Jody Minns's Stories: ‘Good Bones’ Proves Women Can Build a Killer Bachelor Pad

Mina Starsiak Hawk and her mom, Karen Laine, might not be the first renovation team you’d call to design a bachelor pad. But in the latest episode of “Good Bones,” this daughter and mother prove they can pull it off with style.

In the Season 6 episode “A Charred Charmer for Cory,“ Starsiak Hawk and Laine have bought an old, fire-damaged house in Indianapolis for just $9,000. Their friend and project manager, Cory Miller, has been renting for a long time and is ready to own—and decorate the home to his tastes.

“He’s like, you know, been living the bachelor life,” Starsiak Hawk says. “We’re going to elevate him.”

Starsiak Hawk and Laine plan to spend $120,000 on this renovation, but due to foundation issues, this sum balloons to $145,000. Nonetheless, the house they create ends up well worth the cost. Check out what they do, which contains plenty of lessons that might inspire some changes around your own abode, too.

Vinyl siding creates fast, budget-friendly curb appeal

With foundation issues limiting their budget, Starsiak Hawk and Laine have to get creative, particularly with their curb appeal.

“Because we had to spend so much of our budget on foundation issues, we decided to go with vinyl siding for the exterior, which is a more cost-effective option than wood or fiber concrete siding,” says Starsiak Hawk.

Miller asks for a monochromatic exterior, and the team plans for black vinyl siding, but the color ends up being out of stock, so they go with gray instead.

“The light gray is going to be sleek and monochromatic, which is what you wanted,” Starsiak Hawk says to Miller. “And we’re going to be able to finish the house in a week instead of waiting a whole month for new siding.”

In the end, this gray siding is masculine without being too dark, creating an elegant look that matches Miller’s manly style.

A black railing adds masculine style

To add a little more masculine style to this home, Starsiak Hawk decides to add a metal and cedar railing on the front porch. The railing looks industrial and chic, and it matches the black front door, bringing the exterior design all together.

“The railing is a total showstopper,” Starsiak Hawk says after it’s installed. “The contrast between the black metal and the light gray siding makes the railing really pop.”

Get a herringbone pattern for cheap

living room — This flooring ties the space together.
HGTV

Inside, Starsiak Hawk is still looking for opportunities to save money and add masculine style, so she focuses on the floors.

They choose a luxury vinyl plank flooring, where the herringbone design is printed on the planks. Starsiak Hawk points out that they’ve never used a material quite like this before, but is convinced it’s the right choice.

“Anytime you do a herringbone or a chevron pattern, your cost skyrockets, but we found slabs of LVPs that already have the herringbone pattern,” their designer, MJ Coyle, explains. “It’s going to give that herringbone effect but without the herringbone…”

“Labor-intensive install costs,” Starsiak Hawk chimes in, finishing Coyle’s thought.

This luxury vinyl plank flooring printed with a herringbone design is a smart alternative to wood laid in the same pattern.
HGTV

Once the floors are installed, Starsiak Hawk is happy with her choice.

“The oak color feels a little masculine while the herringbone pattern gives it that high-end feel we want,” she says.

Don’t go dark in the kitchen

It can be difficult to bring a dark, moody vibe into every part of the house, especially in the kitchen, where brighter colors are more typical.

Starsiak Hawk chooses white cabinets, a white marble backsplash, and butcher block counters. The space is lovely, and although Starsiak Hawk admits that it’s not exactly unique to Miller’s style, it works with the rest of the house.

“The kitchen could go in probably 10 different houses with 10 different themes,” Starsiak-Hawk says. “But because this house is so small and you can see so many other places from the kitchen, the whole vibe together gives you that high-end masculine [style].”

To finish the look, Starsiak Hawk adds black hardware to give this kitchen a bit of an edgy look, but it almost doesn’t need it. Combined with the wood tones in the floor and rugged decor, the black hardware works in this light kitchen.

Quartz looks like concrete, but has easier upkeep

While Starsiak Hawk decides to go lighter in the kitchen, she makes up for it with the shower in the main bathroom. She wants to give this space a concrete feature, but ends up using another material with a concrete look.

“We chose to go with the quartz material because it gives the masculine look of concrete, but it’s much easier to maintain and gives the space a more high-end look,” Starsiak Hawk says.

The quartz looks fantastic, and it certainly gives the bathroom a manly vibe. Miller will certainly appreciate the quartz for years to come—and will also appreciate the easy upkeep, too.