Lexi Barbuto & Her Son Nino Moved into Margaret Josephs and Joe Benigno’s Guesthouse

During the Ireland trip with the girls on The Real Housewives of New Jersey, Margaret Josephs took a moment to check in with her husband, Joe Benigno, who was driving with her creative director/assistant Lexi Barbuto. While speaking with the pair via FaceTime on the April 25 episode, Margaret revealed that Lexi and her son, Nino, were staying with her and Joe for the time being in their New Jersey home. 

“Lexi and Nino are keeping Joe company back at home because recently they moved into the guesthouse,” the Caviar Dreams Tuna Fish Budget author shared during the episode. “Lexi got separated, so we said, ‘Move in with us!’” 

Margaret went on: “When I was getting divorced from [my late ex-husband, Jan Josephs], Lexi was there to help me through it — every crying night. So, of course, I am standing right beside her when she’s going through her hardest time.” 

The platinum-blonde beauty noted that her relationship with Lexi is probably her “closest” next to her children and Joe, adding that it’s possibly her “healthiest” relationship to boot. 

While Lexi may be going through somewhat of a tough time, it’s good to know she’s in good hands, and at a luxurious locale like Margaret and Joe’s Englewood abode. 

The home — which underwent a massive, years-long renovation and redecoration — has been featured plenty of times on RHONJ, with Margaret often documenting both the process of renovation and the end result of each space via Instagram. 

Margaret kept the home’s Tudor-style façade, but the interior vibe is more of “a rock-and-roll hotel,” she told Melissa Gorga in a February 2021 RHONJ episode. Highlights include a ballroom with a wild custom mural, an office that resembles a pink “tropical paradise,” a glamorous gray and gold kitchen, and a heavenly pool, which was just added last November.  

Speaking of the home’s backyard features in March, Margaret gave an exciting update on her renovation during a text Q&A session with fans. “We are doing a huge pool right now, and we’re doing a ton of landscaping!” she wrote. “And a [primary bathroom] is being completed now, so people will get to see that soon.”

Margaret Josephs Shares an Exciting Update on Her Home Renovation

In 2021, Margaret opened up to BravoTV.com about the intense process of creating her dream home. “[Updating] a 115-year-old house isn’t like building a new house. I had a feeling it was gonna take a while. I mean, not this long,” she said. “A renovation like this is not for the faint of heart.” 

Now that the process is nearly complete, Margaret feels like the efforts have paid off. The house, she said in the same interview, “transports you to a different time and place… It’s high Hollywood vintage glamour.” 

Watch The Real Housewives of New Jersey on Bravo Tuesdays at 9/8c and the next day on Peacock. Catch up on the Bravo app.