Would You Trust AI to Decorate Your Home? Experts Share the Pros and Cons

AI is arguably the biggest technological game-changer of our time. Much like the advent of the smartphone, it’s transforming nearly every aspect of daily life, including how we design our homes. You’ve likely seen hyper-realistic AI-generated interiors circulating online, often accompanied by a flood of critical (and sometimes complimentary) comments.

But should you rely on AI for your next renovation or refresh? Can it truly replace the expertise of an interior designer? While the idea may sound appealing at first, the answer might surprise you. Here’s what design experts think.

What AI Is Good At

Layout and Space Optimization

Nicole Jensen, interior designer at Murphy Door, says AI can generate a wide range of styles, layouts, and aesthetics from simple prompts. “It can suggest optimal furniture arrangements, improve traffic flow, and offer space-saving solutions based on room dimensions,” Jensen explains. “It can also simulate changes, like adding furniture or adjusting lighting, so users can preview a space before making decisions.”

Visual Aids

AI is especially helpful for providing easy—and often free—visuals that you had to either pay a designer to render or download an app for just a few years ago. For example, if you’re considering repainting your kitchen cabinets hunter green from the original wood color, just upload an image and instruct AI to change the color. 

AI can also help guide you in the right direction for decorating. For example, if you want to know how your living room would look with a black rug or contemporary furniture, some AI tools even let you see what a specific product would look like in your space. This technology helps you make a design decision with a lot more confidence.

Paint Color Selection

ChatGPT even lets you select a specific paint color and brand. While this isn’t technically doing the job of a human, it’s a great way to get a visual for DIY projects or when you’re updating something you wouldn’t necessarily hire an interior designer for. Sure, probably still want to get paint samples, but having the visual is an easy way to narrow down your selection.

Budgeting

Lastly, AI can be useful for budgeting. For example, you can prompt AI to design a room within your budget, broken down with specific product suggestions.

What AI Is Bad At

Product Recommendations

Russell Goldman, who was a former AI product lead at LG Electronics and is now an interior designer and the founder of More Wow, points out that one of the biggest problems with AI is its impersonal recommendations. “AI lacks access to the dynamic, relational web of artisans, craftspeople, and historical knowledge that designers draw from when sourcing unique and meaningful pieces,” he adds.

While some AI platforms can recommend specific products, ChatGPT, which is one of the most popular AI platforms, isn’t great at this. On a basic level, if you prompt ChatGPT to design a room, the products it renders don’t exist in real life. So, if it comes up with the floral wallpaper of your dreams or the perfect sofa, it can be disappointing to discover these things don’t actually exist. So, you’re stuck using Google Image Search to find something similar (if you’re lucky).

Understanding Design Styles

AI also doesn’t seem to understand design styles. For example, I uploaded an image of a living room to ChatGPT and asked for it to change the chair to a modern one. It generated an image with a chair that had angled legs. Angled legs aren’t exactly modern—they’re mid-century modern. As a design writer for nearly a decade, I can assure you that while some styles are open to interpretation, this one is not.

I also prompted ChatGPT to design a traditional nursery with specific product recommendations. While some of the suggestions were good, it recommended a farmhouse-style dresser, not a traditional one. So, while AI can be useful for the framework or big-picture ideas, when it comes to specifics and product knowledge, it’s far behind human experts.  

The Ethics of AI

One issue with AI that many people have across various industries is its ability to replace humans. But Miles Smith, senior solutions manager at Graphisoft, a leader in architectural design software, sees it as something designers should embrace.

“I think it’s fair to compare AI to the rise of personal computers—every time we discuss AI, we’re always forced to answer the prevalent question, ‘Will AI take away jobs?'” Smith says. “The answer in this case is no, but people who understand how to use AI will eventually replace those who do not, in the same way that people who understood how to use personal computers in the workplace eventually replaced those who did not.”

But Anastasia Casey of The Interior Collective highlights the fundamental issue humans have with AI. “It can’t replace the nuance of a designer’s eye or understand the emotional needs of a client,” she points out. Think of AI like a hammer—it’s a tool that makes building things easier, but it’s not the only thing you need to get the job done. “AI will only get you 85% of the way there, and in a luxury service industry, 85% is not nearly complete,” Casey adds.

Should You Let AI Design Your Space?

While you shouldn’t let AI design your space entirely, it can definitely be a helpful part of the process. Want a few quick visuals? AI can help you decide between white and navy blue paint in your home office.

However, when it comes to larger projects like kitchen renovations, AI falls short. “It doesn’t account for technical considerations like spatial flow, material performance, or regulatory constraints,” Goldman explains. For projects that require permits and major construction, AI is great for generating aesthetic ideas, but it can’t do much beyond that, at least right now.

On the other hand, if you’re trying to save money on a smaller project, you could always opt for a hybrid of both AI and human input. Use AI to narrow your style down or render an idea. You can then share this information with a designer who offers an hourly package and can create a real space with real products based on AI’s ideas or suggest real-life products that match the AI-generated ones.