'Bargain Block's' Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas Transform Detroit One House at a Time

Where some see an iconic American city in decline, others see opportunity. Such is the case of partners Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas, who want to be part of restoring Detroit with the help of longtime realtor Shea Hicks-Whitfield on HGTV's hit series "Bargain Block."

The couple are eminently fit for the job: Bynum is a noted renovation expert and designer, and Thomas is a builder and carpenter. These scrappy visionaries buy run-down and abandoned properties and transform them into affordable, stylish starter homes for first-time homebuyers. The GLAAD Media Award nominees have stepped it up for the show's third season, focusing on smaller houses this season in the post-pandemic world, which has seen lower material costs but higher ones with labor.

The couple, who met on a dating site, have been together for 10 years and engaged for five. The reason they haven't married, Bynum explained on Instagram, is "we've been too damn busy.

"One day," he promised.

They moved to Michigan from Colorado after learning of widespread revitalization efforts, and found a welcoming community they never felt in the past – most notably, when Bynum, earlier in his career, experienced homophobia within the building industry. "There was a lot of nasty talk against the LGBTQ community," Bynum told People Magazine about his time being a foreman in some projects in Texas.

"Although the hateful comments weren't necessarily directed at him, he says the intolerance ultimately became the catalyst for his departure from the company. Bynum wasn't, however, giving up on the industry," the article noted.

Due to the three seasons of "Bargain Block," the couple have become local celebrities in Detroit. "There's just been a lot of support. It's been amazing," Bynum continued. "We've felt a lot of love." EDGE spoke to the couple about their lives together, what's on Season Three of "Building Block," and being part of the growing queer representation on television.

EDGE: Can you tell us the story of how you met?

Evan Thomas: We actually met on Match.com back in 2013. We were both living in Boulder, CO and there were not a lot of gay men on match.com, in Boulder, at that time. We saw each other and we did the little winking thing. After our first date, I think we both knew it was a match.

EDGE: Tell us about your journey to "Bargain Block."

Keith Bynum: It's kind of a long and winding road to "Bargain Block." While we were living in Colorado, we moved in together and renovated a house, and we really enjoyed doing it together. After Evan finished his degree, we were at a crossroads of what to do next, so we decided to do full-time house renovations.

Evan Thomas: That is how we ended up in Detroit. We sold the places in Colorado and started looking for a market that was a little easier to get into and Detroit offered us a lot of volume of houses for a lot less money.

EDGE: What can you tell us about Season 3?

Evan Thomas: I think the designs are better. I think it's funnier, the construction's better, and the houses are worse. I'm really excited about it. I think it's a really strong season. I think it's the best season yet, and I'm excited for people to see it.

EDGE: How have you changed since Season One of the show?

Keith Bynum: Oh, my gosh, so much has changed. We don't have to live in the houses anymore because at the end of Season One we bought a house and this season we renovated it. I think the biggest thing is we've grown as a business, and we've grown personally, and Detroit continues to offer everything that we need personally and as a business.

Evan Thomas: I think if you watch a Season One episode and then watch a Season Three episode, I will say the design is better. We definitely have a better business sense now, so everything functions better, and I think the end result is better because of that.

EDGE: As a couple, who work together, how do you find work-life balance?

Evan Thomas: I wouldn't say we have much of a work-life balance, to be perfectly honest with you. If we get a weekend off, we feel lucky. I mean we definitely work a lot, and that can be straining, but also at the same time you just get used to it. This has just become our life, so we take time off whenever we can. At this point, we just keep it on cranking through everything.

Keith Bynum: I think it gets easier and easier every day. We know each other's thoughts, and it's fun to work with somebody and go home with them because then you can discuss what happened during the day, but I see that being a positive for some and a negative for others. I think it's a positive for us, because I always leave a conversation with Evan feeling better. Work is stressful. Having a TV show is stressful. The viewer doesn't always get to see the behind-the-scenes moments where we are bonding, because you're going through this together.

EDGE: What are some DIY home projects you recommend for any skill level?

Keith Bynum: I really like to push people with their skill level. I always encourage people to try something a little more advanced than maybe they would be comfortable with, because 90% of the time it's going to go well. I love telling people to do their own backsplash, and Evan probably thinks I'm crazy, but I think it's great to learn how to do tile. I learned to work with tile by doing a backsplash. It was not the biggest space, but it was easy to get done and it had a big impact.

Evan Thomas: For me, an easy version of a DIY project is taking a thrifted dresser or console table, and simply painting it. If the wood is ugly or heavily damaged, painting it is a great way to bring new life to a piece.

EDGE: What do you credit to the show's success?

Keith Bynum: I think part of the reason the show has been somewhat of a success is the fact that we represent our relationship like any couple in real life. The camera team that we work with has become our good friends. Sometimes when I'm looking at the camera, I'm actually looking at Steve who's behind it, and I'm usually trying to make him laugh with something stupid. Our team has been with us for so long that they have become our little family, and it makes it easier to be ourselves with them.

Evan Thomas: I also think the show offers something slightly different than other reno shows, and that is the price points are a bit lower, the houses are a bit worse, and it's a little more DIY-friendly. I feel like all those elements add to the relatability of it all.

EDGE: Speaking of family, how does Shae contribute to the success of the show?

Keith Bynum: Shae is the brightest light that you have probably ever seen on television. She is just a radiant light, and she is so much joy, and we get in a lot of trouble for laughing so much on set. It is really fun to have her as a part of our family. We've worked with her for five years now, and three of those years on TV. She has become such a good friend. She is authentic, beautiful, and amazing. When my mom got sick, Shae was so unbelievably helpful through it. She was there every day. If I needed to cry, to talk, or just need a shoulder to lean on, she was there. She's just really amazing.

EDGE: How does it feel that you've helped bring more LGBTQ+ representation to HGTV in recent years?

Keith Bynum: I will admit we get this question a lot. I don't think about it a ton, but we just got an email from a person who said they are a Republican and they love the show. They love seeing us, and they love the fact that we do this. I love that they had to clarify, in the opening sentence, that they're a staunch Republican. The fact that somebody took the time to reach out and say, "Despite the fact that I'm a Republican, I love you guys and I watching your show" just proves to me that members of our community just want to be seen as having a normal, loving relationship, just like anyone else. We don't want anybody up in our business. We just want to be us.

Evan Thomas: It's also nice that HGTV lets us be our authentic to who we are. I feel like that is why people like the shows, because they can tell that it's just us being us. I feel like that has a definite power when it comes to representation, because there's no pretense. It's just who we are.

EDGE: "Detroit is..."

Keith Bynum: Detroit is amazing! Detroit is absolutely amazing. I am always blown away by the art, the people, and the food. We've worked in a lot of states, especially in construction, and I've never had the community support that we have in Detroit. Everybody is so helpful and so lovely, and it's been awesome to build our team in that type of environment.

Evan Thomas: Detroit is tasty. It has really awesome food. The city has definitely welcomed us with open arms.

"Bargain Block" airs on HGTV on Wednesdays at 9pm. For more information, click here.