American Rehab: Charleston

Contractor Trent Fasnacht takes on a 107-year-old country Victorian home near Charleston, SC, in the small town of Summerville. He restores the original porch with period-correct tongue and groove flooring and creates a new arbor and front walkway.

Trent begins demolition in the living room and foyer and quickly realizes termite damage and wood rot destroyed nearly every surface. After taking the rooms down to the studs, he uses period-appropriate finishes to restore the space.

Trent turns the octagon room into a breakfast nook and restores the sunroom. The side porch project is nearly stalled by two rainstorms before becoming a period-correct addition with details matching the original front porch.

Trent rebuilds the kitchen with beadboard cabinets, a glass-tile backsplash and butcher block countertops; he tries to save the kitchen's original hardwood floors and re-purposes a piece of furniture as a kitchen island.

Trent adds built-in bookcases to a guest bedroom; he tears down drywall in the office, hoping to expose a fireplace and installs period-authentic mosaic floor tile in the bathroom; countertops are created using oyster shells and recycled glass.

Trent finishes the restoration of his home by turning the kitchen and dining room addition into a master suite; he installs shiplap paneling in the bedroom along with reclaimed wood floors and doors salvaged from Church Street in Charleston, S.C.