How AI Is Shaking Up Interior Design
What challenges do we face?
Let’s skip the pleasantries and start with my truth. Generative Artificial Intelligence, aka what challenges we face,
We might smile during seminars about the “exciting new tools” changing our industry, but when we’re alone with our AutoCAD drawings, many of us quietly ask: Am I being replaced?
Because while artificial intelligence is being marketed like it’s the next best thing since the accent wall, those of us who’ve built our careers around intuition, creativity, and emotional connection are asking tougher questions like, what will happen to us?
The Buzz Around AI in Interior Design
I’ve been an interior designer for over 25 years. I’ve worked on homes, offices, and everything in between. I’ve handled construction, demolition, emotion, and chaos, sometimes all in the same week. And while I’m no stranger to tech, AI hits a little differently. It’s not just a new tool. It’s a new conversation. A conversation that disturbs the very heart of what we do: create.
Let’s look at the numbers for a second. Searches for “AI Interior Design” have increased by over 3000% since 2023. I remember the first time a client showed me an AI-generated room rendering just before we did our consultation. I smiled, nodded, and kept it moving, but inside, I was tight. Not because it looked good (it didn’t) but because the rendering was detailed enough to make them think the design was nearly finished. We hadn’t even talked about her lifestyle, story, or how she wanted the room to feel!
The message is loud and clear: AI in interior design is not a prediction, it’s a present-day reality.
A Love-Hate Relationship in the Making
Let me be clear: I’m not against AI. I remember when AutoCAD stirred controversy. And don’t even get me started on Pinterest’s impact. Every tool has its drama phase.
But AI hits different, because it walks right into our creative lane. When people talk about AI-generated interiors and “instant designs,” it stirs something real in designers: Where’s the value in my years of experience when a machine can crank out a kitchen layout in 60 seconds?
That feeling? It’s valid. Many of us feel excited by the tools and anxious about the implications.
Yes, AI can speed up workflows and improve productivity. But it’s not just about being fast, it’s about being human. And no matter how sleek an algorithm is, it can’t walk into a space and feel what it’s supposed to become.
What’s Changing and What’s Not?
Let’s not ignore the facts. The Interior Design industry is shifting. AI-powered design tools can assist with sourcing, rendering, admin work, and even personalized suggestions based on style preferences. They are smart, efficient, and constantly evolving.
But here’s what’s not changing: the need for human designers.
AI doesn’t read a client’s body language when they hesitate over a color. It doesn’t hear the unspoken stories behind a kitchen remodel. It can’t tell when someone’s saying they want a “modern space” but really means they want a fresh start after a breakup.
Design is about more than trends and tools. It’s about trust. And that trust still needs a human face.
A Wake-Up Call or a Window of Opportunity?
Here’s how I see it: we can either panic or pivot.
This is a wake-up call but also a wide-open window for those willing to evolve. The designers who thrive in 2025 will be the ones who blend high-touch creativity with high-tech support. AI isn’t your replacement, it’s your assistant. It helps you do more of the real work, with less of the grind.
That means learning what tools actually serve your workflow (and which ones are just noise). It means using AI to pull product options faster, create base renderings quicker, and keep your projects moving with less friction, not less soul.
So, Where Do We Go From Here?
Interior designers have always adapted to tech, trends, and client expectations. AI is no different.
The difference now is that we need to claim our place with the tech, not beneath it. That means:
Leaning into the emotional intelligence AI lacks
Using automation to reclaim time for deep creative work
Staying client-centered in a world obsessed with output
In other words, let AI handle the logistics. You handle the layers that make a space feel like it belongs to someone.
Move Fast
Artificial intelligence may be moving fast, but it still needs guidance, and that guidance is you.
Your ability to translate a client's lifestyle into light, color, function, and flow? That’s not something a program can mimic. So yes, learn the tech. But don’t give it your crown. You’ve earned it.
The future of AI in interior design isn’t about replacement. It’s about refinement. And the designers who walk boldly into that conversation will be the ones who set the tone, not the ones who get left behind.
Want to see how I’ve integrated AI into my own design practice?
👉 Book a free 15-minute consult here
Stay tuned for the next blog in this series, where I break down exactly how designers are using AI in real projects and where to start if you're testing the waters.