Sep 10, 2021
On “Good Bones,” hosts Mina Starsiak Hawk and her mother, Karen Laine, are known for buying cheap houses in Indianapolis, and flipping them for a nice profit. But on their latest project, they’re challenged with building from the ground up. In the episode “Starting From Scratch,” Starsiak Hawk buys a fire-damaged house for just $10,000. While the price is great, she and her mom soon decide the structure is too far gone, and they demolish it. The new house they build is nice, but lacks the charm of an older home. So it’s up to Starsiak Hawk and Laine to add as much character as possible, with a budget of just $170,000 to buy, build, and decorate from the ground up. In the end, the house looks amazing—and they’re soon able to sell it for $250,000, making an impressive $80,000 profit. Here’s how the “Good Bones” team pulls it off, which might inspire some budget-friendly upgrades around your own abode, too.
Simple, inexpensive materials are just fine
Starsiak Hawk wants this home to have an elegant French style, but since they’re rebuilding the entire house, she knows they can’t spend too much on the exterior. So Starsiak Hawk keeps her building materials inexpensive. “The exterior is a combination of gray and white vinyl because this has to be pretty budget-friendly,” Starsiak Hawk says. “And it’ll help add some dimension and texture to the exterior.”
The exterior ends up looking great, proving that a home’s exterior doesn’t need to be extravagant. Simple siding and some landscaping make all the difference, and leave plenty of budget for interior upgrades.
Incorporate some dark colors in a white space
Inside, Starsiak Hawk and designer MJ Coyle decide to fill the home with elegant white finishes. However, Starsiak Hawk knows the kitchen can’t be entirely white, so she adds black quartz countertops in the design plan. When the counters are installed, Starsiak Hawk loves the look, saying that it complements the rest of the kitchen finishes. “Our fish-scale Carrara backsplash really stands out against our black quartz countertops, off-white cabinets, and apron-front sink,” she says.
Even Laine notes these dark counters are a nice addition to the kitchen. “The color gives you a little bit of drama,” Laine says.
Use different but complementary styles
Starsiak Hawk and Coyle want to carry the kitchen style into the bathrooms, but don’t necessarily want to duplicate the look. While the kitchen uses a fish-scale Carrara backsplash, Starsiak Hawk chooses an intricate tile made of Carrara marble for the shower. The two tiles look different but they’re made of the same material, making the two spaces feel related. Starsiak Hawk also incorporates gold hardware, similar to what’s in the kitchen.
“The intricate Carrara tile paired with the gold hardware is really going to give us that elegant French vibe without being too over the top,” Starsiak Hawk says.
Use old doors in a new home
Once this home is built, Starsiak Hawk realizes the layout is missing one important thing: a door between the master bedroom and bathroom. So she has Coyle and construction team member Austin Aynes shop for barn doors that will complete the main suite. “We’re looking for some antique doors to bring some old-world charm to this new build,” Coyle says. They find some elegant old doors and, once they’re installed, they make a huge difference. “The antique doors MJ and Austin found look amazing in the main en suite and add a ton of character to the new construction,” Starsiak Hawk says.
Add character with antique pieces like a corner cabinet
Starsiak Hawk and Laine love the feel of old homes, so they want to add some of that vintage charm to this project. Luckily, Coyle comes to the rescue! “This is a new build, and we don’t really have any of the character there yet,” Coyle says. To help, “I want to add this corner cabinet that I’ve had forever and I’ve just been looking for the perfect house, and I think that’ll lean into this French theme.” The team has to sand, paint, and prime this cabinet to make it house-ready. It’s a lot of work, but when it’s done, it’s a beautiful piece that adds personality to the home. “It makes it feel a little bit more lived-in,” Starsiak Hawk says. “It doesn’t feel cold.”
Beadboard can add charm to a usually boring spot
Many homes in Indiana have mudrooms, perfect for stripping off big winter coats. This home doesn’t have the space for one, so Starsiak Hawk gets creative in the hallway by the attached garage. “We’re installing these coat hooks with this decorative beadboard, and it’s going to be the catch-all area for coats, backpacks, all that good stuff,” Starsiak Hawk says. “We’re going to paint it a really rich blue color, and it’s going to be super functional, but also a design element.”
