Good Bones: Facts About The HGTV Home Renovation Series

Karen E. Laine and Mina Starsiak Hawk, the mother-daughter team you've seen on HGTV's "Good Bones," bring both beauty and brains to the small screen. Their show follows the two women and their company, Two Chicks and a Hammer, as they rehabilitate homes in their hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana — but "Good Bones" isn't your average home renovation show. Laine and Starsiak Hawk entertain audiences with their contrasting personalities and charm, but what really sets the show apart is the passion they have for what they do. Laine and Starsiak Hawk aren't just trying to show the world how well they can rehab a house — they want to transform their entire community.

Their unique backgrounds (Laine was a lawyer and Starsiak Hawk is a real estate agent) also give them a unique perspective on the industry. They built their business from the ground up, and though they are now reaching huge audiences, they are still jumping over hurdles every day. Here are some fascinating facts you may not know about the series and the women behind its success.

Karen Laine and Mina Starsiak Hawk manage to make rehabbing houses look fun and easy, even when things get nasty. While it might seem exciting to turn a run-down house into a showpiece, in reality, things get downright nauseating. Starsiak Hawk revealed to Indy Star just how gross things can get. "It's always shocking," she said. "The houses we go in, there's so much poop. It always amazes me. Human and animal poop."

Because the houses are often so disgusting, Laine and Starsiak Hawk like taking on houses that have had a fire. Fire burns up some of the poop, making their jobs a little easier. Starsiak Hawk said that the house they fixed up in the pilot episode of "Good Bones" had had a fire, but was hiding another weird surprise. "It also had a chest freezer that was full and hadn't had the power to it in at least six months," she said. "We had to empty it to take the weight out to carry it upstairs. It was full of slabs of meat. I 100 percent thought there'd be at least one frozen cat."

People who don't know a lot about Karen Laine and Mina Starsiak Hawk might mistake them for house flippers, but they are adamant that it's not what they're about. House flipping tends to be purely a business venture, but Laine and Starsiak Hawk have bigger goals than just making money. Instead of branding themselves as house flippers, they see themselves as neighborhood rehabilitators.

"We truly are rehabbing neighborhoods," Laine told Indy Star. "If we were flipping, we wouldn't strip down to studs, install new electrical, new HVAC, new plumbing or whatever else needs to be done. This is rehab. These houses need a good 12-step program."

They are also excited about the opportunities that they are able to bring to people in Indianapolis. "We have this opportunity for local people to apply their trade and grow in their chosen career, which is a beautiful thing to watch," Laine told PopSugar. Starsiak Hawk hopes that the exposure "Good Bones" has given Indianapolis helps other small businesses in the area grow.  

Before starting Two Chicks and a Hammer with her daughter, Karen Laine had a successful career as an attorney. When they landed "Good Bones," she had to take a step back from practicing law in order to focus on the business, although she retained a few of her clients. The fact that she's a lawyer, a wife, and a mom might make it seem that Laine is totally strait-laced and serious, but it turns out that she has a wild side. "Most people are surprised to find that I have a tattoo that goes from the nape of my neck, covers my back, and extends down the backs of my thighs," she told Marketplace Events.

The lawyer-turned-house rehabber also knows how to throw a good party. Her rules for get-togethers are simple: "Fun people. Easy-to-eat food. Music. Adult beverages." Wrap parties for "Good Bones" must be a blast if Laine has a hand in planning them.

Once you know about Karen Laine's wild streak, it kind of makes sense that Mina Starsiak Hawk considers herself to be the more responsible of the two. "She's the kid, and I'm the mom," Starsiak Hawk told the Los Angeles Times about her mother, who she says has a "hippie personality."

Working so closely together is bound to put a strain on any relationship, but, fortunately, the mother and daughter have a tight enough bond that they're able to make it work. That doesn't mean it's easy, though. Laine and Starsiak Hawk have very different personalities, which sometimes leads to friction. "Any mother-daughter duo who says they'd love to work together only say that because they haven't done it!" Laine told PopSugar. 

The two manage to work past their differences, though, and have learned how to make their skill sets "mesh." Laine said, "I don't get in her way, and she stops me from doing stupid things." Starsiak Hawk said that working with a relative is what makes a successful partnership. "There's a level of trust you don't get even with a lifelong friend — you can't get that unless you're with family," she said.

When you watch "Good Bones," it's easy to assume that Karen Laine and Mina Starsiak Hawk are trained contractors with decades of experience, but that isn't the case. Before they ever started their first project, Starsiak Hawk was working as a waitress at Pizzology and Laine was a defense attorney. Neither of their jobs did much to prepare the mother and daughter team for rehabbing homes. When they decided to rehab their first house, they taught themselves how to do it.

"Most of it we learned along the way," Starsiak Hawk told Indianapolis Monthly. "I read the directions for flooring and putting up light fixtures. I watched YouTube to figure out how to tile." According to her, the easiest thing to learn how to do was the demolition. "Well, no one has to teach you how to break s**t," she said. The fact that Laine and Starsiak Hawk learned how to do everything on their own makes their incredible success even more impressive.

"Good Bones" is set in Indianapolis, Indiana, and Karen Laine and Mina Starsiak Hawk have no plans on branching out from that location. "It's important to me to stay in the neighborhood where we live," Laine told Indianapolis Monthly. They hope that they can help revitalize the neighborhood by staying laser-focused and only rehabbing local homes. "If you do one house in one ZIP code, and another in another ZIP code, you don't have any effect on the neighborhood," said Laine.

Starsiak Hawk said that she and her mother "received awesome feedback from locals" after the show hit the air. "People seem to really love how the city is being showcased," she told Visit Indy. Their efforts have also apparently had a positive effect on Indy tourism. "We also know of at least two people who have come to visit Indy only because they saw the show and loved it, so it's bringing new people to our incredible city."

Karen Laine and Mina Starsiak Hawk aren't just passionate about what they do — they're also fiercely committed to their business. These two don't let anything get in their way. Contrary to what people might think, starring in an HGTV show like "Good Bones" doesn't exactly make you rich overnight. 

Laine told Indianapolis Monthly that "early on, for the talent, there is very little money in TV." The profits made from the show go straight back into the business, going towards fixing up the next house. Starting up the business required both Starsiak Hawk and Laine to take out mortgages and to ask their family to invest in the company. "We don't have enough to afford Porta Potties at all of our job sites," Starsiak Hawk explained. "We're not rich yet," Laine said with a laugh. "I'm still deeply in debt."

An even bigger challenge came when Laine's husband was diagnosed with cancer. While filming the show, she also supported her husband through his treatments which included a surgery. "Once we got the show, we didn't have a choice," Starsiak Hawk said. "There was no more talking about the hurdles. It was, 'Just do it.'"

You'd think that running a successful business and starring on a hit reality TV show would mean that people would respect you, but, nope — Karen Laine and Mina Starsiak Hawk still have to deal with a lot of sexism. The "Good Bones" stars have proved over and over again that they're not afraid of hard work, but they still have to demand respect from men.

"There have been a few occasions where the boys sass me," Laine told Indy Star. "We're dealing with guys in their 50s who have been doing this a long time. ... They will get a little mouthy, and I can't let that go because then they will not respect me. If I'm your boss, you don't get to be disrespectful." Starsiak Hawk's advice to getting through it? "Don't try to be a lady," she said. "You've got to be real, not afraid. You've got to get your hands dirty along with everyone else."

Mina Starsiak Hawk didn't set out to have a television show. In fact, she was so surprised when she and her mom first caught the attention of a casting agent that she thought she was being scammed. "She kept calling my cell phone, and I thought it was someone messing with me first and trying to get our business information," Starsiak Hawk told PopSugar.

Karen Laine, on the other hand, had secret dreams of being in the spotlight. After they had already landed "Good Bones," she came across a letter that she had written to HGTV several years before telling the network that they should make a show about Two Chicks and a Hammer. While their eventual discovery came years later and had nothing to do with the letter Laine wrote, it does serve as proof that she knew she and her daughter were meant to be on TV.

"Good Bones" has helped to make Two Chicks and a Hammer more successful, but it has also significantly increased their workload. "Everything is harder," Karen Laine told No Mean City. "It's like having two full-time jobs, filming 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day while we're getting our work done."

The show has complicated their lives in more ways than one. Laine and daughter Mina Starsiak Hawk aren't just working longer hours, but have also found themselves racing against the clock to expand Two Chicks and a Hammer. "I think our biggest challenge has been growing our business fast enough to meet the needs of HGTV," Laine told PopSugar. HGTV doesn't foot the bill for the houses Two Chicks and a Hammer rehabs, so they have to make sure they have enough money to rehab enough houses for an entire season. "Mina will tell you that we put about $150,000-$180,000 into each house," said Laine. "So if we do 10 houses, that's $1.5 million to $1.8 million. And we didn't have that in our pockets, so that growth spurt was up."

The "Good Bones" mother-daughter duo spend a lot of their time working on houses, but they have wildly different tastes in homes. Karen Laine loves to keep it simple, and she has a lot of suggestions for how people can make the most out of living in small spaces, such as adding as many shelves as possible. "I strongly believe we can all live more with less," the low-maintenance TV star told Marketplace Events.

She said that she wouldn't mind living in a tiny house, and could even make the small space work for both her and her husband. No doubt Laine's space-saving solutions would come in handy living in a small home. Her daughter, on the other hand, hasn't inherited her mother's love for minimalism. Mina Starsiak Hawk said that she wouldn't fare too well living in such a confining environment. "I'm far too unorganized, and my husband would kill me," she said.

Karen Laine and Mina Starsiak Hawk make a perfect TV team, but they would also love to work with other big names in the business. The fiery-haired Laine said that she would love to have the chance to pair up with Mike Holmes, the star of Holmes on Homes. "I have a soft spot for gingers, and I think I could learn a thing or two from him," she told Indianapolis Home Show.

Starsiak Hawk said that the HGTV star she'd most like to work with is Clint Harp, who first became known as a craftsman on "Fixer Upper" before landing his own show on DIY, "Wood Work." "He's just the nicest human alive and super-talented and funny," Starsiak Hawk told Marketplace Events. While we all want Laine and Starsiak Hawk to continue working together on "Good Bones" for years to come, if they ever do decide to part ways, it could be interesting to see them work with one of these pros.

In 2019, Karen Laine announced that she was putting down her hammer and stepping away from the family business. The announcement was made in a post on the Two Chicks and a Hammer Instagram account. "After a long career of practicing law and revitalizing homes and neighborhoods, Karen is retiring from Two Chicks and a Hammer," read the caption. "She will still be part of the HGTV show Good Bones!"

While stepping back from the business was a big change, Mina Starsiak Hawk took it in stride. The blow was no doubt softened by the fact that leaving Two Chicks and a Hammer gave Laine more time to work on DIY projects for "Good Bones." "I can't say thanks to mom enough for her help in creating Two Chicks and a Hammer," wrote Starsiak in an Instagram post. "I can say, without a doubt, it wouldn't have been possible without her and not nearly as fun."

Hindsight is 20/20, and this adage holds true in the home renovation business. As we can see on "Good Bones," Mina Starsiak Hawk and Karen Laine did a good job of teaching themselves and learning the ins and outs of running a home renovation business, but there is something that they wish they had known before they had gotten started with Two Chicks and a Hammer: everything. 

"It's like law school," Laine told House Beautiful. "When I finished law school, I wanted to do law school all over again, starting it knowing everything I knew at the end. So I would say everything. I wish I knew everything."

They might not have known everything when they first started the business, but that doesn't seem to have held them back in the slightest. Laine and Starsiak Hawk have certainly established themselves as experts in the field, and "Good Bones" is the proof.

The mother-daughter duo have branched out from "Good Bones" and the two have been spotted on other HGTV shows. In 2019, both Karen Laine and Mina Starsiak Hawk appeared on HGTV's "A Very Brady Renovation," which saw some of the network's biggest stars renovating the home famously used on The Brady Bunch. While the exterior of the home is familiar to many people, the challenge was to make the interior of the home match what fans remember from the show. "The inside is a completely different home that no one has ever seen, because the show was all filmed on a sound stage," Starsiak Hawk told Parade. "So, the home that we're renovating is a one-story home, and we have to make the inside of it look like what everyone knows the Brady house to look like."

Later that year, Starsiak Hawk competed on the HGTV show "Rock the Block," on which four HGTV stars competed against each other to renovate four identical houses on the same block seeing who could add the most property value to their project. Starsiak Hawk did well, but Jasmine Roth of HGTV's "Hidden Potential" was named the winner (via HGTV).

In 2021, Mina Starsiak Hawk branched out into the children's book industry. In a 2020 Instagram announcement, Starsiak Hawk revealed that she'd been working on the book for a couple of years and revealed a glimpse of the cover. 

The book, titled "Built Together," was inspired by both her career and young family. It's about not only building a home but building a family in the modern age. "My family is very non-traditional, with this whole idea of whatever works for you is what's right for you," Starsiak Hawk told People. "That's what the kids' book is about, but in a fun play on construction. So, how did we build our family? Because it's not mom, dad, two-and-a-half kids anymore. There's divorces, there's same-sex couples, there's binary couples, there's adoption. And then there's friends and there's pets."

The book was released on February 2, 2021, and was met with overwhelmingly positive reviews.

In 2022, the company Two Chicks and a Hammer, which is behind the show "Good Bones," was accused of unsafe home renovation practices. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the show had hired contractors who were not lead-safe certified. As the agency asserts, "EPA requires that RRP projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities and preschools built before 1978 be performed by lead-safe certified contractors." The show reached a settlement of a $40,000 fine with the EPA in April 2022. The company was also required to post a reminder on social media about safe lead paint practices.

"Compliance with federal lead paint laws is essential to protect children across the country and is a priority for EPA," explained EPA Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore. "With so many people watching TV shows like these for tips on remodeling their own homes, it's extremely important for these shows to demonstrate lead-safe work practices."

If you're a fan of "Good Bones," you'll be thrilled to hear that there is even more Mina Starsiak Hawk. In 2022, she was given her own spinoff series entitled "Good Bones: Risky Business." The show sees Starsiak Hawk taking on a brand new renovation project as she tries to transform a massive, dilapidated home in Indiana into an ambitious B&B. As the title suggests, this project is very, very risky. The home is huge and in need of a lot of work. The show hones in on all of the unexpected logistic and financial problems that Starsiak Hawk faced and how she overcame them.

Even though the project is risky, Starsiak Hawk couldn't resist. "Probably two months ago I would've said no," she told House Beautiful. "But it's like being pregnant and having a newborn suck, but then you forget about it because they're so cute and you do it again. I'm ready to have another baby now."