All of the photos used in this post are created by me, Maria Bowers.
What could possibly be out there that has so many designers intrigued, excited, or worried?? Why it's AI! Artificial Intelligence has taken our Interior Design world by storm and I for one am so excited. Here's why:
How many hours do we spend scrolling Pinterest or other social media outlets for inspiration for our own projects?
How many times have we tried to imagine what colors or prints would look good together?
Or even try to figure out what colors, fabrics, prints, tiles etc are out there that we haven't even thought to use or know about?
Now mind you, AI is obviously made up to some extent. The prints and tiles or hardware that it could produce in a picture can be based on what may or may not actually exist (yet!) but it can spark a creative journey that you may not have found yourself on otherwise.
A little background if you've never worked with an interior designer before. Many of us, me included, treat our initial home consultations as a time to not only get to know our clients better but also their spaces, even the ones we're not doing. We find out important information like what they use the space for, how much do they entertain and how? What do they envision for their space? It's also a time when we discuss possible design and decorating ideas and I can't tell you how many times I'm like "hold on let me try to find something that kind of looks like what I'm talking about" and then I'm standing there scrolling Pinterest and wasting valuable time. It's so incredibly easy for me now to actually put in actual colors, describe a layout or what I want to add to a space and immediately show my client's an actual vision (way better than me trying to draw it 😆).
Let's face it, humans are a visual species. Me drawing on a piece of paper a possible trim work design in black and white has little appeal against this generated picture. Being able to use this tool opens a world of design possibilities that you weren't thinking about before. What's great about the above picture, for my neutral loving heart, is seeing these bolder colors and patterns together. I love mixing and matching fabrics and translating it to my design renders for my client presentations but for those that need that quick inspiration or validation?? This is the way to go. The description I used for the above picture is "transitional neutral room with added trim work, greenery and a pop of color" and this picture was generated. That's it!
When Midjourney started to creep up in my Interior Designer groups there was a lot of pushback and hesitation about what this could mean for us. At the end of the day though, AI could not possibly replace our services. It couldn't replace the storage design solutions, or fabric selection that is exclusive to your style and needs, or drawing of construction documents for your kitchen and bath remodels. There are too many behind the scenes that go into even the simplest jobs to think that AI could ever replace our industry. This tool is to be used for inspiration only.
As a designer, one of my absolute favorite things is to find new fabrics or tiles or wallpaper and put them all together in a palette (you can see some more in my palette studio). However, sometimes I turn to AI to give me that needed inspiration, whether I'm beginning a client project or for myself. Here are a few of my favorites:
Need exterior inspiration? I can't tell you how many times I have turned to AI to look for my outside projects (which seems to be in constant these days 😆). AI has helped me decide on front step and railing design and has inspired some landscaping/garden ideas:
The possibilities are endless! AI, when used properly, can be an excellent way to get creative ideas, kickstart your project or just have fun creating images on a rainy day! Just a word of caution though: this can be addicting and have you want to rip everything out and start over😆 *Please make sure you have a plan or professional help before you begin any home renovation*
I'd love to know your thoughts on AI in the comment section below!
Happy Decorating,
