How AI Shopping Assistants are Helping Designers Build Their Dream Homes

DIY home design is as exciting as it is daunting, especially when making big-ticket furniture purchases online. Amateur and veteran designers alike spend hours wondering if that sofa they’ve been eyeing will overtake their living room or if that new lamp will clash with their existing decor — it can be overwhelming. Plus, as much as we love browsing and purchasing new pieces online, returning items that didn’t quite make the cut can be a frustrating and tiresome endeavor. 

While interior design can be one of the purest forms of human expression, recent innovations in AI are helping amateur designers overcome the shortcomings of online decor shopping — with some impressive results. After all, who hasn’t secretly wished for a smart, personal shopping assistant to help them through the decision-making process and ensure that every piece fits perfectly in their space and style?

In this article, we’ll take a closer look into AI shopping assistants and how you can use them to destress the decision-making process when purchasing items online.

Why use AI as your personal shopping assistant?

For amateur home designers, the journey from inspiration to a furnished space can be fraught with challenges. Here’s where an AI-powered shopping assistant can step in as your secret weapon.

Visualizing furniture in your space

As you likely know, online product pages rarely (if ever) offer a realistic view of how new pieces will fit into your design space. So, most shoppers are left to rely on product reviews, vague descriptions, and photos that rarely provide any meaningful guidance. This is the Achilles heel of shopping online — you have endless selection at your fingertips but choosing the right piece is always a tricky guessing game.

So, how can an AI-powered shopping assistant make visualizing your new design space a bit less hectic? Some AI shopping assistants will provide access to image generation technology, where shoppers can easily build and edit an accurate mock-up of their design space. This feature brings the in-person shopping experience online, making it much easier to visualize your conceptualized design space before pressing the buy button.

Finding your unique style

Let’s face it: not everyone has an interior designer on speed dial. For amateur designers, discovering your design style can be incredibly tough, especially when faced with a sea of decor options. While it can be tempting to revert to one of the many “find my design style” quizzes available online, AI shopping assistants have made this process much more simple.

When using an AI shopping assistant, you can easily prompt it to give you a curated list of products that match your budget and vision. Say you’re a total bookworm and want to accentuate your living room with several plush armchairs, a new oak bookshelf, and ample lighting. AI shopping assistants can scan thousands of brands and collections to help you find the pieces that will bring that vision into reality.

Overcoming analysis paralysis

The internet is a treasure trove for interior designers, with thousands of unique product offerings at their fingertips. But this overwhelming selection acts as a double-edged sword, as sifting through countless websites and products during the design process can often leave you feeling swamped. The sheer volume of choices quickly leads to analysis paralysis, making it difficult to commit to a purchase.

Fortunately, an AI-powered shopping assistant can anticipate your interests based on past purchases, recommending products with the highest chance of accentuating your existing design space. 

Eliminating expensive mistakes

Purchasing items that don’t quite fit within your design space can be expensive. A recent survey by Zippia showed that Americans redecorate their spaces 3-5 years on average — leading to thousands in furniture costs. Naturally, frequent revamping of your design space (due to purchasing mishaps) can lead to wasted money, not to mention the frustration of starting from scratch. Plus, the time spent manually searching for new pieces to replace the ones that didn’t work out adds up quickly. 

Avoiding the double-edged sword of content proliferation

Search engines and marketing platforms are generating massive volumes of content daily, offering a seemingly endless pool of product descriptions, reviews, and comparisons. However, this abundance can also create a data mess for consumers.

Sifting through countless disaggregated search results and AI-written descriptions can feel overwhelming. Then this question arises: “Is this information reliable, or just marketing fluff?” Having a personal AI shopping assistant designed specifically around your tastes and preferences will help you find the most accurate and relevant furniture pieces for your dream design.

Benefitting from a personal shopping buddy

Who doesn’t love those friendly salespeople in brick-and-mortar stores? The ones who thoroughly explain the intricate details of every new piece? AI is bringing that personal touch to online shopping.

Think of it as your virtual assistant, available 24/7 to answer your questions and guide your decision-making process. It’s the closest most of us will get to having a personal interior designer, and it’s about 99% as effective. 

Make your dream home design a reality with Onton’s AI-powered tools

Have you ever fallen in love with a furniture piece online only to find it’s a mismatch to your space? Onton Imagine puts an end to these decorating mishaps. The tool uses cutting-edge AI technology to create photo-realistic renditions of your space in your desired style. Simply upload a photo of your room along with the dimensions, and Onton Imagine will do its trick — turning your design vision into a reality.

Our platform’s core search engine, Onton Search, takes the frustration out of product discovery. You can use text descriptions, images, or a combination of both to find exactly what you’re looking for. And the best part? It offers unlimited free searches so you can explore your heart’s content.

Unlike expensive human design consultants, Onton offers a free tier that unlocks powerful tools to spark your creativity. When you upgrade to Onton’s Personal Plan, you can have unlimited queries for Onton Concierge, your very own AI shopping assistant. Simply write your questions and let the AI analyze your preferences so you can get the most accurate results and recommendations.

Shop without the stress: Bring the retail shopping experience online with Onton

For amateur designers, updating your home should be an exhilarating experience, whether online or in-store. 

With modern tools like Onton Imagine, Search, and Concierge, you can eliminate the everyday stresses of online decor shopping. Say goodbye to misleading product pages and information overload. With its intelligent product consolidation, Onton cuts through the clutter — eliminating analysis paralysis and empowering you to focus on creating the space you'll love.

Onton is here to make your dream home vision a reality. Stop waiting and start creating by visiting Onton today!