals that Bynum started his first business at only 14
years old — a retail and manufacturing chain that went on to become recognized across the nation.
Like Thomas, Bynum also uses his academic background in his work,
as TheCinemaholic reported that he studied entrepreneurship at Texas Tech University,
where he received his MBA. However, although Bynum's business skills are keen,
he couldn't quite let go of the creator in him. After selling his successful
business, he began doing carpentry and woodworking and selling his work online.
There are quite a few things about "Bargain Block" that make it stand out from other
home renovation shows. It's hard to ignore the fact that the finished homes we see on "Bargain
Block" are not the usual cookie-cutter looks we typically find. Not that there's anything
wrong with that — while it's important that the properties' designs appeal to the masses,
it's refreshing to find renovated homes that feel fully customized.
At the end of each "Bargain Block" episode, prospective homebuyers tour
fully-customized homes that feature a unique theme. And these homes are not just staged;
the furniture and decor you see is included in the price of the house. As PrideSource reported,
this includes items like retro pieces, decorative items, and custom art pieces that designer Keith
Bynum incorporates in each home. Bynum explained their thought process, saying -
"I hate the idea of duplicating designs because each house has so much personality
and charm and each has a very unique energy. So I try to custom tailor each one. It's the
most fun putting them back together and seeing renewed life in the house and the neighborhood."
"I love seeing something that is completely falling apart and forgotten
and bringing it back to life."
Keith Bynum admitted to PrideSource that his path to TV host has been a long journey.
Bynum actually appeared on HGTV before "Bargain Block" premiered.
While he and Evan Thomas were renovating houses in Denver, Colorado, a friend of
Bynum's asked for his help in building a tiny house for HGTV's "Tiny Paradise."
It's all about connections, not coincidences, however. Bynum's experience on "Tiny
Paradise" was able to expose him to some production companies, who took an interest
in his work. Though he and Evan weren't initially certain about doing television,
ultimately they were convinced. HGTV wanted the production team to produce a pilot in 2019
and then ordered an entire season of "Bargain Block."
There's more to the work that Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas do than just what you
see on "Bargain Block." The home renovation experts also run their own design firm called
Nine Design & Homes. Their business philosophy is explained on their website, which says:
"We combine handmade, vintage and repurposed pieces to create a space that is distinctly
yours. We are committed to the revitalization of Detroit one home and one client at a time."
Though the team's primary focus is on renovating and selling homes in their target neighborhoods
of Detroit, a section of their website is devoted to designing for clients,
and the business appears to be growing.
In May 2021, Bynum shared with his Instagram followers an exciting new business development:
He finally has a warehouse to store all of his creations.
"Did you build this?"
"Yup, yup."
"You're a magician."
If you find yourself loving the unique art pieces that Keith Bynum creates on "Bargain Block,"
it turns out that you can actually have them for yourself. The Nine Design & Homes website
features his handmade art and decorative items available for sale and they've opened their own
brick-and-mortar furniture store in Detroit that goes by the same name,
featuring both their original work as well as products from other local artists.
Launching their business in a new city, Keith Bynum and Evan
Thomas had no idea how they would be received by the Detroit community,
as Bynum revealed to PrideSource that neither of them had ever been to Michigan.
Soon after they arrived, however, they realized they had little to worry about — the neighbors
were grateful for their support in helping revitalize their community, with Bynum saying:
"Never one time has so much as an eyebrow been raised,
which was sort of shocking and not our experience in other parts of the country."
This reference is a nod to the duo's previous experience renovating homes in Denver, Colorado,
where their construction projects were seen as more of a nuisance.
But as Bynum told The Detroit News -
"Here, people were excited about the neighborhood transforming.
Every neighbor — and there have been a lot — we've met in the city has been kind and amazing."
We know from watching "Bargain Block" that Keith Bynum will
sometimes get a little carried away with his ideas. Although Detroit,
Michigan real estate expert Shea Hicks-Whitfield loves the craftsmanship that Bynum and partner
Evan Thomas bring to each property, she sometimes has to keep them in check.
"Maybe I'm wrong, what do you think?"
"We trust you, we have faith in your design but that's uh, a lot of animal print."
As Shea said in an interview with HGTV:
"[Keith] puts so much thought and love into these homes compared to an average
flipper. I have to remind him that we are attempting to flip the home so you
don't want to go too extreme with the design because you want to appeal to the masses."
We all have watched episodes of HGTV shows where we admire the designs but know we could
never afford such a place ourselves. However, the "Bargain Block" team renovates and designs
their properties with a specific audience in mind: first-time homebuyers. According to The
Detroit News, Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas focus on smaller, more affordable homes with unique,
fun designs and list the completed properties for a maximum of $100,000.
That makes Shea, who was born and raised in the city, the perfect partner for the
guys who are Detroit newbies, with Bynum telling EstateEnvy:
"She's incredibly well-connected, and she's really the perfect person for
our demographic of first-time homebuyers [...] She brought
us an amazing amount of people to help build this business."
Hicks-Whitfield loves what the guys are doing for these neighborhoods and the
opportunities it presents to homebuyers, saying in an interview for HGTV:
"It provides the perfect opportunity for a first-time buyer because the
homes are still affordable to purchase within a
neighborhood where they were raised or maybe their grandparents live."
Although "Bargain Block" did not make its HGTV debut until April 2021,
Bynum and Thomas began filming episodes in early 2020. However,
the COVID-19 pandemic halted their plans, with Bynum sharing with EstateEnvy:
"We got about four or five weeks in before we shut down for several
months. We had all these projects going, and we couldn't touch them."
With their business and new TV series at a standstill, what did the guys do
to keep busy? They switched to restoring old campers for the time being. Later,
when filming resumed, they even put their newfound skills to good use for the show:
On an episode titled "Farmhouse and Schoolhouse," Bynum and Thomas worked
on a property that came with an unexpected surprise in the backyard: an old camper.
"Whoever purchases this home is responsible for that trailer."
"Oh so it comes with it?"
"So it's a package deal!"
"Ok…"
"Interesting…"
Though some flippers would see this as a negative, the "Bargain Block" team
saw it as an added bonus, like a possible guesthouse or on-site rental apartment.
If you're like the rest of us, you probably watch "Bargain Block" and wonder how it's possible to
purchase a house for $1,000. It turns out that Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas find these affordable
fixer-uppers from the Detroit Landbank, which makes it possible to purchase a house for as
low as $1,000 — as long as you're willing to put in a little sweat equity, that is.
This presented Bynum and Thomas the perfect opportunity for their business.
Bynum explained their plan to EstateEnvy, saying:
"The strategy was to go in and buy as many houses as we could in a single area,"
Since the start, the pair has flipped approximately 25 homes in Detroit, Michigan,
most of them situated in two Northwest Detroit
neighborhoods — and the guys are nowhere near finished yet.
As house flippers, Bynum and Thomas have seen it all.
"I'm never really shocked when we do a walkthrough of a Keith and Evan pick…but this home…"
In one house they remodeled, for instance, they found a family of
squirrels making the attic their home, with Bynum telling The Detroit News -
"I was convinced we had ghosts for a bit with that one."
In the beginning, Bynum told Thomas that living in the houses they renovate wouldn't be that bad.
However, when the two arrived, they realized that wasn't quite the case.
Bynum described it to EstateEnvy, saying -
"The bathroom was not functional at all. The kitchen had like a half-inch layer
of grease over every surface. And in that grease were roach bodies."
With all the time the duo spends in the houses they renovate, Bynum confessed
that he tends to become attached to the properties, telling PrideSource:
"I kind of personify the houses [...] They just need someone to believe in them again,"
You'd be correct if you think you've caught Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas
on another HGTV show. The guys traveled to South Carolina to participate in the third
season of the network's expert design competition series "Rock the Block"
alongside twins Leslie Davis and Lyndsey Lamb of "Unsellable Houses," Dave and Jenny Marrs of
"Fixer to Fabulous," and Egypt Sherrod and Mike Jackson of "Married to Real Estate."
The two shared their experience with The List, with Bynum revealing that he assumed
the production would be similar to their show, but he was wrong.
Among the differences, both the project's size and budget were way bigger than usual. Speaking with
HGTV, Bynum described the house's primary suite as being around the same size in square footage
as some of the houses they renovate, and their HGTV-funded budget of $225,000 was both exciting
and challenging. The pair loved being able to include features way above their typical $45,000
"Bargain Block" budget, though Bynum admitted the options sometimes felt overwhelming.
In the end, though, the experience allowed them
to go outside their comfort zones with an all-out, upscale design.
If you love the house designed by Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas on "Rock the Block,"
good news: It turns out that the 3,500-square-foot stunner can now be
yours. It's listed for sale at $1.25 million, as shared by Realtor.com in April 2022.
Sure, it's a hefty price, but the place is an art lover's paradise, with unique
design features and handmade furniture. Talking with HGTV, Bynum explained that he and Thomas
hoped their custom-designed touches would stand out and outshine their competition. He added:
"I think the most crucial element of this house is that it would
be impossible to find a duplicate because everything in it is custom."
Bynum described the five-bedroom,
four-and-a-half bath single-family home as luxurious to the umpteenth degree, saying:
"In this house, we definitely wanted to take the design to the extreme end."
Because of their $225,000 budget, the pair experimented with high-end
materials they aren't usually able to include in their "Bargain Block" flips,
such as large slabs of marble. Their custom-designed dining room table,
kitchen shutters, and tiled backsplash. Their hand-painted murals and statement
art installations, of which there are more than one, brought the project to a whole other level.
While Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas finally purchased a home in Detroit,
the two also now have a new home for their construction and design firm,
Nine Design + Homes, which now includes a massive retail showroom to boot.
"With the success of season 1 we really felt that it was a
pretty good time to kind of take that opportunity and expand the business.”
The front of the huge space houses their retail store and showroom, designed with
the guys' signature eclectic, vintage feel in mind. Seen described the interior, writing about
the unique decor that includes a disco ball and a papier-mâché bird hanging from the ceiling.
Hour Detroit Magazine noted that the back of the building houses Bynum and Thomas' workshop,
offices, and a community space with a classroom. Their website describes the
space as a "Community Art Center" that acts as a gathering place for
creative locals to come together. Bynum himself even teaches some of the classes.
Keeping with the guys' vision to transform not just individual houses but entire communities
through custom, hands-on design, the community center further serves as, quote, "an interactive
space for our community to take classes from their favorite Nine designers and beyond."
"Bargain Block" was a huge hit in its first season, with over 20 million viewers tuning in,
so it was no surprise that HGTV ordered a second season. Speaking to Deadline,
the president of HGTV, Jane Latman said:
"Keith, Evan, and Shea have a deep passion for the city of Detroit,
and their commitment to revitalizing homes in the city has resonated with millions of HGTV fans."
The house-flipping duo returned for a second season on June 8, 2022,
with 10 hour-long episodes. What might we expect for the pair's sophomore season?
Unlike the first season, Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas are no longer nomads — in an interview
with Hour Detroit Magazine, they revealed that they've got their own renovated home
on the block they purchased, as seen in the Season 1 finale. The pair also has
their retail store and workshop this season that serves as their design hub. However,
some things will stay the same, as the guys will again be joined by their realtor and friend
Shea Hicks-Whitfield, who filmed season 2 while expecting a child.
Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas have been engaged since 2017.
However, while the twosome has been busy expanding their business and brand,
they haven't had time to plan a wedding. In fact, they have never even set a date.
Bynum chose to call attention to the couple's
lack of nuptials on the horizon in a March 2022 Instagram post, writing:
"Five years ago today, we got engaged,
but we've been too damn busy to actually get married. One day!"
And, as busy as the two are these days, working together day in and day out hasn't harmed their
relationship. In fact, they're even closer, with Thomas telling PrideSource in April 2021:
"We joke about being worried we have become co-dependent being around each other so much,
but overall it's a great relationship and we are very fortunate."
In a March 2022 interview with Hour Detroit Magazine,
Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas shared what's new and brewing for Nine Design + Homes.
In addition to flipping Detroit-area starter homes and transforming neighborhoods,
the pair has begun offering design services for private clients. Bynum also started selling his
original items at their new store, something he told the magazine that he hopes to do more of.
A potential "Bargain Block" spinoff and a furniture line are also on the
horizon. Additionally, they're planning some design upgrades to their showroom,
the highlight of which will be a huge mural to serve as a focal point.
It seems as if the sky's the limit for these two.
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