There are so many ways to refresh your home these days, and come up with fresh ideas in the process. You can soul-search your personal home decor style, hire an interior designer (or emulate their looks and methods!) or head to social media for plenty of inspiration.
But have you thought about using technology to come up with a new design for your home? Just recently, ChatGPT (yes, that AI chatbot you’ve been hearing a lot about) launched image generation, and people are using it to get assistance as they craft mood boards and make over their real-life spaces.
If you want to turn to tech to reimagine a space (or even your whole home), read on for tips from a ChatGPT pro.
What Exactly Is ChatGPT, and How Does It Create Images?
Leah Anise, Consumer Communications at OpenAI, explains that ChatGPT is an AI-powered chatbot designed to interact in a conversational way and assist with everyday tasks. This can include things like asking questions, searching the web, brainstorming ideas or having it help with things like writing emails. Anise adds that it’s free to use (the “free tier” includes access to GPT-4o and tools like web browsing, file uploads and limited image generation) and is “incredibly easy on desktop and mobile, even if you’re not tech-savvy.”
When it comes to home design, the program has something called 4o image generation, which Anise says can bring ideas to life by “generating photorealistic images simply by providing text or uploading an image to work from.”
Related: 78 Inspiring Bedroom Ideas and Expert Tips to Transform Your Home, According to Interior Designers
How to Use ChatGPT for Design
We created this mood board in ChatGPT with a prompt asking for a classic, earth toned primary bedroom scheme.
Anise recommends starting your design process by typing in a detailed prompt, which can be something like, “Can you suggest design ideas for a purple-themed bedroom for my four-year-old daughter who loves pop music?” She says that the more details you give, the more tailored the suggestions will be.
ChatGPT will come back with ideas across color schemes, layout, furniture, lighting and even personal touches. “And if you want to see the design, you can either ask it to generate images based on your prompt or upload a photo of your actual room to get visual suggestions for furniture arrangement, decor and more,” Anise says.
Also, although the free version can whip up plenty of design ideas, you should know that there are additional subscription plans like ChatGPT Plus and ChatGPT Pro if you’d like to create unlimited images and more.
Related: 45 Gorgeous Farmhouse Kitchen Ideas—With Photos From Design Pros
5 Tips to Get the Most out of ChatGPT for Design
ChatGPT/OpenAI
1. Start From Scratch
If you’re turning to ChatGPT to come up with some design ideas, Anise suggests starting with a detailed prompt, such as, “Design a light and airy guest bedroom with a king-sized bed, two windows and beach-inspired art.” As a result, ChatGPT will generate a few image options that match your vibe and help you visualize the space.
We entered that exact prompt into ChatGPT, which created the bedroom image, above.
2. Think of Changes You’d Like to Make
Using ChatGPT, you can see what changes would look like in your real room. To do this, you’ll take a photo of the space you want to redesign and upload it to ChatGPT. Next, Anise advises asking things like, “Rearrange this room to maximize space,’ or “Show me what this wallpaper would look like behind the bed.” You can upload swatches, art or product screenshots and see how they’d look in your space.
3. Give Furniture Pieces a Whirl Before Buying
Gone are the days when you have to go all-in as you buy a furniture piece online and hope that it will look just-right in your space. Now with ChatGPT, you can essentially try out furniture before you spend money.
“Upload a photo of your room and product screenshots from your favorite retailer. Then ask ChatGPT to add those pieces into the space and show you how they’d look. You can even ask it to test out different layouts and angles,” Anise says.
Related: How To Create An Inviting Home, According To Taylor Swift’s Interior Design Team
4. Maximize Your Budget
If you’re keeping a budget in mind as you update a space, ChatGPT can help you stick to your bottom line. All you have to do is say that you have a budget when you write your prompt. For instance, you can type, “Give me shoppable links for everything in this image—but under $100 per item.”
“ChatGPT will generate visuals and link out to real products that match the look,” Anise adds.
5. Take It Outdoors
Lastly, keep in mind that ChatGPT isn’t limited to just indoor spaces. For an outdoor space, you can upload a photo of your yard and ask ChatGPT for landscape designs that work for your climate and terrain.
“You can even tell it your local rainfall levels or preferred plant types and it will customize the suggestions,” Anise says.
Next up, learn about the latest 2025 design trends.
Sources
-
Leah Anise, Consumer Communications at OpenAI.
link