The Power of AI in Interior Design: 5 Transformative Tools

In this sudden rush to get in on the AI (artificial intelligence) craze, every industry seems to find ways to use it. Interior design is one niche we are now seeing leveraging the power of technology. And it’s no surprise because of the many advantages AI provides. Let’s take a closer look at the power of AI in interior design and check out some tools you can use.

Why Use AI in Interior Design?

The use of AI in interior design is rapidly catching up, thanks to the many benefits it offers. It can automate tasks, improve accuracy, customize designs, improve energy efficiency, and create immersive experiences for your clients. This is definitely a positive move towards functionality, comfort, and sustainability.

1. AI-Driven Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR)

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are two types of technology that power AI to create immersive experiences for interior designers and users. Here’s how the two differ:

AI-driven VR lets you create a 3D model of the space you’re designing. The client will have to wear a VR headset and walk around the room to get a feel of actually being there. This allows them to see the space’s appearance before you design and build it.

AI-driven AR allows interior designers to overlay digital objects in the real world. You can use this to show your clients how different furniture, finishes, and decorations will look in their space.

Below are a few examples of AI-driven VR and AR tools suitable for interior design:

• Matterport – lets users create 3D models of their rooms that they can view in VR or AR.
• IKEA Place – allows you to see how IKEA furniture and decorations will look in your homes or offices using AR.
• Magic Leap – a headset that lets users experience AT in the real world.

2. AI-Powered Design Assistance

Design assistance tools powered by AI help interior designers with many vital designing tasks. This can include space planning, material selection, and color matching. These tools use AI to analyze data such as the size of the space, their style preference, and their budget. You can also use this data to generate recommendations for the best furniture, finishes, and other design elements for the space. 

You can also use AI-powered design assistance tools to generate design ideas. AI analyzes images of existing interior designs and learns from them. This will then help the tool create designs similar to the ones the AI has seen.

A few examples of AI-powered design assistance apps are as follows:

• Homestyler – lets you create 2D and 3D designs of your homes or offices.
• Houzz – allows you to browse through millions of design photos and ideas you can use for inspiration.
• Room Planner – lets you create 2D and 3D designs of your spaces.

3. Smart Home Integration and Automation

Smart home integration and automation tools help interior designers create more comfortable homes that are also efficient and secure. You can use these tools to control the lights, thermostats, and other devices in your homes or offices. These tools also effectively automate tasks such as opening and closing your curtains or turning the coffee maker on and off.

These tools leverage AI technology to learn the habits of the occupants of the home. They use the data they gather to automate tasks that the residents typically do themselves. For example, if the occupants usually go to bed at 10 PM, it will automatically turn off the lights at that time.

Some examples of smart home integration and automation tools that you can check out:

• Amazon Alexa – lets you control your smart home devices using voice commands.
• Google Home – also allows you to use your voice commands to control the smart devices in the house.
• Nest – is a suite of smart home products you can control by using your smartphone or tablet.

4. Data-Driven Decision-Making

Data-driven decision-making tools are also available to help interior designers make better decisions about their designs. They can analyze valuable data such as traffic patterns, customer preferences, and climate data. The AI uses this data to help designers create spaces with better functionality and comfort.

A good example would be if you are designing a space for a retail shop. You can use these data-driven decision-making tools to analyze traffic patterns in the store. This can also help you decide where to place the checkout counter and other elements of the shop.

Below are a few examples of data-driven decision-making tools:

• IBM Watson – is a cloud-based AI platform that you can use to analyze data and make accurate predictions.
• Google Analytics – is a web analytics channel that you can use to track traffic patterns and client behavior.
• Adobe Analytics – is another web analytics platform that you can use to track traffic patterns and customer behavior.

5. AI-Enhanced Lighting and Energy Management

AI-enhanced lighting and energy management tools can help interior designers create spaces that are better at energy efficiency. These tools can automatically adjust lighting levels based on the time of day, the amount of natural light in the room, and the preferences of the homeowners.

If you are designing a space for your home or office, you can use these AI-enhanced lighting and energy management tools to automatically adjust the lighting depending on the time of day. With these tools, you can help the occupants save on energy and be more productive in a more comfortable space.

The following are some great examples of AI-enhanced lighting and energy management tools:

• Philips Hue – is a line of smart lights for homes or offices you can control using your smartphone or tablet.
• Lifx – another line of smart lights controllable with a smartphone or tablet.
• WeMo Insight Switch – is a smart plug that you can use to track energy consumption and control devices remotely.

Conclusion

AI in interior design is still in its infancy, but interior designers already see its immense potential. It is already offering tools that make designing faster and more personalized. As technology continues to develop, expect these tools to revolutionize interior design.