5 myths about AI in interior design (and what’s actually true)
Myth #1: AI is replacing interior designers
Not even close. AI is great at generating ideas or images. But it can’t:
- Understand a client’s personality, budget, lifestyle, or emotional needs
- Balance function and aesthetics across a real floor plan
- Coordinate with tradespeople or suppliers
Design is about empathy and problem-solving, and no algorithm replaces that. AI can't sit across from a client and read between the lines of what they truly want. It can support your thinking, but the designer's vision, intuition, and human connection remain irreplaceable.
Myth #2: AI renders are always inaccurate
It's true that early AI visuals were often clumsy, with weird proportions, melted chairs, impossible shadows. But that’s changed a lot. With better prompts, guided image-to-image workflows, or combining AI with 3D software like Enscape, you can get visuals that are clear, consistent, and aligned with your project vision. I've created entire moodboards and design concepts with Midjourney that clients loved. The key is knowing how to guide the tool, just like you'd guide a junior designer or intern.
Myth #3: Clients won’t accept AI-generated visuals
In my experience? Most clients don’t care how you made the image. They care that it reflects their vision and feels right.
If a render sparks excitement, helps them imagine their future space, or communicates your design story clearly, then it's done its job. That said, transparency is essential. I always explain how I use AI as part of the concept phase, and reassure clients that final plans are still handled with precision in traditional tools. Clients love innovation, as long as it helps them feel understood.
Myth #4: You need to be tech-savvy to use AI
Absolutely not. Many AI tools today are simple and accessible. You don’t need to code or understand neural networks to get results. If you can describe your design idea in words, you can prompt in ChatGPT.
The key is to start small: generate a mood image in Midjourney, use ChatGPT to write a project description, or test out AI suggestions for lighting. No pressure to do it all. I show these beginner-friendly steps in my course so you can build confidence gradually.
Myth #5: It takes too long to learn
That depends on how you approach it. Learning AI isn't about mastering every tool out there, it's about identifying the 1 or 2 tasks where you lose the most time, and replacing those with smarter, faster workflows.
For me, starting with moodboard creation was a quick win. Later, I added AI to help with emails, copywriting for presentations, and eventually image post-processing. Small wins add up. Most designers I coach are up and running with at least one AI tool within a few hours. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to start.
Conclusion
AI isn’t a threat. It’s a powerful sidekick. And once you understand what it can, and can’t, do, you can start using it to elevate your work, not replace it. Designers who know how to use AI strategically will always stand out. Because creativity, vision, and human connection can't be automated, but they can be amplified.
