‘Happy To Be Home With the Benkos’ Brightens up the Lowcountry With Its Filming Locations

Happy to Be Home With the Benkos recently premiered on Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Network — and viewers are now wondering, where is Happy to Be Home with the Benkos filmed?

Happy to Be Home with the Benkos – which premiered on Sunday, April 9, 2023, at 8 p.m. EST and airs new episodes every Sunday — follows designer Gray Benko and her husband, Mike Benko, a craftsman, as well as her father, Joe Highsmith – also known as “Grumpy” – a contractor, as they make over old Southern homes.

So where is Happy to Be Home with the Benkos filmed? Let's take a look at the lowcountry locales where Gray and her team conquer their projects one by one.

Happy to Be Home with the Benkos is filmed in Summerville, South Carolina, which is considered the “lowcountry” of the state, lying mostly in Dorchester County, but also falling into small areas of Berkeley and Charleston as well. Summerville is just shy of 90 miles out from Myrtle Beach, or about a two hour and 15-minute drive.

Summerville originally served as a haven for those looking to flee disease and stay cool in the summer months, then began modernizing in the 1800s, officially becoming a town in 1847. The town serves as the birthplace for sweet tea and holds a sweet tea festival every year, in addition to its annual Flowertown Festival in Azalea Park, according to Visit Summerville.

The Summerville population exceeds 50,000 today since its inhabitation in the late 1700s, according to its government website. The site also reads, “Summerville’s beauty is mirrored in her motto, ‘The Flower Town in the Pines.’ Since the early 1900s tourists have flocked to the town during early spring to enjoy millions of spring blossoms, particularly azaleas, in private and public gardens, including the midtown Azalea Park.”

Happy to Be Home with the Benkos boasts a six, hour-long episode debut season. According to its press release (via Variety), “Designer Gray Benko brings color and happiness to historic homes in the lowcountry of South Carolina. Her whimsical vision is brought to life with the help of her thoughtful, craftsman husband, Mike, and eccentric, contractor father, Grumpy.”

"Summerville is filled with historic homes and we are committed to preserving that charm," Gray – who used to work as a photographer – explains in the series trailer. "Some of my ideas are crazy."

Mike also explains in the trailer that "Gray's dad Grumpy grumpily oversees all of our projects," while Grumpy provides insight on the work they are doing.

"With these old homes, you're looking at 200 years of layers. Renovating a historic home has its own set of problems," he shared.

However, Joe seemingly proves he isn’t always grumpy after all, as he revealed, "It means a lot to us to be able to bring that happiness into the homes that we work on."

In addition to airing on the Magnolia network, Happy to Be Home with the Benkos is also available for streaming on HBO Max.