Magnolia Network star Gray Benko is back with a new show that fills the void left by her former renovation project, “Happy to Be Home With the Benkos,” but with “a lot more fun” for viewers to enjoy.
“Anything but Gray,” which premiered last month and is set in Charleston, SC, is reminiscent of Benko’s previous series, but her former partner, Mike Benko, is noticeably absent after their separation in 2023.
Instead, Benko’s new show gives much more air time to her design partner, Chelcie Eastman, showcasing the duo’s sisterly relationship.
The designers are joined by Benko’s contractor dad Joe Highsmith, who’s affectionately called “Grumpy,” and together, they create unique homes that feature bold colors, lots of patterns, and a rebellious quality.
Indeed, Benko tells Realtor.com® that she feels as though this show is “a lot more fun” than her previous project, in which she starred with her estranged spouse.
When asked how this project is different from her past ones, Benko explained, “We’re having a lot more fun this season. The filming structure is definitely different than ‘Happy to Be Home.’ The homeowners were a lot more involved on that one.
“A part of the show was that we would have a sit-down design session day with them at my house. That was a big part of the show.
“And in this show, it’s more like, upfront, tell us what you like, and what you don’t like, and what you need out of the spaces. And then they hand us the keys and they’re out of it until the reveal.”
Eastman chimed in and noted that the pair share more “trust” than they previously did as well.
The design expert, who has stepped in front of the camera more recently, noted that although she may not look it, she is having a blast—even when it comes to her tense debates with Grumpy.
“Well, it’s fun. I think that on the show, it looks like Grumpy and I don’t get along. And actually, he’s one of my favorite people in the entire world. The whole bantering back and forth is really great-hearted. And unfortunately, I think sometimes Gray’s the butt of our jokes. We team up against her most of the time,” she said.
In the design world, Benko and her father have become a dream team to work for and with—a dynamic that they say echoes their real-world bond.
And although her dad sounds like a Scrooge, Benko noted that the reasoning behind his nickname is much more innocent—and is what his grandkids call him.
“When I was pregnant with my daughter, that was his first time being a grandfather, and one day he was very proud of himself, and he was like, ‘I decided on what my grandfather name is going to be.’ And I was like, ‘What is it?’ And he said, I’m going to be Grumpy.’ And I was like, ‘That’s not even ironic, but OK. Like that’s just descriptive.’
“So that’s what he’s been ever since. Except my nephew, my sister has a little boy, who’s 4, he couldn’t say Grumpy, so he calls him Bumpy, which is hilarious.”
Benko went on to note that working with her father has made her experience that much better, branding him a “safety net.”
Benko then shed some light on how she went from being a pro photographer to a home renovation star, telling Realtor.com that it all started with face paint.
She explained, “It’s kind of crazy how it all started. I was doing a project with my daughter. She was doing makeup on the faces of inspirational women. She was 10. We started our own Instagram for that project and it started to spread. We did Kacey Musgraves‘ face in 2019 and like right after that, we were on the ‘Today’ show.”
Despite the fact that face painting was a no-go activity during the pandemic, the Benkos’ work spread quickly, gaining them a legion of fans.
“A producer reached out to me about turning that into a show, and then COVID happened—and it was not really cool to be touching people’s faces, but they were still pitching it to all these people and somebody along the way had said, ‘What about the mom and dad?’ Because I guess they followed me and they were like, ‘Her house is really cool. And her husband seems very handy.’
“Around that time, my daughter was getting older and I was like, ‘She’s not going to want to do this forever.’ And they were like, ‘How would you feel if we pitched you to Magnolia for a home renovation type of a show?’ And I was like, ‘Well, I’m not an interior designer.’
“And they were like, ‘But you are because you did your house and it’s amazing.’ I was like, ‘Sure, go ahead. Like, give it a shot.’ I didn’t think anything would ever come from it. And then they were like: ‘Here’s your show!'”
And to those who dream of following in their footsteps, Eastman and Benko suggest starting with something small, like painting your home.