Good Bones Season 5 Premiere Recap

Hi, HGTV fans. Thanks for dropping in for our recap of the Season 5 premiere of Good Bones. I’m Megan Fernandez. I often write about homes for Indianapolis Monthly, and I asked my colleagues Josh Cox and Kristin Sims to sidekick it with me for this dive into Indy’s hit HGTV show. They both have impeccable decorating taste. Josh’s house actually has a hashtag on Instagram (#the1922), and Kristin used a power saw to fabricate her own wood floor tile. They intimidate me.

Kristin and Josh, I have to admit that I didn’t think the show would last this long when it debuted four years ago. Good for them (co-host Karen and her adult kids Mina, a co-host, and Tad, on the crew). This Fountain Square house in “before” condition cost them $130,000. I paid about the same amount for my house a couple of miles away, and it was renovated and bigger. That’s Fountain Square for you now.

Mina and her boys cow-tip the yard barn and we get a look at Tad’s samurai hairstyle before getting down to business. Mina and Karen bought an old bungalow that isn’t in bad shape, but definitely outdated and with some structural issues. The seller grew up in this house, and he passed up a bigger offer to sell to Two Chicks and a Hammer because they wouldn’t tear it down. Mina and Karen leave the floor plan intact and just make a few spaces bigger to open it up a bit. I’m glad some people still like rooms. 

The big change is the conversion of a front room and adjacent bedroom into one large master suite. That leaves a pretty small living room and a space that’s a stretch to call a dining room (but I have that Ikea “Docksta” tulip table, and it works). The kitchen is modest in size, but beautiful, with dark green cabinets. I’ve always thought the Good Bones designs are pretty, but not real showstoppers like you see on other HGTV shows. In a way, that’s nice, because the decor is attainable. Here, I love the greens they use throughout the house with gold accents. I’ve been feeling green myself lately. It seems fresh. 

The boys are supposed to horse around for comedic relief. I wanted more, honestly. I wish they would go full Carb Day sometimes. But it’s just the premiere, so maybe they’re revving up.

What stood out to you in this episode? I didn’t even mention Karen’s pet rooster.

Josh

Admittedly, I think I’ve seen 1.5 episodes of Good Bones in their four complete seasons, through no fault of the Good Bones family—there’s so much TV to consume these days. Loved the use of all the green in and outside the house. The dark green wall in the “living room” (quotes because it’s pretty small) reminded me of the color we painted our entryway and stairway walls when we first moved into our new home. That is to say, gorgeous! I wish they would have lost one of the bedrooms in order to expand the living and dining space, but I don’t flip houses professionally.

Loved the kitchen color combinations but that black countertop looked like a cheap laminate. [It’s actually black sueded granite.] And I wish they would have used a gorgeous soapstone in its place, which is a little more work but worth the effort, in my opinion.  

How many hipsters had to go hatless at Coachella last year in order for them to decorate this house? (They hung brimmed hats on the wall.)

In our house, we celebrated the horsing around during this month of Pride.           

Kristin

I had trailed off watching Good Bones, too. Everything seemed the same in every episode, and some of the artist visits—while I completely encourage their support of local artists—seemed forced. I think they’ve found a good groove. Even though this episode is back in Fountain Square, I like that they have branched out to other neighborhoods in the city in recent seasons.

Yes, loved the kitchen! So tired of seeing the same white cabinets on every show! Take a stand, people: Be unique, be bold, embrace color! I’m happy they saved the vintage hardware, too! I read the counters differently, though—I thought it was a honed finish. The raised ceiling in the kitchen was also a great move.

Ugh, you both have a stronger stomach than I do regarding the boys’ shenanigans. As a product of a parent who was seriously injured (blinded) by a ricocheted nail, all I think of is, Why aren’t they wearing safety glasses?

Megan

Oh, they went $50,000 over budget and the house sold for $310,000 for a profit of $30,000 plus whatever they will clear in sweatshirt sales. Let’s recap again next week!

Products from each show are listed on the Two Chicks and a Hammer app. New Season 5 episodes air on HGTV on Tuesdays at 9 p.m.