Unwanted Homes Remodeler - Response to TV Show Viewers: Post 55

Response to TV Show Viewers: Post 1 - January 23, 2026

Response to TV Show Viewers: Post 54 - May 29, 2026

There is unique satisfaction that comes with being wide-open candid for potentially a small pool of readers within an ocean of prospects. Although it’s unlikely that I’ll reach all of those who’ve posed questions or concerns, or took time to share feelings by way of clearly, well thought out sentences in the form of emails or DMs, it is more possible that people too polite to ask will get answers to their own similar queries. And then also, maybe someone, after reading this and getting clarity, will clear the air on my behalf, perhaps making a displeased viewer understand in a way that is helpful. Sure, I could have responded to those people myself, beyond appreciation for them taking time along with a few sentences, but who’s ready for the longer version, a fifty-thousand-word answer?

With this response series, from here on, or as long as Blogger is still alive and kicking, I have a place to direct folks, after I’ve thanked them or apologized on behalf of myself and the networks or streaming services. And I say it this way, because there are certainly viewers who feel as if they deserve more than a shrug or being dismissed. After all, people took time to watch me on TV when there are hundreds of other options. And for this reason and others shared, I’ve felt some obligation to respond. And as I near the end, I realize that much of that weight will be gone.

Have you ever felt simultaneously flattered and disappointed? Those are two emotional states that are not often coupled. At least not for me. I read something very nice that had been written about me, it said that I am an expert at historic restoration, or something near to this. What a sweet thing for someone to say. However, I take pride in shooting straight and that is a pointed remark that is off target. And in that way, I was disappointed that someone would write something about me without taking the time to be rock solid on the validity, the sort of description that is important to me and many others. And I think the part of this that has stuck with me, is the reality that many will think, likely have thought or seem to, that this is how I see myself or how I sold myself to land my opportunity to renovate my houses on American Rehab Charleston and Restoring Charleston.

First off, it’s not that easy. Second of all, I wouldn’t nor did I do that.

It’s possible that a producer saw clips of me from the test reel filming, read my blog, and got the impression that I knew most of everything about saving old homes. That’s not a bad thing. Nothing ill-spirited with that. It’s nice. They thought I was more accomplished than I actually am. Wonderful. Thank you.

Or maybe someone sold me and/or the show concept, to network decision makers as an expert in historic restoration. This might be a less admirable, more calculated approach. Yet that’s what salespeople tend to do, are trained to do. Again, that’s not me nor something I did. But someone, in this speculated scenario, was meaning well for me, my family, and perhaps their own interests. And they embellished.

Along with reflecting poorly onto me, it is only short term beneficial for the larger effort that includes all the people who worked so hard to make the shows. It might have gotten viewers to watch, but it doesn’t take long for seasoned home renovators to realize that I’m not as advertised. And then these viewers were permanently lost. I know this, because they’re one of the groups who’ve written to share thoughts, feelings, and concerns. But maybe, this was not who the network executives were aiming for. It could be that they wanted the novice, or the aspirational DIYer, rather than the sage who’d been there, done it, and wanted to come along for my adventure, only to realize that they’d been oversold as I underdelivered on something I didn’t promise or declare.  

Imagine this tagline: A guy who fixes up houses that other people don’t want. Sure, it’s accurate. That’s closer to how I describe myself. But it’s not sexy. And most people know sex sells. I’m more of an under promise and then try to overdeliver sort of operator. But I’m not sure those sorts of pitches get the green light on the island of Manhattan. Actually, I feel inclined to believe that those balls lead to foul tips and whiffs up in the Big Apple majors.

How about this longer setup? Check your provider's schedule for Silk Purse, where South Carolina GC Trent Fasnacht takes on houses that are condemned or abandoned, left for dead by the experts, watching and learning how he resurrects these properties he affectionately calls “pig’s ears.”

Again, not sexy, Plus it’s pretty wordy. As I described in the previous post, the milder version is authentic. It's more spot on and not totally awful sounding, but it’s not much of an attention grabber compared to “historic restoration expert in the wildly popular tourist hub of Charleston, South Carolina, the setting of ratings behemoth Southern Charm.”     

I’m left to suppose that it’s math.

After all, buying and renovating unwanted homes is math. Money math. Initial investment. Capital improvements. Potential profit.

Home renovation TV must have their own calculations based on viewership or estimated eyeballs, ad revenue, and certainly a bunch of other factors I don’t know about. They did this mathematical figuring and decided that expert in historic restoration in Charleston, SC was the way to go and away we all went.

In 2013, the director of programming said, “Enjoy the ride.”

I’ve enjoyed parts. Certainly most. But reading the emails of disappointed viewers is like being on a rollercoaster when a rider in front of you loses their lunch. I don’t know anyone who would want to be in one of those seats on that ride.

In conclusion, I am not an expert in historic restoration. I'm sorry someone wrote that about me. Although I share much in common with developer and home rehabbing queen Nicole Curtis, known for also taking on the unwanted properties, I am not worthy of that glorifying description. However, I think she is. And there are hordes of other people out there, more experienced in saving old homes, actual experts that probably deserved their own TV shows more than me. I am an unwanted homes remodeler, just a guy who’s been able to turn my pig’s ears into silk purses. Nothing more. Nothing less. I probably should have written and posted about this a long time ago. I just didn’t feel as if I had the right words until now.

Response to TV Show Viewers: Post 56 - Coming Soon

 

Authenticity is Better Than Fashioned Spontaneity - Response to TV Show Viewers: Post 54

Response to TV Show Viewers: Post 1 - January 23, 2026

Response to TV Show Viewers: Post 53 - May 27, 2026

Warning: Soapbox Rant Up Ahead

Making both American Rehab Charleston and Restoring Charleston was a cool experience that spanned three years of our lives. And with streaming TV, it’s lasted longer than most could have expected, which has been a neat surprise.

I suppose, what I’m stepping into here, along with pointing out my own awareness, is educating in the form of some reassurance or alternate view to those on the home improvement television side. If you don’t have a big budget, there’s another way. And in the end, it might just be the best road to high ratings.

Early on, someone mentioned having the secret sauce, how this was needed to make a show that documented the renovation of a house, and that producers of ARC would be ready to pour on this goop. In my opinion, authenticity is the most important ingredient for this sort of recipe, and the more of that sprinkled or even dumped in and on, the better. However, not everyone is pitching their tent in this camp.

As we filmed the test reel, I said something I believe wholeheartedly. I think Charleston, South Carolina is proof that my statement was and still is valid. It was previously thought out, shared within a post on this blog long before I’d even started speaking to the networks. And this likely helped this conviction roll off my tongue easily while I was being recorded. In part, this remark, and the attitude and honesty that went with it, helped to get me the initial four-episode series. I explained how the Holy City had put in the effort to save its old homes and buildings, leading to all the attention that it has been given, and subsequently the tourist dollars that come with it. And the point I made then, what I’m getting to now, is that it wasn’t easy, but it was worth it. In my opinion, what I said in the clip that was eventually included in the pilot episode, was that what Charleston has worked hard to preserve is “better than brand new.”

I have lived in older homes that someone else renovated. I have also lived in project houses that I have reworked myself top to bottom. I’ve called new construction that others built my home too. But I’ve also been able to move into a home I designed and oversaw, starting with foundations I dug, and engineered with rebar I tied myself. Now I subbed out the big scopes, but it was my plan and I managed it start to finish, same as my own rehabs in most cases. Through this I’ve come to understand that I prefer to live in a home that’s been renovated, and ideally, one I’ve worked on and throughout myself. That’s the best scenario, at least for me.   

This is all being spelled out here and now because of my experiences renovating my houses for television and what I grew to understand, what I see as the value, the TV gold, that is authenticity. This is my opinion, but it’s a seed that was planted back in 2013 by the production director and it blossomed somewhere after. The network encouraged me to just be myself, a continuation of where I’d settled while filming the test reel. But they hired a production company that had a different take, knowing how hard that sort of television creation is. And if done wrong, more of a truer documentary style filming and producing can be a budget gobbler. Ringing close to that tone captured in the introductory episode of ARC, authenticity in home rehab TV isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. And in my view, it’s better than something plotted out and assembled creatively, yet inorganically.

I had glimpses of the production side. But it was here and there by way of breaks and gaps. I witnessed and certainly benefited from an extensive pre-planning. As I’ve already mentioned, yet perhaps inadequately, this was all quite impressive and something I saw as extraordinary. It could be said that this was all needed for things to run smoothly, and I don’t disagree. But the case could also be made, that this effort toward scheduling and coordinating, were means to the ends equated to justifications for money allotted, more than an honest to goodness necessity.

Genuineness for a TV show about a home being saved, reborn, needs people with experience doing this sort of documenting and storytelling. And that team must have eyes and ears ready to pivot when something is discovered in the walls or when a neighbor or local preservationist introduces some attention-grabbing history. These are blessed gifts if they’re used. But when ignored due to a time crunch created by the demands of preapproved talking points, then it’s like tossing a handcrafted door to be replaced by an off-the-shelf hollow core or taking a sledgehammer to antique brick work to make way for concrete block or modern tile. Planning and prepping for what will happen is surely easier than the effort required to accept the unexpected, but as I see it, not superior.

I can understand how someone might think that reality is expensive. But that’s a larger issue when the right experience is absent. People who know when to start watching closely and how to spot what can be used, from doing it and being in there—that can be the nuggets that pay viewers back heartily for watching. The proof is in the pudding, the realization that it’s either a wash or a money saver. Yet, if you don’t have the confidence of stumbling onto the amazing, yet-to-be-discovered unknowns, you will most likely wince at the thought of this approach, considering it too much of a risk.

Authentic home rehabbing TV is not easy, but it’s worth it and in my view, that tactic is better than fashioned spontaneity.

Response to TV Show Viewers: Post 56 - June 1, 2026

Pride in the Dumpster - Response to TV Show Viewers: Post 44

Response to TV Show Viewers: Post 1 - January 23, 2026

Response to TV Show Viewers: Post 45 - April 29, 2026

Answering the biggest questions generates more curiosity. Here’s a logical follow-up to me sharing how I failed to adequately respond to learning that the carport, side porch, and reroof had been surreptitiously nixed.

I could, and maybe should have responded with, “Your bosses said that you would be doing Plan C, but you’re doing Plan D instead, sidestepping the big three things I really need after waiting three months? No thanks. I’m sorry to have to tell you that we’re not going to be making a pilot after all.”

But then what?

That had been a gamble I was unwilling to take. Even though they’d not done what they’d said up to that point, I still trusted the dual networks and their Minneapolis production company. I really wanted to believe in them. I needed for those who were capable to get me on HGTV, even if it was one time, one episode.

Knowing now, what I didn’t know then, I had leverage I could have used that would have helped everyone involved. As much as I didn’t like or appreciate it, downgrading to the pilot episode first would have actually been the best thing if we’d gone with Plan C. I thought we’d made a minor breakthrough when I laid out the value of a potential win-win scenario. As I explained it, as I sincerely felt about it, gutting the interior, building the side porch and carport, and replacing the leaky roof would have been ideal for everyone. Now I know it for sure.  

Although I thought we’d ended this conversation in logical compromise territory, it may have changed when the other side had time to consider what we’d settled on. I realize that for some people, win-win feels uncomfortable, because they genuinely believe that in order to come out ahead, the other party must decidedly not get all that they’re after. But I know from experience how that doesn’t work in the long run.

I thought it was clear how Plan C would be the best for all, but once again, I didn’t tie them down because I had an inflated regard. But more importantly, I feared that doing that would scare them into not showing up at all.

Instead, I rolled the dice with my fingers crossed, and that was on me. I suppose deep down I felt that I deserved to live with Plan D, the exterior spruce up in lieu of what had been discussed and orally landed on over the phone since I had been more trusting than was prudent.

This is on me. I’d messed up again. And the reason we started on the outside, as much as I hated it then and cringe about it even today, and as detrimental as it was to my chance to renovate my houses on television more substantially, circles back and points to me. And as I’ve already said, I’m sorry to the people I let down and all those who had high hopes and big plans for me.  

*

Besides me taking my lumps for rolling the dice on the lead producer, something slightly magnanimous is also worth understanding.

The crew on site was not to blame. They were just doing what they’d been directed to do by the people they answered to.  They’d told their friends and families how they would be working in Charleston, South Carolina for two weeks. They’d passed on other jobs in order to come work with me, to help me have a chance at the series pickup that would finish the rest of the house.

If I sent them home when I realized what was happening, they’d likely feel as if I was to blame. Right or wrong, this was where my mind went since I lacked the background to fully understand the consequences and implications if I took a hard line. In that way, I was in too far. I didn’t know what to do other than to try to keep my head above water and get a little further along with this opportunity.

At this point, regardless of how screwy and unappetizing this process had become, I had to do whatever I could to squeeze out a time slot featuring me on HGTV.

Response to TV Show Viewers: Post 43 - Coming Soon

Teaching and Coaching and Coping - Response to TV Show Viewers: Post 5

My Contractor/Family Man Standoff - Response to TV Show Viewers: Post 4 (January 30, 2026)

People have been really great about listening to my simple explanation: that this blog was the catalyst leading to my time on TV. However, I realize some have found this hard to swallow, as if I’m not telling them the whole story, which is accurate. I don’t think most people really want to hear all that much, recognizing that they’re being polite to ask, but appreciate being spared on the nuts-and-bolts play-by-play. However, some really want to know more, so they can chart their own course or maybe simply feel more satisfied with what they know of my story. So, for those after added background, I am laying out some of my history as I sort through it.

Into my new role as husband, father, and stepfather, I realized my schedule was less forgiving. I made adjustments, hitting pause on new clients. Instead, I focused on projects where I was owner and GC, so I could work and step away as my wife and I tag teamed childcare duties. In the five years after getting married, I designed and built a home to sell and renovated three rundown houses and an outbuilding. The economy was neck deep in the recession when I closed out my last two properties in Charleston, and I felt thankful to break even on both.

More than life being a little different, my career of renovating houses was on life support. During this time transitioning from full-time contractor and renovator to family man, I started this blog. People had steadily asked me how I approached my renovations, and I discovered that as much as I enjoyed answering questions, giving advice, I also really liked writing about it. Sharing my written thoughts was way outside my comfort zone and ended up being a nice rush. I wasn’t strategizing or thinking too hard about what I was doing or where the blog might lead, nor did I have an editor or co-hort. My wife was my proofreader and cheerleader, but that was the extent of my blog team. And when I hit the button on that first post, I was in full-fledged denial; the writing was in the first person, present tense as if I was still living within my rehabber lifestyle.

Although this blog has been a way to inspire and educate others, I suppose in a sense I was using it to relive some of those glory days getting smaller in my rearview mirror. I loved my family, and the new life that it created for me, but at the same time I really missed the one I’d had. On top of this, I was disappointed with myself for not being more ready to navigate through the stumps of this husband/fatherhood season. My optimism had bitten me badly and I held fear of losing that too.   

More than being intentionally disingenuous with readers, or potential house sellers I wanted to sit down with, I was being dishonest with myself. My renovating mojo had not disappeared in the blink of an eye, but had lifted up, faded away like an early morning fog; there for a long while before being suddenly gone.

I can speculate that this delivery of my thoughts, feelings, and experiences, though inadvertent and unintended, misled people. And as this was happening, I was simultaneously fooling myself with thoughts of getting back to a substantial part of that way of earning a living after my daughter started school. I was ignorant to think so definitively that it would work out that way. I suppose it could have. It just wasn't meant to be.

Blogging helped me cope, doing a work around on my own ego and identity while struggling to learn how to adequately be there for my family. Simply, yet candidly stated, I failed to confront and adjust to my new reality as quickly as I should have, leading to a writing perspective that was off the mark.

(Response to TV Show Viewers: Post 6 - February 4, 2026)

BERCHADOR: A Special Place to Live and Work

Berchador

For two decades, I've lived in a region made up of three counties: Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester. Grouped together, they’re comparable in size to the U.S. State of Delaware, and I bounce between the three throughout the day, every week, month after month. With things like property research and the organization of our local school districts, it’s three distinct areas. However, in my work life dealing with contractors, real estate agents, banks, and vendors, it’s one unofficial region. If I’m within these three counties, the conversation flows routinely, but if I venture into neighboring counties such as Georgetown, Colleton, or Orangeburg, it’s as if I’ve wandered out of bounds. And when I’m outside of our triad of counties it’s common to hear, “Sorry, but that’s too far.” As I describe my life and renovation career in this tri-county region, I simply call it Berchador.

This pleasant-sounding montage created from the first three letters of each county is not something I came up with on my own. Although it’s uncommon, it’s been used by others. There was once a popular teen hangout in Berkeley County named the Berchador Coliseum, and the local technical college, Tri-Dent Tech has campuses in all three counties and was ini-

tially called Berchador Tech. And over the years, some tri-county businesses have used Berchador in their names as well.

    On my first visited to Berchador in 1996, I felt like I had stumbled onto a big secret. Eventually, I'd learn that this exotic and semi-tropical region oozes with contradictions. Here there are saltwater dolphins and freshwater alligators, majestic egrets and blue herons, but also anoles and skink lizards. This area is a spiritual place in the buckle of the Bible Belt with the Holy City of Charleston as it's crown jewel. But it's also inhabited by haints, boo hags, and the plat eye who all own the night with ghosts, some three centuries old. And the BCD is an incubator of tolerable fibs, where cockroaches are called "palmetto bugs," wharf rats are known as "river dogs" or hate is called "heritage" and the Civil War has been tagged "The War of Northern Aggression."

    Here, in this humid haven of South Carolina's Lowcountry, brilliant flowers, leafy palms, and ancient gnarly oaks draped with Spanish moss grow abundantly next to swamps and abandoned rice fields. And these three counties bewilder English speakers with streets like Huger which is pronounced "Hugh Gee," and where the Cooper River is called "the Cupper." And finally, Berchador has unique meals like shrimp and grits, Frogmore stew and chicken bog, with sweets like pralines and benne wafers.

 

Berchador is my tri-county part of the world. It’s unique in ways that I’ve grown accustomed to, and it’s a special place that I’ve been fortunate to live, work, and call home for the last twenty years. It wasn’t home when I got here, but it is now. Since I’m not a native, I have a fresher perspective than folks who have lived here for their entire lives. And this setting is noteworthy in the context of this blog since it has enhanced my home renovation adventures.

Rewritten February 28, 2021

Trent
bloodsweatandpigsears@hotmail.com

Paint Colors for The TV House

 
On a typical Pig's Ear, I have a solid understanding from the start that I will eventually be a seller looking for a buyer.  Neutral paint colors are the practical way to go.  Taupe on the walls and trim/doors/cabinets painted polar white.  These are my go to colors.  With this approach, I don't have to hope my color choices are appreciated by potential buyers, plus it's more economical to go neutral.  Multiple colors is more challenging for the painter and that makes the price go up.  Plus there's always paint left over which is more wasted dollars.  Keeping things uncomplicated when I can helps the schedule and the budget and it's not hard to keep things simple with paint.  In addition, going neutral makes it easier to sell in the end and that helps the bottom line as well.  Even when I've lived in the house for a few months or a few years, I've gone neutral for all the above reasons.     

The TV House was special and I held no reservations about adjusting my approach.  I wanted this Country Victorian to look sharp on camera and understood that the producers would know best how to make this happen.  They asked me my thoughts on the paint selections and my input was simple, "Whatever makes it look good on TV."  Once filming started, I was even more satisfied that I let them choose the colors because things look different on camera and some of the same colors appear more or less intense with alternate cameras and adjustments to the lighting. 

I'd love to take credit for the paint choices that people are so impressed with, but I won't.  I will take credit for letting a talented team do what they know so much better than me.  I did know to stay out of the way in this area.  They were sure to include me in the process by showing me the selections for each room and episode, but my input was minimal.  Most of the time I looked at what they'd come up with and was excited about the combinations. 

Some have reached out and asked me to share paint information.  I appreciate the interest.  With the internet, it will be easy to take the color names/numbers provided below and get the exact paint we used on the show.            

   Exterior
      Siding - Butter Up, SW6681
      Front Porch Doors - Brick Paver, SW7599
      Lattice, Shutters, & Wrought Iron Handrail - Charleston Green, DCR099

   Interior
      Living Room - Sand Beach, SW7529
      Living Room Ceiling - Honest Blue, 6520
      Office Wainscoting - Surf Green, SW6473
      Bedroom - Surprise Amber, SW6654
      Bathroom - Manitou Blue, SW6501
      Master Bedroom - Kind Green, SW6457
      Master Bath - Totally Tan, SW6115
      Interior Trim/Doors - Alabaster, SW7008

Enjoy!

Trent
bloodsweatandpigsears@hotmail.com

Taupe and Polar White in The Fire House

... and The Cottage

... The Hurricane House

... The Bungalow

The Holy City Mourns

On my first visit to Charleston almost two decades ago, I felt as if I had stumbled onto something of a secret; tropical looking plants, old world architecture, special people, and history that I thought I knew, but discovered was endless.  That day made a big impression and inspired me to move here as soon as I had the chance.  Even years after I had relocated and settled here, it still felt to me as if the rest of the world and the country didn’t know enough about this area.  However, those days are over and for some time now it’s been apparent that the world knows what a special place we call home.

Savannah, Georgia is two hours away and Atlanta is a four and a half hour drive.  It has been said that people living within this triangle go to Atlanta to shop, Savannah to drink, and they come to Charleston to eat.  I’m not a big shopper or drinker, so I’m not sure how much I can really lend to this philosophy.  However, with Atlanta being the biggest city in the south, I’m sure one can get some serious shopping done there and drinking seems to be a big part of the Savannah culture.  Charleston has more than it’s share of amazing restaurants and I should really brag on the food around here another time. 

Getty Images

However, within the weeks following the shooting at the Emanuel AME Church, I wanted to talk about Charleston as a spiritual place.  It seems as if the world now understands that this is The Holy City and since the tragic events of June 17^th, folks have started traveling here to mourn and grieve and show respect for the victims and support for the families and congregation, and with that they’re coming here to pray.  As we’ve all witnessed, forgiveness is a powerful unseen force and so is prayer.  We are certainly all thankful for all the praying.    

AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton

There is mystery in faith and prayer.  I’m no expert in either area, but please keep launching up the prayers for the families of the nine people lost.  Pray that they’ll find strength and comfort daily.  Pray that they’ll maintain their spiritual strength.  Pray that they’ll be cared for and looked after as they work through their grief.  Pray that those around them love and support them as needed.  Please pray for our local officials and law enforcement as well.  The funerals are now over and there is still a lot of healing to do in the weeks and months to come.   

Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester Counties in countless ways form a large city, but this tragedy has reminded us here that we are a small community.  Thank you for praying for Charleston.           

The TV House

My projects have names.  For people familiar with this part of the state, I can refer to a house by a town, neighborhood, or street and they'll know which pig’s ear I’m talking about.  However, with people from somewhere else, nicknames have emerged.   

I bought The Fire House after it was condemned by the local code enforcement officers.  The Cottage got it’s name when my realtor called it that in the sales listing.  The Hurricane House was severely torn up when Hugo rocked the state’s coast in 1989 and it was condemned by building officials 16 years after the storm.  The Bungalow got it’s nickname by another realtor in her listing and I liked how it sounded even though I'd never thought of this house in that way.   

The TV House
(aka The Country Victorian)

My current project is an old country house with some hard to miss Victorian features, so I quickly tagged it The Country Victorian.  But then… we got on television together and people have started calling it The TV House.  We’re something of a team.  She’s the star and I’m the supporting cast member.  Was she a diamond in the rough?  I wouldn’t say so.  I knew she was pretty special from the start.  She’s a one-of-a-kind, like all my projects have been, but I believe that she will be the one people will remember.  She’s the oldest, had the most issues, and is the one folks will always want to talk about because she got me noticed in a big way.  However, she’s tied to the other pig’s ears because without them, I wouldn’t have been ready to make an offer when I walked in the front door.

This TV House is like The Fire House because they both survived a fire.  She’s like The Cottage because of the way both original structures were added onto by previous owners.  She’s a little like The Hurricane House because the roof leaked in both and I had mold issues that had to be addressed, not a big issue to me, but to some, it’s scary and oftentimes a deal breaker.  The TV House is also like The Bungalow since they both had severe floor system issues that required total demolition down to the dirt crawl space below.  So in those ways, as I was renovating my previous projects, I was practicing.

 

I've immersed myself in all these rehabs in comparable ways.   I loved buying them when no one else wanted to.  I loved cleaning them up and understanding how they were put together.  I loved taking my pictures and sketching up various options on paper.  I loved digging in, working early in the morning, late at night, and through the weekends.  It was fun, but I was unknowingly getting ready for The TV House; my biggest and most challenging project yet.  It was another seemingly impossible project.  A property that others didn't want to take a chance on.  A house some were ready to tear down and send to the landfill.  But like my other renovations, The TV House was too good to demolish, too unique and special.  With the help of so many people, too numerous to list, she's going to be a star.  Summerville, South Carolina is a special town, full of so many grand historic homes.  The TV House has become something here.  People make a point to come find her and see what she looks like in person.  They're excited about her.  They take pictures and video.  I hope this appreciation continues long after the work is done.

Thinking of Bob Vila

I had boyhood plans to buy and fix-up old houses even before I was a teenager.  I watched This Old House on Saturday Mornings for years even while I was living in a rented apartment.  And I've been a subscription holder to This Old House Magazine for almost a decade and a half.  When I finished The Fire House, I sent thisoldhouse.com some before/after pictures and they featured my first pig's ear on their web page for a few days.  However, the cool honor didn't end there because they also sent me a box of sweet TOH swag; a sweatshirt, a coffee mug, and a couple ball caps.  Maybe my fondness for using these gifts prompted folks to bring up Bob Vila's name while they toured my projects because there was a phase in my life when it seemed like I heard his name thrown out at me quite regularly.  My visitors would say things like, "I wonder what Bob Vila would think of what you've done here?" or "I think Bob Vila would really like how you've saved this old house."     

Vila was the host of This Old House before home renovating and extreme rehabbing shows were staples on networks like the DIY and HGTV.  There's a large chunk of our population that instantly think of Vila when the subject of home improvement comes up and if there was a Mount Rushmore of Home Renovation, I think it's safe to say that Bob's face would be up there.

We live outside of historic Charleston, South Carolina and our peninsula has plenty of amazing old houses.  Along with our vintage architecture, we have a long list of great places to eat.  Hyman's is a popular seafood place on Meeting Street, it's just a block from the old market, and it's at the top of our family's list when we're in that part of town with time to sit down for lunch.  Great food, amazing service, cool atmosphere... we love Hyman's. 

Hyman's celebrates all their famous guests; they have them sign a plate that gets mounted on a wall, they put their signed picture up somewhere in the restaurant, and they attach a small placard on the table to denote where each celebrity sat for their meal.  Last weekend, we were able to squeeze in a lunch at Hyman's and our party of four sat at the Bob Vila Table.  However, if you're a big fan of The Cosby Show or The Cheetah Girls, you might refer to it as the Raven-Symoné Table.  Judge Wapner was the court official who made The People's Court famous and his miniature plack was also on our table for four.  And finally, to round out this visit, we were amused to discover that the colorful sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer had also sat at our table when she ate at Hyman's. 

Can you imagine if this eclectic quartet had all sat at this table the same time?  That would be an interesting conversation.  

So when you have a chance to visit the Lowcountry of South Carolina, I'll encourage you to make time to enjoy some of our antebellum architecture and while you're here be ready to stand in line for a few minutes to eat at Hyman's (there's almost always a line). 

p.s. - try the fried flounder.  

Subdividing the Bungalow and the Duplex

The Bungalow was a Pig's Ear.  It was the worst house on the street.  In as much as I believed the home and the detached garage (see The Detached Garage at the Bungalow) could be reconstructed dramatically, I also felt certain that the overall property had potential to be more as well.  With the Bungalow I acquired a rental house with two apartments (the Duplex) and from the moment I agreed to the deal I had intentions of legally subdividing the land and creating two separate properties.

The Bungalow and the Duplex were in Charleston, SC.  Charleston is one of the country's oldest cities and it has wholeheartedly embraced it's rich history and distinct architecture.  There is nothing historical or architecturally significant about the Bungalow (and it's detached garage) or the Duplex, but since they're located within the city's jurisdiction, I had to follow the same procedures (through the city's Dept. of Planning, Preservation, and Sustainability,  the Subdivision Review Committee, and the Board of Architectural Review) as the classic antebellum homes on the city's peninsula that were built centuries ago when Charleston was one of the wealthiest cities in the nation. 

The city's process was methodical, systematic, and routine and even though I was not resurrecting historic buildings in the carriage tour districts, the folks at the City of Charleston could not have been more supportive of my plans.  They helped me very thoughtfully with all the photo and drawing submissions (and revisions) that were required and patiently answered my steady stream of questions while they walked me through the reviews, appeals, and meetings that are part of a property subdivision in our historic city.  

In the end, the people working on behalf of the city were instrumental in helping me transform one of the worst properties in the neighborhood into two that we were very proud of. 

View from the back of the property before.  The Bungalow (left) and the Duplex (right).

After - The fence that denotes the new property line will one day be covered with ivy.

See related post The Picture Window at the Bungalow