Gray Benko

Gray Benko was married to Mike Benko, with whom she shares two children, daughter Farris and son Charlie. The couple separated in April 2023 after appearing together on Happy to Be Home with the Benkos.

Benko married Bobby McCullough on June 23, 2026, four months after they announced their engagement. She described the wedding weekend as one of the most beautiful of her life and thanked friends and family for attending.

Benko grew up in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, and took her first photography class in high school. She studied fine arts and photography in South Carolina, New York City, and Chicago, ultimately earning a photography degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

She moved to Tokyo after boarding school to pursue modeling, then began a professional photography career after relocating to South Carolina. Her photography business, founded in 2009, specialized in family and lifestyle portraits and included campaigns for Gap Kids and Zara Kids. She has said that photographing the Zara Kids Brothers and Sisters campaign was a particularly important milestone because it featured her own children and appeared on Zara's website and in its Fifth Avenue store.

Benko's interest in design grew after she bought and renovated a historic home in 2015. She began sharing the colorful transformations online and taught herself interior design without formal training. Her aesthetic combines antique and modern pieces, with color and pattern central to both her interiors and photography.

Benko eventually established Gray Benko Home with Chelcie Eastman. The company reflects her approach to creating highly personal interiors that combine historic details with bold, whimsical design.

Eastman also became Benko's design partner on Anything But Gray, where the pair transform Charleston, South Carolina, homes into colorful, personality-driven spaces. Benko's father, Joe "Grumpy" Highsmith, appears as part of the creative team on the series.

Happy to Be Home with the Benkos premiered on Magnolia Network in 2023 and ran for two seasons. The series followed Benko as she handled interior design while Mike Benko worked on practical renovation tasks such as painting and woodwork.

The show focused on renovating historic homes in South Carolina's Lowcountry with unexpected colors, personal details, and a mixture of old and new furnishings. It introduced Benko's design process and family life to a television audience.

Anything But Gray premiered on Magnolia Network in October 2025. Benko hosts the series with Chelcie Eastman, focusing on the transformation of Charleston homes rather than the family-centered format of her earlier show.

The series presents Benko's preference for bold, personality-packed interiors and extends the design work associated with Gray Benko Home.

In 2019, Benko and her daughter Farris created the Instagram project Farris Does Faces. Farris painted makeup looks inspired by women considered inspirational, while the project paired the images with interviews and advice intended to encourage young girls.

The project received national attention through features on The Today Show and in The Washington Post. Benko had earlier worked with Pink Chicken photographer and founder Stacey Flack on a campaign, and Farris later interviewed Flack for the project.