How Did HGTV's Jonathan Knight Meet His Farmhouse Fixer Costar Kristina Crestin?

Since 2021, HGTV fans have watched Jonathan Knight and Kristina Crestin use their construction and design knowledge to artfully preserve historic properties. Knight's been in the spotlight since he was a teen and part of the musical group New Kids on the Block. Before Knight was on HGTV, he refurbished houses while on hiatus from the band. Crestin majored in interior design in college. After working for an interior design company, she started her own business in 2009. 

Like many of the network's stars, Knight and Crestin met long before they teamed up on "Farmhouse Fixer." In the early 2000s, their first interactions were as client and customer. Despite being a NKOTB fan, Crestin didn't get starstruck. "I really played it cool without saying 'New Kids was my first concert when I was 12!'" she recalled to HGTV. Their friendship took off immediately. "The first day we met, I just fell in love with her personality, her design style," Knight informed Realtor.com. Crestin was equally impressed by Knight's enthusiasm for design. The close proximity of living in the same Massachusetts town helped them strengthen their connection.

In 2016, Crestin appeared on "This Old House,"  and Knight sweetly praised his friend. "I got a text from him like 'Oh my God. I'm just watching this episode. I'm so proud of all the things you've done ... I'm so happy the world can see your talent,'" Crestin informed HGTV. A few years later, the friends were working on TV together. 

Jonathan Knight began pitching the idea for "Farmhouse Fixer" back in 2014. After her experiences on "This Old House," Kristina Crestin yearned for another TV opportunity. Serendipitously, during the pre-production days of "Farmhouse Fixer," the team invited her to participate. "They let me know my friend Jon was hosting the show but needed a designer and would I be interested — the answer was OF COURSE!" Crestin enthusiastically recalled to Scout & Nimble.

Throughout their TV collaboration, Crestin and Knight are each other's staunchest advocates. "It's a gift to team with someone I know in my heart just wants my talent to shine," Crestin wrote about Knight on Instagram before their show's debut. Over the years, she's found his friendship to be a continual source of motivation. Likewise, on behalf of their bond, Knight pushed past his height-related anxieties and climbed up a 100-foot lighthouse that they revitalized for their show. 

Even though working on a show can sometimes be grueling, Knight and Crestin, like other HGTV stars who are also friends, delight in each other's company. "What makes our business relationship work is, I think, love and respect," Knight surmised to Pop Culture. The two also share an appreciation for quirky design elements, like when Knight was seeking some off-beat wallpaper, and Crestin presented him with a whimsical goat-filled pattern.  In addition, when it's time to reveal a finished project, Crestin's goal is to have created something that will elicit an emotional response from Knight. 

Jonathan Knight and Kristina Crestin's friendship has seen them work together on other HGTV shows, like the star-studded "Rock the Block" and "Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge."  When the duo was invited to the high-pressure "Rock the Block" competition, Knight and Crestin felt trepidation.  However, Knight also saw it as a chance to challenge himself.  In addition, the two friends had a blast sharing accommodations in Colorado and hanging out during their downtime. "That was a really great bonding experience for our relationship just to be living together and working together," Knight explained to Country Living.

Then, when a New Kids on the Block event caused him to be away from the show for a few days, Crestin ramped up her efforts. She's empathetic to the difficulty of balancing career commitments, since she runs her design company during the production of "Farmhouse Fixer."  In addition, Knight and Crestin had refurbished homes together for years before their TV show, and she was accustomed to Knight taking time off to tour with the band. 

Happily, their team won that week's portion of the competition. True to form, Knight made sure to credit his friend. "I've known [Kristina] forever," he proclaimed on the show (via Heavy). "You know she's my ride or die. I couldn't do this without her." While they didn't win the whole event,  Crestin found the experience rewarding, declaring on Instagram that it "was one of the most exhausting but fun things I've ever done."