AI is transforming interior design for experts and home decorators alike. How? With AI tools, you can bring your ideas to life by creating and visualizing virtual spaces, optimizing layouts, and even streamlining your shopping experience.

While a designer's intuition can never be replaced, AI is an excellent resource to help you kickstart your imagination and increase your productivity. Read on to learn five ways to use AI to unlock new inspiration and level up your design game.

Generate concepts quickly and explore style possibilities

Don’t let analysis paralysis stop you from progressing with a project – find fresh inspiration with less time and mental effort by prompting AI generators to create images of interiors. 

Start by browsing user-generated images with Onton Discover. The discovery hub is algorithm-free, so it doesn’t prioritize current trends or promoted posts. Instead, it shows designs in dozens of unique aesthetics — all made by other users to help inspire you. For example, you can check out concepts ranging from a moody Pacific Northwest cottage to a Venice beach bungalow.

If you want to see concepts in your own space, simply upload a picture to Onton Imagine. With this design generator tool, you can make true-to-life renderings that help you fully visualize all your ideas. Want to speed up your iterative process? Have the generator make up to four variations at once. Within seconds, you can transform your room from vibrant, retro Mid-Century Modern to dark, elegant Art Deco.

Can’t upload your own photo? No problem. Using Onton Imagine, you can choose from standard room types, like kitchens and bedrooms, then fill out a prompt detailing what you want to see. Include as much detail as possible when writing prompts, then let Onton handle the rest!

Create customized mood boards and color palettes

Sometimes, a vibe is the only starting point in your design. For example, you know you want your room to be quirky and fun — but where do you go from there? Try using AI-generated images as a jumping-off point in your design process.

When prompting your images with Onton Imagine, include words for the moods you’re going for. Upload an existing space, or select the type of space you want to see from the drop-down menu. Then, use mood-oriented prompts, like “quirky, exciting room with plenty of bright colors.”

Building mood boards with AI imagery offers an inspiring start when choosing aesthetics — plus, it can help you develop color palettes. As you create images, note the colors that spark your imagination. From there, mix and match hues until you’ve settled on a few color palette ideas.

Need more color inspiration? Blend AI and color psychology to amplify your design! Colors often evoke different emotions — so if you want a tranquil retreat, simply type in words like “tranquil,” “peaceful,” and “sanctuary” into the Onton Search prompt section. The tool will then offer some options, such as arrays of soft blues and turquoise.

Visualize and experiment with new color schemes in your space

Now that you have some color palettes in mind, you can see them in action using AI. Rather than contemplating how every color might appear in your space, simply upload an image to Onton Imagine.

From there, indicate the colors you want to see in the prompt section. Type something like, “Living room with a color palette of rich pinks and sage greens.” Then, simply click “generate” to show new ideas. From there, you can seamlessly transition between schemes — like black and grayscale, warm neutrals, and soft blues — within seconds.

With AI on your side, you can maintain the same lighting in each iteration, giving you an accurate view of each color.

Once you’ve found the perfect colors, use an AI color extractor to pull your favorites from the image and build your very own palette. Then, use your colors as a guide when looking for paint, furniture, and textiles.

Optimize layouts and stage virtually

When you need to stage a space, AI can help you figure out what furniture will fit — and how it will look once it’s all set up. With Onton, you can view your space in precise dimensions without rendering or hand-sketching rooms.

Start your furnishing process by heading to Onton Imagine. Under the “upload existing room?” section, select yes, then choose a clear image of your space. If necessary, use the “remove” tool to clear any existing furniture and decor from your image. Simply highlight unwanted pieces — including their shadows and edges — and click “generate” to erase.

Now that you have a blank slate, use AI prompts to furnish your space and see different aesthetics, optimizing the layout for the best flow. Try a specific prompt like, “An eclectic dining room with an orange and pink color scheme. There are vibrant wall artworks and potted plants around the space for a touch of green. A beaded chandelier hangs above the table.”

Need to switch things up before settling on the pieces you want? No stress. Highlight and replace or erase any objects that don’t match, like a chandelier that doesn’t fit the bill in your Maximalist design overhaul.

As you make adjustments, images will retain their original lighting and natural shadows for the most accurate depictions. Onton’s superior spatial awareness removes design guesswork and ensures each piece fits perfectly in the space.

Explore furniture dupes (or design your own)

If you’re on the hunt for the perfect furniture dupes to furnish your space, it’s tempting to turn to search engines — but they often provide inaccurate results riddled with paid advertising.

Instead, try Onton Search. Simply describe the item you’re looking for in detail, then sort based on budget. Results will not be based upon a product's algorithmic ranking, keeping SEO and ads out of the equation. Instead, prompts will help you take advantage of the largest catalog of furniture and decor on the web to find the closest match available. 

If you can’t quite figure out what furniture you want, Onton Imagine can inspire new ideas. From there, you can save your favorite images and upload them into Onton Search. Simply crop and search for specific items, like chairs or artwork.

Maximize your creativity with Onton

Each designer’s unique human touch ultimately inspires a design's final flow, functionality, and impact — and Onton is here to support and inspire your journey. Our user-friendly tools help make interior design more accessible to everyone.

Don’t let creative blocks or tedious tasks eat up hours of your day — use AI tools to skip the monotonous stuff and spend more time exploring your vision.

Head over to Onton today and see how AI can enhance your design journey for free!