AI and Interior Design: A Surprising, Yet Endearing Match Made in Heaven

Picture this: It’s 2020, and you’re staring at the four, bland white walls of your bedroom for the fifth hour in a row. Your mind starts to wander. A scary thought passes through as you opt to scour the internet out of sheer boredom. 

“Is painting my bedroom red really such a bad idea?” you say aloud to yourself after reading online that psychologists say it’s a big no. You’re aware that you’re somewhat losing your marbles, considering such an option would be entirely plausible because it is your favorite color, right? 

Two hours later, you’re in line at the hardware store with four cans of red paint, credit card at the ready. Suddenly, you remember that strange design app you downloaded years ago. You drop the cans, sprint home, open your phone and see in real-time visualization how the color red would suit your bedroom, and instantly you’ve realized that this is your breaking point. Where on earth did your mind just go? Thanks to such technological advancements, you’ve just saved $500 and halted creating a prison cell for a bedroom.

In today’s fast-paced world, artificial intelligence (AI) has quietly snuck in and completely perpetrated industries that we once thought solely belonged to the likes of engineers and architects who initially utilized AI in machine learning and robotics to advance specific construction projects.

Let’s explore why AI is going to boom within the design industry and how it allows any average Joe to make smarter purchasing choices through the use of real-time visualization within their own spaces. 

How Does AI Benefit the Client? 

With 71% of US customers agreeing that they're more likely to invest more in a product when given the option to visualize it in real-time.

It isn't a shock that those with large-scale, costly projects such as re-designing their families' home space, need reassurance for specific decisions before sinking in the time, effort, and money. 

AI, at its core in the design industry, allows the customer access to make sound choices without the anxiety of looking back. This leads to avoiding stressful and expensive situations such as miscalculating the size of newly purchased furniture or transporting unwanted items back to their initial location.

AI and 3D modeling are now advancing interior design to become a more accessible skill, which cuts significant costs on services. Traditionally, In the United States, the cost of hiring an Interior Designer sits in the ballpark of $150-200 per hour, with estimations totaling upwards of $5,200 for most projects within the average American home. This exorbitant fee does not include any physical items for your space, such as paint, furniture, or handyman labor. 

With recent inflation and the strong possibility of an upcoming recession, such costs are no longer accessible to most households. Americans can now celebrate a more affordable, simple, and remote way of solving creative issues within their home at the touch of a button, without the weight of insecure decisions on their shoulders.

IKEA Is Leading the Way for the Rest of Us in This Industry

The uniquely affordable, universally beloved IKEA is one of the world's first to introduce AI advancements to the general public and allow worshippers of its brand more safe purchasing decisions in-store and at home. 

The popular Sweedish brand utilizes ARCore to base its platform. The app has been carefully designed to allow its user to digitally place options from their large magazine of products in multiple environments the buyer is considering furnishing through the use of one's very own personal phone camera. 

IKEA's AI platform also houses an intelligent feature that allows users to highlight specific items they're interested in purchasing and binds other objects within its catalog that are not only physically compatible but also a perfect match from a design perspective. 

And finally, where IKEA hits a home run; measurements are attached to each item. The AI determines whether furniture will fit within the scanned space, providing its users with complete clarity, knowing they've found the perfect match before they leave the store. "The app automatically scales products, based on room dimensions, with 98 percent accuracy," says a press release by the company. 

This app understandably has become a right of passage for many IKEA customers and is quickly introducing the world to what we hope will become our future. 

I Don’t Have a Crystal Ball, But…  

I feel that the Metaverse will play an essential role in how this technology will shape the future of our industry. I hope to see architectural firms and individuals who work within the interior design realm start to transfer offline and traditional strategies into the virtual environment. I predict a surge in digital architecture, homes, furniture, spaces, and more. And to top it off, I hope we will see more sales of properties and furnishings within the digital Metaverse just as you would in the physical world.

As the years go by, technology is constantly improving, and I believe we will eventually build an intelligent AI capable of learning everything about a client’s preferences, style, color choices, materials, and much more. Finally, when you combine all the information, designs can be automated and created quickly and effectively by a machine interior designer.

I genuinely believe AI can empower interior design, automating client mockups for specific rooms or entire homes. As the world continues to move towards a more technologically advanced and remote way of living, we hope using AI in the interior design space becomes widely loved and the main ‘go-to’ when designing your home, allowing you the peace of mind to never consider painting your bedroom red ever again. 

By Corban De La Vega, Chief Marketing Officer at DecorMatters.