There’s something magical about the nights before Christmas and the contrast between the cold darkness outside and the warmth, light and coziness inside. With the new bedrooms carefully tucked into the striking addition to their Michigan farmhouse, the Bridgers’ Orchard Hill Farm offers an especially cozy place to enjoy the holiday warmth.

Solving the Puzzle

How to fit “three bedrooms into a space only really fit for two,” plus a full bathroom, presented the Bridgers with a puzzle. If you’ve been following the renovation process, however, you know by now that the Bridgers are not ones to shrink away from a challenge.
They solved it by making two of the bedrooms “tiny” with a ship bed in one room and bunk beds in another. “We’re ok with it because there is so much open space, and we want to encourage people to be in more communal spaces,” Christine says.

In fact, the bedrooms ended up working very well. The framed built-in bed ended up being “the coziest nook in the house.” Childhood Christmases are especially magical, and the kids’ room with double bunk beds certainly facilitates holidays to remember.

The room is always a hit because it brings back childhood memories.

Each bed is covered in a cozy green Pendleton blanket, has its own light switch and a view out over the orchard.

Christine’s sister has two kids, and the cousins love spending time together. “They are more like brothers and sisters than cousins,” Christine says. The double bunk beds sleep all four cousins, who also get matching pajamas for Christmas every year. Gabe’s old childhood trunk sits in the corner, topped with a mini tree and vintage toys.

Less for the Best

Whether it was the issue of space or bedding or the holiday décor, the Bridgers took a less-is-more approach—and are pleased with the results. “We didn’t want to clutter and overdesign anything,” Christine says. They maintained the same palette as in the rest of the house: a white base with black and red accents for contrast. This color scheme also makes for what Christine calls “a crisp Christmas feel.”

Rather than overwhelm the small spaces, and in keeping with time-period appropriateness and the home’s orchard location, the Bridgers’ holiday décor is tasteful and meaningful. The ship bed, for instance, is framed by two built-in shelves, providing a perfect place to display little knickknacks that might otherwise get lost in larger areas. It’s also a great place to display the Bridgers’ archive of their Christmas cards, for a fun holiday time capsule.

For the master bedroom, Christine and Gabe have learned from the past. They knew it was their priority to have a king-size bed and good bedding. “We’ve scrimped there before,” Christine says, “and regretted it.” This time, they adopted the philosophy of “Less stuff but better stuff,” especially for something they use every night. The ski blanket and plaid ottomans add to the coziness and “crisp Christmas” theme.

Stay tuned next issue for the final reveal and a full house tour of the Bridger’s farmhouse!