Real Rooms: Griffin’s Cafe Au Lait

A fresh coat of paint is my absolute favorite way to not only update a room but to add a little drama. Sarah, mother to three-month old Griffin, must agree. By painting the room a warm shade of cafe-au-lait, she created a rich backdrop for an elegant and sophisticated nursery. Inspired by Dwell’s Circles crib bedding, Sarah used a few old pieces from other rooms in the house alongside the new crib, glider and rug to get a clean and eclectic feel. Other finishing touches include a bookshelf made by Griffin’s grandfather and vintage family photos in crisp white frames. The alphabet cards positioned above the crib add just the right touch of modern. Read on for more details.

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What was your inspiration for the room?
I was inspired by my bedding collection, which is Circles by Dwell Studio for Target. I wanted something modern with lots of color but not so overwhelming I couldn’t introduce other elements.

What best describes your decorating style?
I like to contrast modern design with vintage prints and art.

Please with us choice of paint colors, furniture, art, diy tips, etc.
Unfortunately, the paint color isn’t made anymore so I had to get an old chip color matched. The crib and glider came from Walmart. The dresser was from a local discount store. The table and chair was donated by a family member and the bookshelf was made by the baby’s grandfather.

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What is your favorite item(s) in the room?
My favorite item is the bookshelf. It gives him great access to the book when he’s older and brings so much color into the room.

Is there anything else you would like PN readers to know?
The Charley Harper Alphabet flashcards over the crib were a great and cheap way to introduce art into the room.

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Pam

Pam

Pam lives in the heart of San Francisco, CA and is a multi-tasking mom to three tots: Gigi (9), Gray (7) and Sloane (4). She co-founded Project Nursery to share her love of design and great finds.

Comments

  1. Diapers and Divas

    July 22, 2009

    That is a great nursery!! The colors and pieces are definitely my style!

  2. Jill in Ohio

    July 23, 2009

    Love this nursery and the bookshelf too! Where is that from?

  3. Erin

    July 23, 2009

    There’s a *very* similar bookshelf by The Land of Nod: http://www.landofnod.com/family.aspx?c=74&f=5381&pc=16

    LOVE this nursery. Can’t wait to have our third child so I can get creative again :)

  4. Chasseny

    July 23, 2009

    Great Job on the room Sarah!!! Baby Griffin is sleeping good, Im sure!

  5. kylydia

    July 23, 2009

    Wow, what a great room. Sarah must be a super-great mom to expose her son to good design at such a young age. :)

  6. Reiza

    July 23, 2009

    Add me to the list of people who wants to know where that bookshelf is from. That’s exactly what my twin daughters need.

  7. Sarah

    July 23, 2009

    The bookshelf was made by my stepfather. He actually worked off a picture I saw on a real-life nursery featured in another blog! I think Walmart had a very similar one at one time but I can’t find it anymore.

  8. Sarah

    July 23, 2009

    what a GREAT way to display those Charley Harper alphabet cards. love it!
    classic books on that shelf too!

  9. Laura

    July 27, 2009

    Sarah, I LOVE the bookshelf. Is your stepfather anywhere near Texas and can he make us one too?

  10. Natalie @ Southern Belle's Charm

    July 28, 2009

    I love the alphabet cards…so orginal. My son has vintage books in his room as well!

  11. Mere

    August 2, 2009

    Wow, simple but creative — love the nursery! I really like what you did with the Charley Harper cards. I have them and have been trying to think of how to display them in my (future) nursery. I was thinking somehow on the closet doors, but I like the wall application too.

    I also love his name.

    :)

  12. Alicia

    August 16, 2009

    Love the alphabet card idea. How did you apply them to the walls?

  13. Sarah

    September 1, 2009

    I used those 3M strips. I tried glue dots first then double stick tape but they fell so I had to try something more hardcore.

    I used a ruler to set the width apart and applied a strip to the bottom and top. It actually went a lot smoother than I had expected.

  14. Kara

    September 11, 2010

    What are the measurements on the bookcase? I’d like to make it! :-)

  15. Kara

    September 11, 2010

    Is this attached to the wall and if so, how did you attach? Thanks!!

  16. caulking tips

    November 14, 2011

    Hi, Neat post. There’s a problem with your web site in web explorer, would test this? IE still is the market leader and a good portion of other folks will miss your fantastic writing due to this problem.

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