11 Things You Need to Know About the Hosts of HGTV's Newest Show

From Country Living

Property Brothers, make way for "The Property Lovers", as PJ and Thomas McKay call themselves. The married couple fixes up houses as a team in their town of Chattanooga, Tennessee, sharing details, photos, and videos on their Tumblr, YouTube channel, and shared Instagram account. And now, they're the stars of a new HGTV show, called Down to the Studs, in which they restore dilapidated homes in their area.

Though a full series has not yet been confirmed, the pilot, which first aired Saturday, June 24, at 2 p.m. EST, will air again on July 17 at 1 p.m. EST. Read on for a few fun facts about the hosts.

1. It's different from other home renovation shows.

Down to the Studs is not your standard flip show. The most obvious difference is, of course, the husband-and-husband hosts. But in addition to PJ and Thomas, the series stars Thomas' sister, Sydney (also gay and engaged to a woman named Alice), and their funny British neighbor, Tania. Each host has a distinct personality, and it shows from the very first episode.

2. Their style is traditional and cozy.

Their style is more traditional than existing HGTV shows, too, favoring walls to open concept floor plans and embracing the challenge of blending vintage with modern. Do some digging on their Instagram to get glimpses of their own home, a stylish, simple space filled with gallery walls and cozy details.

3. They were "discovered" on Instagram.

Only a couple months after they started sharing photos of their projects and their life on Instagram, multiple production companies approached PJ and Thomas. They chose Coolfire Studios, filmed a "sizzle" reel, and pitched it to HGTV-and the rest is history.

4. PJ and Thomas have been married almost two years.

The two tied the knot October 17, 2015, but they had been together for five years before that. They both asked each other out, and they both proposed.

5. And they're totally in love.

Their Instagram account is filled with sweet snapshots and sentiments about their lovely life together. "You are more than just a husband or a best friend or a life partner to me, maybe you're a part of my soul that I couldn't live without and pretty soon the world will find they won't be able to live without you either," Thomas wrote to PJ on his birthday. "You were always meant for greatness, my love, and you deserve the world. I love you baby."

6. 'Down to the Studs' is making history.

Sure, there are tons of home renovation shows on the network, but this is apparently the first HGTV series with husband-and-husband hosts. "If this show succeeds, it could be huge for the LGBTQ community because this is the first show of its kind on HGTV," the guys wrote in an Instagram caption. "And again, how cool is it that it gets to air during pride month?! We want to thank y'all from the bottom of our hearts for supporting us this whole time and we hope y'all tune in and enjoy the show. We love you."

7. The show's name has more than one meaning.

The cute play on words obviously refers to stripping a home down to its inner structure, but it's also pretty fitting because, well, if you haven't noticed, these guys are studs.

8. They each bring something unique to the table.

PJ, a real estate agent with a degree in construction, has been flipping houses for about ten years now. Thomas, a designer, teamed up professionally a few years ago, and the show follows their work together with the help of their friends.

9. They're proud parents to two cute pups.

Named Bean and Teen!

10. They love 'Fixer Upper' just as much as you do.

PJ has been obsessing over Joanna on Instagram since she only had 2,000 followers and "knew she was about to be something big." Now, they're still huge Fixer Upper fans and have referred to Chip and Joanna as "role models".

11. They're passionate about restoring old homes in their southern town.

Including the one they currently live in, one of their biggest projects to date. Of course, as you might imagine, PJ and Thomas are often asked what it's like to live and work in a small town in the south as a gay couple. "You'd think with us being in the South that we'd see discrimination a lot, but we actually don't, so we're blessed in that aspect," PJ explained in a YouTube Q&A video.

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