AI Can Generate a Room, but Can It Create a Home?
October 16, 2025
|
4m
:fill(white):quality(75)/https://www.barkerandstonehouse.co.uk/static/cms/media/Surrey-Cottage%20Living%202.jpg)
In the last few years, artificial intelligence has changed from being a quirky little novelty to an everyday design tool. From asking ChatGPT for colour combinations to using image generators to visualise a new living room, people can now explore home ideas in seconds. As a result, using AI for home design is becoming more popular with many property owners.
In fact, new research from Barker and Stonehouse suggests that this is now a mainstream part of decorating. Some 61% of UK adults have used AI for interior design inspiration, rising to 88% among those aged 25 to 34. By comparison, only 29% of people aged 65 and over have used it. Meanwhile, men are slightly more likely to have experimented with the technology than women, at 63% versus 58%.
However, there’s a gap between generating an attractive image and creating a home that works in real life. Whilst AI home design can help you to come up with exciting ideas, successful interiors also need to reflect space, budget, routines and the people who live there.
In fact, new research from Barker and Stonehouse suggests that this is now a mainstream part of decorating. Some 61% of UK adults have used AI for interior design inspiration, rising to 88% among those aged 25 to 34. By comparison, only 29% of people aged 65 and over have used it. Meanwhile, men are slightly more likely to have experimented with the technology than women, at 63% versus 58%.
However, there’s a gap between generating an attractive image and creating a home that works in real life. Whilst AI home design can help you to come up with exciting ideas, successful interiors also need to reflect space, budget, routines and the people who live there.
How are Brits using AI for their homes?
People are turning to AI for a wide range of decorating tasks. Among all respondents, 21% have used it to plan a room layout, whilst 18% have used it for interior design inspiration, renovation ideas or choosing paint colours. A further 16% have used AI when choosing furniture.
Alison Westaby, Head of Interior Design at Barker and Stonehouse, says the popularity of using AI for home design is understandable.
“AI makes design feel very accessible. You can have an idea and see a version of it almost instantly, which is incredibly appealing. It’s a great way of exploring possibilities, particularly for people who might struggle to visualise how something could look.
“What it doesn’t necessarily give you is the understanding behind those choices, whether they’re right for the room, the person or the way they actually live.”
This is likely why four in ten respondents say they would use AI as a starting point but make the final decisions themselves. Only 11% would let it make most of the design decisions.
Alison Westaby, Head of Interior Design at Barker and Stonehouse, says the popularity of using AI for home design is understandable.
“AI makes design feel very accessible. You can have an idea and see a version of it almost instantly, which is incredibly appealing. It’s a great way of exploring possibilities, particularly for people who might struggle to visualise how something could look.
“What it doesn’t necessarily give you is the understanding behind those choices, whether they’re right for the room, the person or the way they actually live.”
This is likely why four in ten respondents say they would use AI as a starting point but make the final decisions themselves. Only 11% would let it make most of the design decisions.
:fill(white):quality(75)/https://www.barkerandstonehouse.co.uk/static/cms/media/AI-interior%20design_Asset%203.png)
Where AI home design works well
One of AI’s clearest strengths is visualisation. Some 40% of respondents believe it does, or would, perform well at visualising a finished room. Suggesting colour palettes and finding inspiration followed, both at 35%.
If you know that you want a change but can’t quite picture the result, AI interior design tools allow you to test possibilities. They can show how a darker wall colour might alter a room, suggest furniture arrangements or help turn a loose idea into something more tangible.
Alison agrees: “AI can be brilliant for testing an idea, exploring colour or helping someone visualise a direction they might not otherwise have considered.
“The limitation is treating that visual as a finished design. A room isn’t designed in isolation, as scale, proportion, light, architecture, furniture, materials and how everything relates all have to work together.”
In other words, the image can begin the conversation but it’s less reliable as the final blueprint.
If you know that you want a change but can’t quite picture the result, AI interior design tools allow you to test possibilities. They can show how a darker wall colour might alter a room, suggest furniture arrangements or help turn a loose idea into something more tangible.
Alison agrees: “AI can be brilliant for testing an idea, exploring colour or helping someone visualise a direction they might not otherwise have considered.
“The limitation is treating that visual as a finished design. A room isn’t designed in isolation, as scale, proportion, light, architecture, furniture, materials and how everything relates all have to work together.”
In other words, the image can begin the conversation but it’s less reliable as the final blueprint.
:fill(white):quality(75)/https://www.barkerandstonehouse.co.uk/static/cms/media/AI-interior%20design_Asset%201.png)
Where AI interior design falls short
Our research suggests that many people who have tried using AI for home design have already encountered a problem. Among AI users, 47% have followed decorating advice or suggestions only to realise that they wouldn’t work in their home.
Other frustrations are similarly practical. Of those who have used AI for home design, 28% have found designs difficult to recreate in real life, 25% have encountered unrealistic budgets and 24% say the resulting style felt generic. One in five say that suggestions were impractical, whilst 19% have been recommended furniture that wouldn’t fit their room.
Alison expands on this: “An image doesn’t have to walk around a coffee table, open a cupboard, account for a radiator or make sure a sofa can actually get through the front door.
“It can create a beautiful visual, but real interior design has to work in three dimensions, at the right scale, within a budget and for the people who are actually going to live there.”
AI can also miss the less glamorous details that quietly determine whether a space succeeds, including sockets, door swings, circulation space, natural light and access. Changing one element can also affect everything around it, from rugs and lighting to side tables and walking space.
Other frustrations are similarly practical. Of those who have used AI for home design, 28% have found designs difficult to recreate in real life, 25% have encountered unrealistic budgets and 24% say the resulting style felt generic. One in five say that suggestions were impractical, whilst 19% have been recommended furniture that wouldn’t fit their room.
Alison expands on this: “An image doesn’t have to walk around a coffee table, open a cupboard, account for a radiator or make sure a sofa can actually get through the front door.
“It can create a beautiful visual, but real interior design has to work in three dimensions, at the right scale, within a budget and for the people who are actually going to live there.”
AI can also miss the less glamorous details that quietly determine whether a space succeeds, including sockets, door swings, circulation space, natural light and access. Changing one element can also affect everything around it, from rugs and lighting to side tables and walking space.
:fill(white):quality(75)/https://www.barkerandstonehouse.co.uk/static/cms/media/RNA1ACHRGING_ls.jpg)
The result of this collaboration is a collection that celebrates the best of both brands - timeless furniture, reimagined with expressive fabrics that bring colour, texture and character into every room. Whether you’re drawn to a statement armchair or a beautifully upholstered bed, each piece showcases the craftsmanship, creativity and quality that Barker and Stonehouse and Linwood are known for. Explore the Barker and Stonehouse x Linwood range online or visit your nearest store to see these stunning designs up close.