Christine’s Hard-Won Advice
Learn from the Bridgers’ experience before you dive into your own bathroom project.
• Measure twice; order once. You find this out the hard way sometimes. But especially if you
are taking on DIY projects in a small space, “precise measurement is key,” Christine says.
• Buy inexpensive basics and customize to make them feel period appropriate with some DIY touches. For example, the Bridgers used a $50 mirror from Lowe’s and added a wooden frame to it themselves for another $100—still dramatically less expensive than buying a framed mirror of that size new.
• Think through your claw-foot tub. These tubs look gorgeous on the page, but Christine cautions, “Be careful.” “Claw-foot tubs are beautiful,” she says, “but they are not as simple to install or even to use. We sacrificed some function for design” with the tub/shower combo in the upstairs bathroom. In addition to concerns of space, think about where you will mount the tub itself, as well as the faucet and whether the plumbing will come from the floor or the wall. Another thing to keep in mind is that if you want to make it a functional shower as well, that involves separate plumbing, a showerhead, and requires a curtain rod and curtain around the whole tub. The Bridgers loved the “rain/spa-like element” of their Kohler Moxie showerhead, which involved separate plumbing through the ceiling.
• Layer patterns with a black-and-white base. When you start with a black-and-white base and even a black-and-white pattern, you can “layer in colored patterns without it looking weird.” One of Christine’s favorite ways to layer in pattern is with Pendleton towels. “It’s my signature,” she says, and while they cost more, “they last forever” and can also be used as beach towels. Christine will collect them over time, so that eventually she will have an eclectic, colorful collection that serves both functional and decorative purposes.
• Don’t use flat paint in a bathroom. Christine warns that this is a popular choice for painters and builders since it’s cheaper, but “when you go to clean it, it almost comes off,” Christine says. The Bridgers prefer eggshell or satin paints for their look and better durability.