“Southern Charm” star Shep Rose is stepping into a new era — and into a new home he says reflects real personal growth. Just ahead of the show’s season 11 premiere, Rose is opening up about life changes, new beginnings, and why moving out of his longtime bachelor pads has pushed him toward a more grounded lifestyle.
Shep Rose Reveals How His New Sullivan’s Island Home Reflects Personal Growth
After years split between his downtown Charleston bachelor pad and his well-known Isle of Palms “Shep Shack,” Rose said buying a converted 1920s schoolhouse on Sullivan’s Island represented the stability he’s been craving. “I adore my old house on Isle of Palms. I had so much fun there, but it is almost like it’s time to upgrade,” Rose told Realtor.com. “It’s time to get a little bit nicer stuff… when you invest in a home, it incentivizes you to be a grown-up.”
The four-bedroom, four-bathroom, 3,000-square-foot property — purchased in June as filming began — gives Rose the quieter, more mature environment he’s been seeking. “It’s way quieter, I’ll say, which is lovely,” he shared. “Now, it’s very sanctuary-esque.”
Rose hasn’t abandoned his roots entirely. He still owns the Isle of Palms home and rents it short-term — though he admits the remodel on the new house has temporarily pushed him back into the old one. “It’s sort of good news, bad news,” Rose joked. “I’m taking rental income out of my own pocket.”
Even his beloved dog Little Craig is taking a temporary break from coastal life, staying with Rose’s parents in North Carolina due to construction and the South Carolina heat. “He really struggles,” Rose said. “But I’ll get a doggie door installed and all these fun things for him.”
The home’s history — formerly a schoolhouse in the 1920s and ’30s — was a major draw for Rose. “It’s a historic house… it’s everything I need,” he explained. With help from friends Rodrigo Reyes and designer Mary Welch Fox, Rose is crafting a space that’s beachy, easygoing, and authentically him. “I don’t want it to be masculine and moody,” he said. “I want it to be an old beach house… no frills.”
‘Southern Charm’ Season 11: Rose Says His Buddies Craig Conover and Austen Kroll Will Face the Heat
With season 11 approaching, Rose teased tension between two of his closest friends: Craig Conover and Austen Kroll. “Craig and Austen are,” Rose told Us Weekly when asked who would feel the pressure during the upcoming reunion. “It’s eye-opening — their differences. It’s real, and it’s raw.”
Rose, who cares deeply for both, isn’t certain the tension will fade quickly. “They can stay friends,” he said. “They both are very hard-headed and stubborn.”
He believes Conover’s past relationship with Paige DeSorbo — and the intensity of it — contributed to the strain. “He sort of isolated himself and really immersed himself in his relationship,” Rose said. “I don’t recommend that. You’ve got to keep a nice balance.”
Rose said vulnerability is key — something he hopes Conover leans into more moving forward. “You should be vulnerable,” he explained. “It’s not a bad thing.”
Season 11 of “Southern Charm” premieres on Bravo on Wednesday, November 19.
