She Used an AI-Created Design to Turn an Empty Corner into a Maximized Breakfast Nook
“The breakfast nook was one of those spaces that had so much potential but never felt intentional,” Carmen Murphy shares. Carmen and her boyfriend had moved in together two years ago and had been slowly transforming their apartment.
But the couple never really did anything with this space — besides accidentally making it a catchall — because “it’s oddly shaped and in front of the bedroom door.” It was hard to imagine what would work for the space, and it quickly became an empty corner of their home they never wanted to spend time in.
ChatGPT Helped Her Create a Few Design Options to Maximize Space
Because Carmen and her boyfriend were renting, she needed to make sure whatever changes she made to the 11-foot-wide space weren’t permanent but still looked built-in. Instead, Carmen turned to ChatGPT “to come up with some options to use the space to its full potential.”
Her 3 Must-Haves Fit in the Space After Meticulously Measuring
With ChatGPT’s help, Carmen created a layout that fit the small space perfectly and incorporated her three must-haves for the project — more storage, comfortable seating, and her wine fridge.
“I started by measuring the space over and over to make sure every inch would be used efficiently,” Carmen shares. Once she had a plan, she began researching benches that would fit the wall length.
Carmen found that using an L-shaped corner bench and transforming it into a straight built-in bench was the best fit. “It took a lot of measuring and a bit of creative maneuvering to make sure everything lined up, felt balanced, and looked like it had always been there instead of looking pieced together,” she explains.
She Used Fabric from an Estate Sale to Create Matching Cushions
Carmen wanted to create a breakfast nook that felt collected, inviting, and full of character. She added millwork and trim, color-matching it to the apartment’s existing trim, and used renter-friendly adhesive to add a backrest. Plus, she sewed bench cushions and backrest covers with fabric she found at an estate sale (that even coordinated with her existing artwork).
Overall, turning the bench into a banquette was “one of the best decisions” Carmen made. “That small addition tied everything together, closed the visual gaps, and gave the entire project a polished, custom-built appearance,” she says.
But what surprised Carmen the most was how helpful ChatGPT was in creating the final space, and how closely the AI-created design matched the finished look. “Seeing the concept translate so accurately into the finished breakfast nook gave me the confidence to trust the design process from start to finish,” Carmen says.
The Breakfast Nook Changed How They Used Their Home
Before she moved in with her boyfriend, she lived in a small New York City studio apartment and learned to make every inch and corner have a purpose. But when she moved into the larger North Carolina apartment, she realized she’d stopped doing that. “Here, I was simply letting the space exist instead of making it my own,” Carmen shares.
So once Carmen finished the DIY transformation, she regretted not doing it sooner because of how much it changed how the couple used their home. “I didn’t realize how much potential that space had, and I wasn’t utilizing it well at all,” she says.
The DIY has now transformed the overlooked corner into their most-used (and most-loved) space. It’s where they have their morning coffee, share meals, entertain friends, and even play board games. “It feels like the heart of the apartment now,” Carmen notes.
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