A Conscious Choice: The Hidden Meaning Behind Tim Allen’s Ever-Changing House in Shifting Gears

When the series begins, Matt (Allen) is living alone following the death of his wife and hasn’t altered the décor. “That is one of the things we talked about, that he would not have changed anything,” Olson continued. “They had sort of a minimal lifestyle. They were empty nesters. And that was a conscious choice on everybody’s part, to not have that sitcom clutter. We had to do some convincing because I think the network sometimes would like to see it look more comfortable and more inviting, and Tim’s answer to that was, ‘The kids [characters] are gonna bring that.’“

Depth Is Used To Give Any Set A Warmer Feel

Olson used depth to give Matt’s house a warmer feeling. The study is visible from the living room and there is a media room off the kitchen. “That was an early idea that I pitched, and it kind of went away for a while during the process,” he said about the design. “Then we were walking on the sets, and we’re like, ‘Boy, it would really be nice to have that [extra depth].’ So we built it back again. The directors like to play the depth. It gives them the chance for a lot of movement.”