Finding HGTV's Good Bones in Indianapolis

Step into the world of HGTV's Good Bones by exploring the stars' haunts—or even staying in one of their homes.

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Updated on September 8, 2023

The Fountain Square neighborhood's namesake flows industriously at the intersection of Prospect and Shelby streets and Virginia Avenue in Indianapolis. Surrounded by rough-cut limestone slabs, the Baroque fountain (turquoise, with cast-metal swans) looks like something you'd find in the nearby vintage shops that prop open their doors when the weather turns mild.

It's the perfect icon for the urban neighborhoods where Karen Laine and daughter Mina Starsiak Hawk live and work. The home-rehabbing duo star in HGTV's Good Bones (season 5 started June 2020), and their notoriety is attracting visitors to the area made famous on the show. Spend a weekend getting your fangirl fix by visiting the pair's favorite hot spots and tracking down homes they've remade in and around Fountain Square. You've got a decent shot at running into them in their work jackets and muddy boots at places like Milktooth, an auto repair garage-turned-diner.

"It's a gritty, funky, anything-goes neighborhood where a lot of artists live," Karen says between hellos with friends and fans on the diner's patio, buzzing at 11 a.m. on a Friday.

The women learned to work on houses by reading, watching YouTube and experimenting after Mina graduated from college and Karen cosigned the loan on her daughter's first house. From there, they launched Two Chicks and a Hammer, using their free time to fix up homes in the Fountain Square, Fletcher Place and Bates-Hendricks neighborhoods while keeping their day jobs-Karen, an attorney, and Mina, a restaurant server.

An HGTV talent scout discovered their videos and warmed to their close, dynamic relationship and vintage-contemporary design style. Good Bones debuted in 2016, drawing 14 million viewers in its first season.

Karen's free spirit and Mina's drive add up to TV and business success when they buy the "worst" house on the block and maintain its basic structure-its good bones-while updating the rest before selling it. To them, it's "rescuing," not flipping.

Whatever you call it, their workmanship has been a boon to the area, says Travis Barnes, owner of Hotel Tango, an artisan distillery in nearby Fletcher Place.

"The exposure from Good Bones has brought a renewed interest to fixing up old homes in downtown Indianapolis, and these new neighbors have become our new customers," Travis says.

The show has brought visitors to the heart of Fountain Square especially. "This used to be a neighborhood that was tucked away from the core of the city," says Morgan Snyder of the city's tourism department, "but now visitors are pouring in just to see what the Good Bones crew continuously raves about."

The 8-mile-long Indianapolis Cultural Trail connects Fountain Square to several other neighborhoods. Photo courtesy of VisitIndy.com. Courtesy of VisitIndy

Tips for Touring

Visit the neighborhoods south of downtown Indy where Good Bones stars Karen and Mina have left their creative stamp.

Do a DIY tour. You can find the pair's handiwork by visiting Good Bones at hgtv.com, where the Photo tab identifies some projects by street name. Your map app will get you the rest of the way.

But don't knock. Private owners live in the houses now. You can see Karen and Mina's finished interiors on the website-or go for a total immersion in an Airbnb listing.

Plans for Fans

Check out some of Karen and Mina's favorite spots in Indy, and you might find them digging through vintage doorknobs or slurping ramen at the next table. If you do, congratulate Mina-she's expecting her first child this summer.

Shop

Little Doc's Architectural Salvage Stained-glass windows, rustic doors, hardware-even the kitchen sink.

Midland Arts and Antiques Market Karen and Mina like its supply of retro light fixtures.

Salvage and Company In Carmel, find funky furniture at bargain prices. "It's like Black Friday every day," Karen says.

Chatham HomeOriginal solid-wood furniture made by hand, upholstered pieces and exotic finds from around the world.

Stay

Imagine being in your own episode of Good Bones by staying in an Airbnb home rental that Karen and Mina list in Indianapolis.

The two-bedroom "House that Two Chicks Built" is a second-floor apartment above their former office in the Bates-Hendricks neighborhood. It sleeps eight and has cozy angled ceilings, soft blankets ("like chinchillas," Karen says), and a chalkboard above the dog bowls welcoming four-legged guests by name.

If they're booked, scroll through airbnb.com, which sometimes lists other private homes Karen and Mina transformed on the show.