What Happened to Karen E. Laine? HGTV Star Announces End of Beloved Series ‘Good Bones’

It’s the end of an era for fans of the HGTV series Good Bones. Host Mina Starsiak Hawk announced that season 8 will be the show’s last. She first began the design program with her mother, Karen E. Laine, in 2016. Since rising to fame on the network, Karen has made some huge life and career changes.

What Happened to Karen E. Laine?

Before starring in Good Bones, Karen was a full-time attorney for more than a decade. In 2007, she began restoring homes with Mina and they decided to start their Indianapolis-based renovation business, Two Chicks and a Hammer.

On September 30, 2019, an announcement on the company’s Instagram page revealed that Karen was retiring from the family business.

“After a long career of practicing law and revitalizing homes and neighborhoods, Karen is retiring from Two Chicks and a Hammer,” the statement read. “She will still be part of the HGTV show Good Bones! Karen is excited to spend her time doing all the things she loves like spending more time with [husband] Roger, sailing, hanging with her chickens and working on DIYs for Good Bones!”

Mina further explained the reasoning behind her mother’s decision to take a step back from their design business.

“I think for us, it got a little stressful at the end because we’re in such different places in our lives, and I’m like, ‘All right. Let’s go. I’m building an empire.’ And she’s like, ‘Well, yeah, let’s slow down, girl. You’re going too fast. You’re doing too much,’” she said. “So, although it’s definitely been a transition, I think it probably has us both in more comfortable places where we want to be.”

Why Is ‘Good Bones’ Ending? 

On August 9, 2023, Mina announced on her podcast, “Mina AF,” that Good Bones will be ending after season 8.

“Today, I filmed my last few pickups for Good Bones. Not Good Bones season 8, but for Good Bones. So, it is official, that’s a wrap, folks,” she shared.

As for the reasoning behind ending the beloved series, Mina simply said she “just needed to switch it up.” On Karen’s Instagram page, she posted a trailer for the final season of the show, slated to premiere on HGTV on August 15.

“I remember when it was just the two of us,” Karen reflected in the trailer, with Mina adding, “I just want to slow down.”

While many loyal viewers are sad to see the series come to an end, they’re excited to see Mina and Karen start their next chapter.

“Looking forward to the new season! Also hoping we will still be seeing you and the team in the future,” one fan wrote in a comment on Karen’s Instagram page. “I love your energy and sense of humor. I also really appreciate the way you take things others might consider ‘junk’ and find a beautiful use for it.”