The TV House - Master Suite, Before/During

The Master Bathroom - Before.
Shower going into back right corner. 

American Rehab Charleston

DIY Network
Wed., Sept. 2nd 

11:30pm EST

When I start redrawing a floor plan (see Step 6), I play around with a lot of options.  Every time I work through this step, I really need to make the most of what I have inherited as the new owner.  I want to be certain that I consider how people will move around inside the house as well as how they come and go from the outside.  The decision to move the kitchen back to it's original spot in the front of The TV House helped to establish the back of the home as the area for bedrooms and bathrooms.  In two story homes, the shared living space is oftentimes on the first floor and sleeping quarters are up top.  Here, the front is where the common areas are and the back half is used like a typical second story home might work. 

Master Bedroom - Before.
Closet door to be located to the left of the ladder.

With the possibility of us having a television production crew on site filming this project, I really made an extra effort to make the renovation as easy as I could while still addressing the essential issues.  I was mindful of not moving exterior doors unnecessarily and I left structural walls intact whenever possible.  I've not always been willing or able to do this.  For example, on The Cottage I removed, altered, or changed every window and every door on the interior and exterior.  I left all the building's perimeter walls in tact, but moved/changed each interior wall exempt one (since it was critical due to it being an original exterior wall.)  Budget and schedule are always a top priority, regardless of the presence of a production team.  Going a different route than I did on The Cottage seemed prudent in order to save time and money, but equally significant was the need to avoid making things any more challenging for all the people helping me. 

The previous kitchen and dining room are a good example of this effort.  The location of all the room's perimeter (and structural) walls did not move in my new layout.  I picked up some space/square footage by popping closets out into other areas within the home, but installed headers would easily maintain structural integrity in these two spots.  The windows over the kitchen sink were of a height and location that would be perfect overlooking the tub, so I drew up the rest of the Master Bath around this decision.  As I've said before, I'm always ready to eliminate unnecessary exterior doors, so I had no reservations about filling in the door (and window) at the back of the kitchen in order to build a walk-in shower.   


Master Bedroom - Before.
The door(s) to the Master Bathroom will replace the section of cabinet/bar

Master Bath - Before.
His/hers vanity will be on the right,
replacing the door to the garage.



Kitchen/Dining - During
Dining Rm. / Future Master Bdrm. windows on the left.

Master Bath - Before.
Tub will be placed beside windows on the left.