Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Interview with Two Chicks And A Hammer! (Part 1 of 2)

Conversation took a colorful turn when mother-daughter home remodelers and TV personalities (Two Chicks and a Hammer) Karen Laine and Mina Starsiak joined Owens Corning® Roofing. On their TV show, Karen and Mina use color to transform the exteriors of homes in Indianapolis’ historic Bates Hendricks neighborhood. Here, Karen and Mina addressed some of the most common questions asked by remodelers, roofing contractors and homeowners. Following is an excerpt of conversations:

Why is exterior color such an important part of your home remodels?
(Mina): We want the houses we remodel to fit in with the neighborhood’s personality and so we use color in a way that is neither overbearing nor boring. We like Owens Corning TruDefinition® Duration® Designer shingles because the color is more saturated, yet not overly intense and brings an interesting texture to the roof.

(Karen): Color is the key to helping a house “tell its story.” Every house has a story and expresses the homeowner’s personality through the texture and color of its roof, the details of its front porch and the style and hue of its front door. Color says, “This is who I am.” At the end of the day, color is personal.

Can you provide some examples of how color serves as a statement?
(Karen): We all use color to inform the world about who we are and what we’re about. For example, yellow says, “I’m sunny.” Gray reflects a dignified personality; blue indicates a calm, serene approach to life; and a chocolate color says, “I’m delicious – people eat me up!” We just remodeled a house using a brown shade to create a cozy vibe. Although just 1,100 square feet, the house looks as inviting as a latte – it’s like a little puff of chocolate mousse in the neighborhood.

Speaking of neighborhoods, how does the color of other homes in an area factor into color decisions?
(Mina): The neighborhood we work in does not have home owner association restrictions that dictate color, so we can take bigger risks. But it’s really important that a home “fit into” its neighborhood. Colors should not compete with one another – they need to complement. It’s a balance between avoiding the ‘matchy matchy’ effect and having the colors of the home’s exterior argue against one another. As mom says, “if the colors aren’t married together, they’re fighting,” and one of the things we liked about the Owens Corning® TruDefinition® Duration® Designer shingles is how shingles within the line marry well with a wide variety of shades.

(Karen): In developing its color palette, Owens Corning gave us a brand new way to think about the roof – making it part of the overall effect that ties a house –and the neighborhood we remodel in – together. For one remodel we’re working on now, the TruDefinition® Duration® shingle in Driftwood really speaks to me. The palettes provide a way for us to add more texture to the color palette and they’re versatile enough that they’ll look great even if the house is repainted a dozen times.

ABOUT TWO CHICKS AND A HAMMER

Karen E. Laine (Mom) and Mina Starsiak (daughter) are Two Chicks and a Hammer, Inc.

”We began rehabbing houses in our neighborhood near downtown Indianapolis in 2007. In the process, we discovered a skill set and passion for neighborhood rehabilitation, one house at a time. We found that we could do well by doing good! In 2014 our company was found by High Noon Entertainment, who filmed a pilot for HGTV. The pilot aired in May 2015 under the name “Two Chicks and a Hammer”.

In July 2015 we began filming the first season of the show now known as “Good Bones”. We began filming a second season in 2016, which is airing in May 2017.

Check out the 4 Guys And A Roof's next blog entry for the rest of the story!