Southern Charm’s Shep Rose and Craig Conover have swum in the same social circles around Charleston for years. But, the idea of the bachelors living with one another? Well, it’s a first for the two ol’ friends.
The surprising reveal came on Southern Charm Season 11, Episode 8, when Shep joked to Rodrigo Reyes during a phone call that he was “kinda homeless” as he prepared to move into his new $3.25 million historic home on Sullivan’s Island. He opted to lease his Isle of Palms beach house for the season and take up residence at Craig’s Mount Pleasant pad, given that the summer rates went for $700 to $1,200 per night for the former.
“My Isle of Palms house is being rented and it’s on the short-term rental market; in the summertime, it gets really good prices,” Shep said in a confessional on the Jan. 21 episode. “And, my new house doesn’t have any furniture or a bed; there are mattresses are on backorder; I don’t have a TV; I need cable … There’s things that need to happen for it to be a home.”
All said, Shep thought it could be a “fun” experience, and it didn’t hurt that Craig welcomed his new guest with a bunch of steaks on the backyard grill. But Craig considered one thing, as Shep arrived with a laundry basket filled with “sweaty, fishy clothes” following his Cuba fishing trip: “I used to be the messiest person in the world; My house is a little different these days, and I like it the way that I like it,” the Sewing Down South founder lightheartedly told producers. “But, Shep just makes things feel very lived-in, is how I will put it. So, my cleaning ladies are on standby.”
Details on Shep Rose’s two South Carolina homes
Shep purchased his blue-colored beach house in Isle of Palms — a location sought by even The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ Sutton Stracke, she revealed last month — in 2021 following the sale of his “naughty, little” downtown Charleston abode. The Bravoleb continues to list the Atlantic Coast property, aptly named “Shep Shack,” on several rental websites, a charming three-bedroom, three-bathroom, beach getaway that comfortably sleeps eight guests.
Per Airbnb, “Whether you’re lounging in one of two spacious living areas, dining al fresco, or battling for the ping pong championship, Shep Shack is the ultimate Lowcountry getaway!”
As guests indulge in Shep’s summer place, he’s upgraded to a historic 5,000-square-foot home boasting four bedrooms and as many bathrooms, he detailed on Season 11, Episode 3. As Shep said, “I recently bought this new house, because I just wanted a house on Sullivan’s Island, which is one of my favorite places in the world. ”
Related: Shep Rose’s Cousin Marcie Reveals Major Life Updates on Southern Charm (VIDEO)
The raised Hilton Head Islander admitted his parents were “a big factor” in his decision to purchase the larger home, especially given his siblings’ decision to make families and buy real estate of their own.
The century-old structure once served as the island’s schoolhouse in the 1920s and 1930s, before a previous owner moved it across the street from the beach during the 1980s, he explained in a Nov. 13 interview with Realtor.com. “It’s very laid-back, sort of old-school beachy, not pretentious,” he said. “I love it.”
What to know about Craig Conover’s colonial home
Craig’s house began as a passion project in 2018, undergoing several exciting changes and transformations along the way. Two years after purchasing the colonial home, temporary plumbing and asbestos issues forced the Delaware native to move in with longtime friend and business partner Austen Kroll.
Related: Craig Conover, Salley & Charley Reveal What *Really* Happened in the Hot Tub (EXCLUSIVE)
Following a gut renovation, Craig flipped the home and brought it back to tip-top shape, giving BravoTV.com an exclusive home tour and sharing the final results during Season 8. Black matte refrigerators and a studio for his and Austen’s Pillows and Beer podcast were just a few upgrades to the suburban Charleston home, adding along the way a stunning in-ground pool, an outdoor kitchen and bar, a large flatscreen TV, and a hot tub seeing a lot of action as Season 11 of Southern Charm continues.
The home decor guru’s backyard continues to offer sanctuary, not just for Craig’s beekeeping hobbies, but for his love of gardening, too. As featured in a July 23 interview with Interview Magazine, he tends to strawberries, bees, herbs, and even separate salsa and pizza gardens in his backyard oasis — the favorite part of his home and a place to feel anchored … and without shoes.
“I’ve been fascinated with grounding recently. Not just theoretically, but also in real life — just touching grass,” he told the outlet. “We’re filming right now, and it’s incredible, but one of the new girls, I tell her, ‘You have to touch grass every once in a while.’ I love gardening, and I’m barefoot in my backyard all the time. I loved my chapters that I got to spend in New York City, but I went a while without touching the ground sometimes.”
Check out Shep’s predictions for Austen and Craig at the reunion.
