AI for interior design: why ChatGPT is no match for a real interior designer
Lately, my Instagram feed has been flooded with creators using AI tools like ChatGPT to generate interior design concepts at the click of a button. With just a prompt and a few seconds, your living room can be reimagined, your kitchen cabinets can change colour and your bathroom can be retiled - and it’s easy to see the appeal.
There’s no denying that AI has its place in the creative process. Tools like ChatGPT are fantastic for generating instant ideas, helping you visualise a mood or theme, and even creating a springboard for inspiration when you're feeling stuck.
But when it comes to actually designing a liveable, functional, and beautiful space, AI has its limits. This is where a professional interior designer can help, and here’s why…
AI can’t space plan
Understanding how people flow in and out of a room, how the lighting hits a space or how to make a small room feel bigger, takes more than an instant render. Space planning is foundational to good design. It’s about making a room work for the people who live in it, looking at where the light hits and not just making it look good in a picture. AI can’t intuitively grasp the quirks of a layout the way a trained interior designer can.
Image via Loaf
AI lacks personalisation
ChatGPT doesn’t know that you love curling up in the sunniest corner of your home with a book, or that you have pets or children that make a mess. It won’t ask about your storage needs, your lifestyle, or how you want your home to feel. A designer takes the time to get to know you and crafts a space that reflects your personality and practical needs.
Images via Pinterest
Lighting matters
AI might suggest a lovely sage green for your north-facing room, but what you see on screen might not translate so well when it comes to actually seeing the colour on the walls for real. Light affects colour drastically and what looks soft and serene in a render might look cold and dull in real life. An interior designer understands how light, orientation, and even texture will alter the look and feel of materials and finishes.
Image via Coat
Practical design isn’t AI’s strength
Let’s take bathrooms as an example. It’s one thing to dream up a beautiful bathroom but quite another to design one in practice. Plumbing, practical layouts, ventilation, awkward corners - these are all considerations that don’t factor into an AI’s Pinterest-perfect design. An interior designer knows what’s going to work, what’s going to save you money and will be there to communicate these ideas to your contractor.
Image via Google
AI can’t source furniture
Whilst ChatGPT can suggest furniture, it doesn’t understand scale and it can’t measure your space like an interior designer will. It doesn't know if a sofa will overpower a room or if there’s enough clearance for chairs. An interior designer does - they plan with precision, ensuring every piece fits the space and works with your lifestyle. Plus, interior designers have access to trade discounts from contractors that they trust and recommend.
AI-generated design is best treated as what it is: inspiration. It can help you discover your style or envision what’s possible. But turning that vision into a real, liveable space takes a professional touch. An interior designer can interpret your ideas, adapt them to your home’s constraints, and execute them with personalised approach.
If you’ve produced some ideas using ChatGPT but struggling to see how you can make this work in real life, my single room interior design service can help. I can help you with functional and practical layouts, paint colour suggestions based on the lighting in your room, and source furniture with access to trade discounts. Book in for a free discovery call to find out more.
