Mina and Karen's Magical Cottage on the Hill
The good ladies of Good Bones create a cottage charmer with a contemporary coastal vibe.
When Karen and Mina took on the renovation of the “little white house on Sanders Street” in the historic Bates-Hendricks neighborhood in southeast Indy, everything at first seemed like rainbows and unicorns. Despite having seen some hard times, the 1200-square-foot cottage, with its tiny footprint, spindle porch columns and heirloom rose bush did, in fact, have a certain fairytale appeal.
BEFORE: The Sanders Street House
It's going to be cute; it's going to be cozy. It's going to be our adorable, little magic fairy cottage.Karen
But rainbows are fleeting, unicorns are elusive and, upon closer inspection, the little white house on Sanders Street seemed more scary than enchanting. A cursory tour revealed water leaking in the basement, significant foundation issues, an unsound roof and floor joists with no visible means of support.
BEFORE: Living Room
So it would seem our fearless duo find themselves — not for the first time — in possession of a challenging fixer-upper that’s apparently still standing solely by the power of magic. At least that’s Karen’s take. Mina has her doubts.
There's nothing magical about this. What I call a problem that's going to cost more money, Mom calls 'magic'. Those are the two sides of the coin here.Mina
Undaunted, Team Two Chicks and a Hammer proceeds full speed ahead, ripping down siding, taking the home interior down to the studs and devising an all-new floor plan that better suits the scale of the house.
The first floor gets updated with an open-concept layout in the forward section that incorporates a combined kitchen, dining and living space. The high ceilings get a dramatic cathedral treatment and the new kitchen gets double-stacked cabinets and Carrara marble backsplash.
Joe Robbins/Getty Images
AFTER: Living Room
The rear section of the house, which had been divided into small, awkward spaces, gets reconfigured to create a spacious master suite with an all-new bath highlighted by pocket doors, a double vanity and full-sized tub.
Joe Robbins/Getty Images
Joe Robbins/Getty Images
Also added on the first-floor is a second bedroom, with separate bath, in a space that had originally been a porch add-on. Upstairs, a loft space gets updated to create a guest bedroom with day bed and seating area.
Joe Robbins/Getty Images
Mina and Karen take Linda, who owned the house from 1975 through 1986, on a tour of the newly renovated spaces.
In a rare opportunity, before the house gets put on the market, a former owner who had lived in the house during the '70s gets to make a return visit to see Karen and Mina’s completed transformation. Her overall impression: “I was in awe when I looked at it. It looks so magical. It looks happy,” she said. “You’ve taken a diamond in the rough and turned it into a beautiful jewel.”
Joe Robbins/Getty Images
AFTER: The Sanders Street House
The Good Bones episode titled "The Little White House on the Hill" premieres June 20 at 10p|9c. And check back here to see more new photo galleries, exclusive video clips and show updates.
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