After eight seasons, Mina Starsiak Hawk and her mother, Karen Laine, have aired the final episode of their hit show “Good Bones.”

Starsiak Hawk is not leaving the renovation business altogether. She’s still busy at work at Two Chicks and a Hammer, the Indianapolis-based construction business that she and Laine started more than 10 years ago.

And she’s not leaving HGTV for good, either. She and her husband, Steve, have been filming the renovation of their recently purchased lake house. She also told People magazine she’d like to continue appearing on other HGTV shows such as “Rock the Block” and “Battle on the Beach.”

So why, exactly, did “Good Bones” end? Family tension, particularly of the mother-daughter kind, seems to be to blame.

On her podcast, “Mina AF,” Starsiak Hawk has been candid about her struggles, confessing, “My mom and I were in some of the most challenging places I felt we’ve been.”

Yet, this family is not one to air their dirty laundry on screen. In the final episode, “Tad’s Next Chapter,” Starsiak Hawk happily helps her brother Tad and his girlfriend, Anna, renovate a 2,981-square-foot Indianapolis home. There are no teary goodbyes or mentions that this is the last “Good Bones” we’ll ever see.

And like the pro she is, Starsiak Hawk dishes out great renovation tips that any of us can try in our own homes. Pay attention to these lessons, because it might be a while before you hear from her again!

Don’t overbuild for your neigboorhood

“He got it for $212,000 and wants to put about $180,000 into it,” says Starsiak Hawk. “So he’ll be all in at $392,000, which isn’t a bad place to be. He’s going about it pretty smartly. A little bit unique, but he’s being careful not to over-renovate it and make it the most expensive house on the street.”

Wiser real estate advice is rarely heard, and for good reason: When your house is the most expensive in the neighborhood, it’s harder to get a good price when you sell it. That said, it does help raise the value of your neighbor’s houses—but what good will that do you?

Reduce clutter by going big

When discussing her design style, Anna says, “My dream is like, you know, those people who after 40 years of being in their house they have all these fun little things that tell a story.”

“What I think you need to go for is less pieces and bigger pieces, so it doesn’t feel cluttered,” responds Starsiak Hawk.

Too many little tchotchkes lying about not only makes a house look cluttered, but it also gives off grandma vibes. Collections are fine, but you don’t need to have every little piece on display in one room.

Darker colors create a cozy ambiance

One of Tad’s favorite rooms in the house is what he’s calling the library.

“For the library, going darker is going to give it a cozy vibe,” says Starsiak Hawk. “You’re going to want to snuggle up and read a book, and it’s going to be this special space.”

They agree to paint the walls a dark green-gray called Iron Ore.

“But I think in the public spaces, we really need to encourage them to go a little bit lighter,” she continues.

“If they go lighter in more of the spaces, then a lot darker in the library, it will feel special,” says designer MJ. “And it won’t be overly moody.”

Make sure your kitchen is beautiful but practical

As Tad and Anna tour the countertop warehouse with Laine, their eyes light up when they come to the marble section.

“Let me tell you about marble,” says Laine, not wanting them to fall too in love with any of those particular slabs. “If you spill a glass of wine on it, you will forever know where that glass of wine was. It’s nobody’s fault; it’s not a failure. That’s the nature of the stone. Anything you drop on it, you drop a pan on it, you’re going to chip it.”

They decide against marble and select a white quartz slab with gray veining for the kitchen.

“There’s a lot of movement, there’s a lot of color variation, but it’s not overwhelming,” says Tad.

Convert your attic into usable living space

There’s loft space about 8 feet above the main suite in Tad’s new house. Some people might ignore it because there’s not a lot of headroom up there, it’s hard to access, and it’s never been used before—not even for storage.

But Tad and Anna intend to take full advantage of it.

To do this, they open the loft and install a rolling ladder system with a custom railing and gate. This alone creates a unique design element in the bedroom.

Behind that, they put a blush-pink sofa, a rug, a few other accessories, and skylights to create a cozy reading or gaming nook.

It’s a winner.

No grand finale

The episode doesn’t end with a big finish for Starsiak Hawk, but rather a grand beginning. Tad gets down on one knee to propose to Anna in their new house, and friends and family stream in to toast them.

So we’ll propose a toast:

Here’s to Mina Starsiak Hawk and her fabulous renovation show “Good Bones.” We’re sad to see you go, but we understand that family dynamics are probably tougher than any renovation you’ll ever tackle. Thank you for all the help and entertainment you’ve graced us with over the past eight years, and may your sledgehammer never stop swinging.

The post Goodbye, ‘Good Bones’: Here’s What Mina Starsiak Hawk’s Final Episode Was Really Saying To Us All appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

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