Will AI Replace Interior Designers?

Everyone (myself included) is feeling anxious about AI taking over jobs. Headlines are popping up left and right about companies replacing entire departments with AI services that work 24/7 at a fraction of the cost.
As someone selling an AI interior design tool, I get this question a lot: will AI take my job?
My answer is simple: no, it won’t replace you...as long as you’re a good designer.

What Palazzo.ai Is

Palazzo.ai is an AI-powered visualization tool that allows buyers to see how furniture would look in their actual homes. It generates realistic renders of the user's space within seconds and requires no technical skills to use.

We’ve Been Here Before

You might not remember, but there was a time when social media and Pinterest didn’t exist. Pinterest was a game changer: before it, people got inspiration from printed publications and mostly from their designer. Suddenly they were free to roam the internet and decide for themselves. That didn’t put anyone out of a job.
3D rendering tools like 3D Cloud were also seen as a threat. Most major retailers now offer free room planners that let users design their own spaces. These tools require some tech-savviness, but they’re very usable. So why would a buyer hire a designer if they can get inspired on Pinterest and play with a 3D planner without needing to learn CAD?
And yet, 128,000 interior designers are still working in the U.S.
Now, Palazzo.ai allows buyers to visualize a redesigned room in just three clicks. It’s powered by 14 AI integrated models, making the experience exceptionally easy and intuitive for the user. Buyers can see their room without any tech skills and make decisions on their own. So why would they need you?
And still, I don’t think it will take your job.

The Economics of It

“Creative destruction,” a term coined by Joseph Schumpeter, describes how innovation disrupts existing industries. AI is definitely part of that process but that doesn’t mean interior designers are going away, it means your job will change... just like mine.

Many people will use Palazzo.ai to purchase their new furniture. But the reality is also that most of those users wouldn’t have been able to afford your services in the first place.
AI isn’t eating your cake, it’s making the cake bigger.

What AI Can’t Do

This is my personal opinion and I haven’t found many articles that really talk about it. I think that even though AI can do a lot, it can’t replace the human connection.
It doesn’t understand what the client really wants. It can’t build trust. It can’t connect. And that, I believe, will be the biggest differentiator going forward.

• Is your client really into mid-century style or just nostalgic for their grandfather’s home?

• Is that couple arguing about the color of the sofa or is there something else going on?

• Is she stressed about remodeling the kitchen or about her kids moving out?

Make sure to build a genuine human connection. Share their frustration when a delivery is delayed, and celebrate with them when a job turns out well. Do that, and you’ll always have a place in this industry.

“A large percentage of the value interior designers bring is not in the design itself. It’s the hand-holding through a very stressful process, identifying trusted vendors, and managing everything when things go wrong. That ‘ancillary’ benefit is vital.” — Steve Wilcox, President of the International Society of Furniture Designers

And let’s be honest—if you're a bad designer, if you don’t care about your clients and overcharge without delivering value, then yes, you absolutely need to up your game. AI might not replace great designers, but it will expose the ones coasting by.

Moving Forward

And as AI continues to “conquer” more and more aspects of life, I believe people will be even more willing to pay extra for that human touch.

“Designers who can keep with AI without burning out are the ones that are going to be booking more projects, ultimately charging more for their services and growing their business in a way that’s more resilient in this AI era.” — Stacy Thorwart, AI Strategist at Steelcase

If I were an interior designer today, I’d be integrating AI into my workflow now. There’s a great free webinar by Stacy in this regard that’s worth checking out.

Remember, you can be efficient. AI can’t be human.