NAPLES, Fla. —
Artificial Intelligence is moving into all industries, including interior design. Business owners say they aren’t worried about this addition; instead, they see it as helpful for them and their clients.
“I love the textures and the fabric side of it, but then I also have a passion for the architectural side and the interior detailing,” Principal designer and owner of Renee Gaddis Interiors said.
Gaddis has been doing what she loves for 25 years. She went to school in Iowa for fashion design before starting her own interior design company in Naples.
“The thing that’s probably the most difficult, but it’s also a passion of mine, is working with people and really getting into their head as to what they’re looking for, what style do they want, how do they live?” Gaddis said.
She knows AI technology is working its way into her industry.
One example is what Dirk Morris launched last year.
“We are reimaging AI. We make an app called ‘Remodel AI,’ which is all about helping you remodel or do home improvement projects with AI,” Morris said.
He said the app’s popularity is shocking.
“We believe AI is fundamentally going to reinvent the space,” Morris said. “By both helping users visualize the options but also as part of the shopping experience. So instead of flipping through a catalog necessarily seeing different products, like furniture or flooring or lighting. Now you can actually visualize products in your home.”
Using ‘Remodel AI’ is way cheaper than working with a designer. For just $27 a month, you can take a picture of your space and pick and choose different themes, carpets, or furniture. Then, you can see before and after pictures of the space.
“If you have a kitchen you say, I want to redo this kitchen, sometimes you just need some help seeing the options and seeing the different styles to decide what direction you want to go,” Morris said.
Alexia Tsiropoulos: “Hearing of apps and technology like that doesn’t scare you at all.”
Renee Gaddis: “No, I actually think it’s helpful.”
Renee said she doesn’t feel threatened by it. She has experience and knowledge she knows AI does not.
“They want my knowledge of what seat height is going to work for them,” she said. “What seat depth is going to work for them? What is going to be a rug that can be beat up by their grandkids? So, there’s a lot of things like that, that our clients are looking at us for where if AI has that reimage where you can put that into that’s great for just a visual. We use that as well to show our clients and to help them get a visual of what it’s going to look like. That doesn’t give you comfort that doesn’t give you the how the fabric feels and how it’s going to perform.”
Gaddis uses AI technology herself to create 3D imaging for her clients. She encourages them to use it for ideas and plans before working with her.
“For the young family that’s a do-it-yourselfer, it’s amazing because they can get something from the internet, and they can go and reproduce it when they don’t have the income to have an interior designer,” Gaddis said.
Alexia Tsiropoulos: “What does the future of interior design look like, maybe with these AI elements added to it.”
Renee Gaddis: “It’s only going to get better. Honestly, I’m not scared. I don’t think it’s going to take over my job. It’s only going to help me be more productive.”