Kitchen Banquette Refresh
One year ago, this little corner of our kitchen was full of DIY charm (and a lot of dark gray). It told the story of thrifted treasures, French mattress cushions, and my obsession with shiplap wallpaper. But lately… it was starting to feel heavy. So I did what any busy mom with a DIY heart and a ChatGPT tab open would do—I asked AI for a fresh take. And wow, did it deliver ☕️. Keep reading to see our Kitchen Banquette Refresh!
🛍️ Shop the Look – Banquette Refresh Favorites
🪑 Gray Canvas Fabric – Durable + family-friendly cushion cover upgrade
🖼️ Cricut Machine – Used to make the Florida-inspired DIY art
🪟 Floating Wood Shelves – Perfect for mugs, plants, and pretty moments
💡 Pendant Light – Soft glow + open feel for small spaces
🧺 Large Woven Basket – Holds our placemats and looks good doing it
🎨 Benjamin Moore Pale Oak Paint – The perfect soft greige tone
☕ Mug Set for Shelf Styling – Simple, neutral, and cozy
🌿 Mini Plant for Shelf Styling – A little greenery goes a long way
🧼 Fall-Scented Room Spray – Makes the whole nook feel fresh
📚 Cushion Foam Inserts – For that comfy banquette glow-up
📏 Flameless Candles – Adds a warm vibe at night
✨ What Sparked the Refresh?
We’ve loved our DIY kitchen banquette from the start—here’s the original build post. It turned our awkward corner into a cozy dining nook, and paired beautifully with the $50 Facebook Marketplace dining table we found (yes, really—it retails for $2,000!).
But after a year of living in the space, it started to feel… off. Too dark. Too crowded. And not quite “us” anymore.
So I opened ChatGPT, uploaded a picture of the room, and typed in:
“How can I refresh my dining nook to feel lighter, coastal, and reflect Florida life?”
And what came back sparked this entire transformation.
🔽 WATCH ON YOUTUBE 🔽
🎥 Watch the quick tip above — then scroll for more freebies, links & resources below!
🛠️ Everything We Changed since last year:
🎨 Fresh Paint
We started by saying goodbye to the dark shiplap wallpaper and repainting the entire nook—including the built-in cabinets—to match our kitchen in Benjamin Moore Pale Oak.
It instantly felt brighter, softer, and more connected to the rest of our home.
HERE’S THE BEFORE PICTURE
🪑 Cushion Glow-Up
Our DIY French mattress cushions were still comfy, but the beige covers had seen better days. I recovered them in a durable gray performance fabric that hides stains and matches the new tones beautifully. See the original DIY cushion post here.
🧺 Functional & Beautiful Storage
I thrifted a large woven basket for the center of the dining table. It now holds our fabric placemats and seasonal table linens—practical, but pretty enough to stay out in the open.
💡 Light Fixture Swap
The old light fixture was cute… but difficult to clean. We swapped it for a simple fabric pendant that gives off the perfect glow while letting the rest of the space breathe.
🖼️ Cricut DIY Artwork
To make the nook feel more personal, I created three minimalist art pieces using my Cricut. The prints feature Florida palms and beachy line art to reflect our life here—neutral enough to blend in, but unique to us. I’ll share the full DIY soon!
📦 Floating Shelves FTW
With the bulky DIY china cabinet removed (here’s that post if you want to see how far we’ve come), the wall finally felt open.
We added two natural wood floating shelves instead. Now we display a flameless candle, a plant, and a large seashell—simple, sweet, and airy.
🪟New Windows
As part of our banquette refresh, we also gave the windows a subtle glow-up to match the lighter, airier vibe. We swapped out the old black windows for a cleaner, more modern look and replaced them with white sliders to make the space feel finished. Between the updated windows, fresh coat of paint, and new floating shelves, the entire nook now feels cohesive and calm—like it was always meant to look this way
💬 The ChatGPT Effect
What I loved most about using ChatGPT to help plan this refresh was how it helped me reframe what I already had.
It reminded me that I didn’t need to start over—I just needed to edit and realign with our life right now.
I kept what worked. Let go of what didn’t.
And now this space feels peaceful again.
Check out this post with How To Use ChatGPT to Decorate Your Entire Home on a Budget
📌 Want to Catch Up on the Before?
- How to Build a DIY Banquette with Storage
- DIY French Mattress Cushions
- How We Found a $2000 Dining Table for $50
- The DIY China Cabinet (and why we let it go)
🪄 What’s Next?
I’m planning to create a mini Cricut art printable + SVG set based on the pieces I made for this space—drop a comment if you’d want those in the shop!
For now, I hope this inspires you to refresh a corner of your home—not by adding more, but by doing less with intention 💛
🛍️ Shop the Look – Banquette Refresh Favorites
🪑 Gray Canvas Fabric – Durable + family-friendly cushion cover upgrade
🖼️ Cricut Machine – Used to make the Florida-inspired DIY art
🪟 Floating Wood Shelves – Perfect for mugs, plants, and pretty moments
💡 Pendant Light – Soft glow + open feel for small spaces
🧺 Large Woven Basket – Holds our placemats and looks good doing it
🎨 Benjamin Moore Pale Oak Paint – The perfect soft greige tone
☕ Mug Set for Shelf Styling – Simple, neutral, and cozy
🌿 Mini Plant for Shelf Styling – A little greenery goes a long way
🧼 Fall-Scented Room Spray – Makes the whole nook feel fresh
📚 Cushion Foam Inserts – For that comfy banquette glow-up
📏 Flameless Candles – Adds a warm vibe at night
✨ Ready to Reset Your Kitchen Without the Overwhelm?
If your kitchen feels like chaos every morning before school, you’re not alone—and you’re not stuck! That’s exactly why I created the Kitchen Reset Bundle for Busy Moms. It’s the same system I use every back-to-school season to refresh our kitchen routines, declutter our pantry, and set up easy grab-and-go stations that actually work for our family.
Whether you’re dreaming of stress-free lunch packing, smoother grocery planning, or just knowing where the heck the kid-safe scissors are—this bundle is here to help.
🧺 Inside the Bundle You’ll Find:
- Printable checklists and planning sheets to streamline your week
- 45+ pantry & fridge labels to organize all your kitchen zones
- A kid-friendly chore chart that makes helping fun (yes, really!)
- My go-to Kitchen Reset Plan Worksheet to take the guesswork out of what to do next
- Plus—a full-length eBook that walks you through resetting your entire kitchen in just 3 days!
You don’t need a new house or expensive organizers to create a calm, efficient kitchen. You just need a plan that’s already done for you.
🛒 Click here to shop the bundle now!
Or keep scrolling to see how I used it in our own kitchen refresh 👇
If you’re loving this week’s Kitchen Refresh & Reset for Fall series, don’t miss the DIY room spray post! 🍂I’m sharing six cozy essential oil blends perfect for DIY fall room scents—like Cider Kitchen and Pumpkin Porch—plus a set of free printable labels sized for 1 oz, 2 oz, 3 oz, and 16 oz amber bottles. These sprays are a simple way to make your kitchen (or any room!) smell amazing as you head into back-to-school season. You’ll find the full recipes and label downloads here!
Psssssttt…Right now I’m offering FREE access to our Digital Resource Library to all of our newsletter subscribers. Your private access includes dozens of free printable crafts, home decor and organization guides. Hurry up and grab your freebies here! (Access instructions are sent after subscribing).
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links or a sponsored post. All opinions are always 100% mine and I don’t partner with any product or company that I don’t use and love. Please see our Full Disclosure for more information.
Kitchen Banquette Refresh
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