'Good Bones' Reveals an I...

Adam has been working on "Good Bones" for years, but in that time, he's been flying back and forth between Indianapolis and Los Angeles, where he and his wife, Nicole, live with their three boys. Now, he wants to buy a home locally so he can have a (much) shorter commute to work. Still, Nicole is unsure about leaving Southern California.

Find out how Starsiak Hawk helps this family feel right at home, and learn some great take-home tips, too.

Cedar accents help a home feel warm and welcoming

Starsiak Hawk wants the exterior of this house to feel warm and bright, just like homes in Southern California. She and Laine come up with an idea to use cedar accents, giving the exterior a warm, earthy vibe. When it comes to the color of the siding, Starsiak Hawk wants to keep it simple.

"The exterior of the house has been painted a bright white, which, paired with the black-trim windows and cedar accents, give it that modern yet earthy contrast that is typical West Coast glam," Starsiak Hawk says.

To finish the look, she adds a black iron railing on the porch to give the home a modern style that's also popular in Southern California.

When Adam and Nicole finally see their house, they're impressed. The exterior has the chic look of the best Los Angeles real estate with all the charm of Indianapolis.

Evoke the beach with the right colors

Inside, Starsiak Hawk wants to give the living room a beach-inspired look without going overboard. So she skips the anchor-themed wall hangings and seashells in favor of a more subtle beach vibe through color.

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"The light oak–style [floor] we chose is reminiscent of the sandy beaches of Southern California, which works perfectly with our West Coast glam vibe," Starsiak Hawk says. "The blueish-white we picked for the wall color will really make this space feel light and airy."

Go long with your kitchen island

Starsiak Hawk wants Nicole to fall in love with this house, so she includes glamorous features like bright white finishes and chandeliers. Still, one of her most impressive additions is a massive 18-foot, navy blue island that Starsiak Hawk says gives her "island envy."

This island is impressive, but the size does cause one concern: There isn't one single countertop slab that can cover the entire surface. Starsiak Hawk still wants to give this counter that seamless look, so she gets creative with two smaller slabs.

"Since the island is a staggering 18 feet, we're using two large pieces of marblelite quartz and matching up the patterns so it looks like one large seamless piece," Starsiak Hawk says.

Go low-maintenance with composite decking

Californians love their indoor-outdoor lifestyle, and with such great weather, who could blame them? In this vein, the team adds a dark gray composite deck just outside the new accordion doors, which will give Adam and Nicole plenty of room to entertain their new Indianapolis friends.

"We're putting in the composite decking, which is a huge West Coast thing to do," says project manager Cory Miller. "And then the large exterior doors that will open up onto that deck. It's going to look absolutely amazing."

While Adam and Nicole won't be able to enjoy the great outdoors year-round like they would in California, this deck requires no maintenance and it looks beautiful.

"We're nailing it when it comes to bringing the West Coast to the Midwest," Miller says.

A hot tub will never go out of style

Starsiak Hawk wants to give Adam and Nicole an over-the-top master suite, so she ends up building a third story on top of this home to create one huge bedroom retreat. She then fills it with every comfort, as well as rustic cabinetry and oversized shower tiles in the massive double shower.

"The large-scale tiles will give the space that glam look, while the light brown custom Shaker cabinets will balance out the white and give the bath that West Coast feel," Starsiak Hawk says.

While Starsiak Hawk goes all-out for the shower, she wants to add one extra water feature that may seem dated, but will never go out of style if you're looking to kick back and relax at home.

"Because we're stealing you away from the beaches of Southern California, we had to give you some water," Starsiak Hawk says, leading the couple to the balcony. "So, you've got your own hot tub."

With a palatial retreat like this, maybe Nicole won't miss California all that much after all.

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