For many, the kitchen is the hub of the household. It is a meeting place, where you prepare family meals, sneak a midnight snack, and wash the pile of dishes that never seems to end. 

No matter how you use your kitchen, envisioning a complete design overhaul can feel overwhelming. Before buying paint and tossing old decor, take some time to visualize all of your kitchen design possibilities with Onton Imagine.

Find inspiration in your existing space and choose your favorite aesthetics

Before getting started with Onton Imagine, consider the current features of your space. Start taking notes on the features, noting what you like and dislike. List any features you’d like to add or how you’d like to adapt existing ones. This will help you as you create, remix, and edit your AI-generated images. 

For example, the kitchen we started with contains glass door cabinets, large windows for natural light, and a center island with a cutout for barstools. The exposed shelves and ample counter space are great for displaying trinkets, while large windows favor breezy aesthetics and open floor plans. Counter cutouts may limit the furniture you can add to the space. 

Now we’ve got a baseline for our kitchen remodeling journey. For instance, the abundance of natural light makes Scandinavian or Coastal style strong contenders. But the ample counter space is great for displaying the eclectic decor of Bohemian style. 

Of course, you don’t have to feel limited to just one or two aesthetics. With Onton Imagine, there are dozens of styles to choose from. Do you want to take a sleek approach, like Minimalism or Japanese, or a more eclectic path, like Maximalism? Make a list of your favorites, and head over to Onton Imagine to generate your 10 free images. 

1. Create a detailed prompt

While using AI, prompting the algorithm to create your dream kitchen is all about detail. We recommend starting with our upload feature to visualize the changes using the layout of your existing space.

1. Start with a well-lit, clear photo of your space.

2. Choose the “yes” toggle under “Upload existing room?” to use your own photo

3. Choose your room type. For this tutorial, we’re going to redesign a kitchen. 

4. Choose a style from the dropdown. We’ll start with Art Deco, but you can pick any style from your list. 

5. Add a few descriptive words or phrases. We’ll walk you through our process so you can see how prompts affect your results.

Simple prompts will work but may produce designs that don’t fully reflect your desired result. The more details you include, the closer the image will be. 

For example, instead of simply saying, “Art Deco Kitchen with gold accents and elegant furniture,” try something like, “Kitchen with marble counters and white cabinetry. The cabinet hardware and kitchen fixtures are gold. Add a chandelier.” Details will get you the most accurate result. 

About Art Deco Style: Popularized in the 1920s and 1930s, Art Deco celebrated progress by embracing modernity, glamor, and elegance. The style uses geometric patterns, such as zigzags and triangles, combining them with rich colors and materials. 

2. Focus on what you want, not what you don’t

When creating your first few prompts, focus on what you want to include instead of what you don't. Use various features specific to your style or specific changes you want to make to the space.

For example, in our Bohemian space, we used: “Cozy Bohemian kitchen with earthy tones, natural materials, and eclectic charm. Include vibrant patterned tiles, woven textures, and mismatched, colorful furniture. Decorate open shelving with plants, ceramics, and vintage decor.” 

About Bohemian Style: Bohemian design aims to create a free-spirited space inspired by the colors and materials of nature. Combining eclectic designs, plants, and earthy tones brings warmth and comfort to your kitchen. 

3. Replace and remove items to tailor designs

If your rendering doesn’t come out the first (or second) time, don’t panic. It’s easy to go back and review your prompt. Or use the edit feature in Onton Pro to remove and replace items you’re unhappy with. For example, if you don’t want a vase of flowers on the island, you can highlight it to remove it or replace it with a beachier piece of decor, like a vase of seashells. 

For the best result, make sure to highlight the full item and its shadow.

About Coastal Style: As families began spending vacations on the peaceful coast, they wanted to bring a bit of the beach home with them. The nautical decor, blue and white color palettes, and use of natural materials create a Coastal oasis right in your kitchen. 

4. Learn about the style before diving in 

When prompting for a specific style, find information on its key elements before prompting. This will help guide what phrases to include. Materials and colors are usually a great place to start. For instance, a Contemporary kitchen will feature mostly white and gray palettes but also plenty of metal accents. 

About Contemporary Style: Contemporary design focuses on sleek designs and white and gray color palettes. While it is commonly confused with Modern design, it is unique in its incorporation of current trends and use of features from multiple other aesthetics, such as Industrial and Scandinavian. 

5. Add extra detail to your prompt

Even with a detailed initial prompt, designs may need some refining. Try adding in a few more details with direct requests to get an image more in-line with your vision. 

When designing a Farmhouse kitchen, you want to use a good mix of wood, linen, stone, neutral colors, and naturally tarnished finishes. To get a more intricately decorated space, include wording like, “Feature rustic wood and add decor like mason jars, potted herbs, and woven textures for charm.”

About Farmhouse Style: Combining rustic tones with a down-to-earth, comfortable style will achieve a dream Farmhouse kitchen.

6. Get specific about fixtures and appliances 

To ensure that the final image includes the appliances and lighting fixtures you want, briefly mention them in the prompt. To optimize the result, indicate the material, texture, or style of the pieces. For instance, Industrial style features mostly stainless steel appliances, and many contain lighting that uses Edison bulbs for the warehouse look. 

Specify where you want your fixtures with phrases like “under cabinet lighting.” If you don’t like where a fixture appears, you can easily move or add it (or any item in the space) with Onton Imagine Pro. 

About Industrial Style: Industrial style embraces the appearance of industrial spaces, such as warehouses and factories. The style uses exposed pipes, metal fixtures, dark woods, and warm dim lightings to achieve the look. 

7. Exclude any item with negative prompts

To avoid an item appearing in a room, use the “Include negative prompt” toggle. For example, minimalism is a hallmark of the Japanese style. If you get a space that’s too cluttered, try including a negative prompt. For our Japanese-style kitchen, we excluded “handles on drawers” to keep the space clean and sleek. 

About Japanese Style: In the mid-20th century, Japanese style was popularized by a movement of eco-conscious living. The use of natural materials, soft textures, simple lines, and neutral colors creates a tranquil kitchen environment.

8. Consider design sub-styles when prompting 

If your design style has a long list of features or rules, precise keywords will help achieve a more accurate result. 

For example, our Mid-Century Modern kitchen rendering features a geometric backsplash, natural cabinets, retro light fixtures, and subtle pops of sage green, mustard yellow, and burnt orange. However, MCM encapsulates an array of design styles. Specifying retro, atomic, or minimalist will result in different looks. Including “atomic” will result in pastel yellows and blues, diner-inspired furniture, and checkered tiles. 

About Mid-Century Modern Style: Mid-Century Modern, which gained popularity in the mid-20th century, takes a minimalist approach. The timeless features blend seamlessly with other styles in your home, using simple and innovative materials, making it great in a kitchen space. 

9. Don’t forget lighting 

Make sure to include descriptions for lighting and light fixtures you want in your prompt; for example “plenty of natural light” will produce a different effect than “lots of warm, subtle lighting with rustic light fixtures.” 

Scandinavian-style kitchens are minimalist and include natural wood, white cabinets, and white or light-colored counters. The decor is limited and intentional to avoid detracting from the simple elegance of the space. 

About Scandinavian Style: Scandinavian design takes a cozy, minimalist approach to interior design that originated in Nordic countries in the 20th century. With a strong focus on functionality, use natural materials and neutral palettes to create a simple kitchen. 

10. Adjust the color palette

Victorian style started in the early to mid-19th century with Queen Victoria’s rule The aesthetic features an abundance of patterns, jewel-toned colors, and highly ornamental decor to achieve a rich, elegant vibe. These designs utilize specific color palettes, and in order to get the proper colors, it is important to include guidance in the prompt. For example, “Use a palette of muted jewel tones, such as ruby and emerald.”

When laying out a Victorian kitchen, the most notable features will be the use of rich wood, decorative tiles, and detailed moldings. While the color palette leans towards jewel tones, you can exclude colors you don’t prefer by excluding them from the prompt. 

About Victorian Style: The Victorian period started in the early to mid-19th century with Queen Victoria’s rule The aesthetic features an abundance of patterns, jewel-toned colors, and highly ornamental decor to achieve a rich, elegant vibe. 

Using Onton to find the kitchen of your dreams 

Not sure where to start? Use Onton Discover to scroll through endless inspiration for the dozens of design types you can consider for your remodel. 

Then head over to Onton Imagine to visualize the styles in your very own space, and use Onton Search to find pieces that help you bring your vision to life. 

Try Onton for free today!