Can AI Replace Interior Designers? My Practical Test Using Gemini to Redesign a Kitchen
I Asked Gemini to be My Interior Designer, and the Result was a Total Facepalm
My test showed why control and precise technical specifications remain key, and how to avoid getting lost in endless dialogues with an AI
Many professionals are wary of AI taking over their jobs. We read almost daily about corporations cutting staff due to artificial intelligence (and then rehiring them, since they can’t cope without humans anyway). In the world of creative design, the debate is even more heated: can a machine replace the human eye for aesthetics and spatial logic?
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| Photo by Mohammad Lotfian on Unsplash |
I believe this won’t happen because, firstly, AI isn’t always good at its job yet, which means its work needs to be monitored and verified, and secondly, AI will be an assistant, not a replacement.
When friends, knowing my love for AI testing, asked, “Could you replace the backsplash in our kitchen with Gemini?” I saw it as a great opportunity for a hands-on experiment.
Can Gemini AI, one of the most powerful models, work as an interior designer or even perform simple tasks? Let’s see what we come up with.
Experiment
I decided to give a simple task, one that could be done in Photoshop, for example: the goal was to replace the kitchen backsplash with the suggested new prints.
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| Original kitchen photo before AI transformation — Photo by the author |
For this, I took a photo of the kitchen and two photos of backsplash prints from the website.
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Selecting the first print for the visual experiment |
I’m adding the first print as a replacement using Gemini AI.
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First Gemini attempt with visible errors in cabinet rendering
I see that the AI left part of the apron unfinished, added the top drawers, deleted the bottom part, and extended the part on the right to fit the cabinets.
I asked Gemini: “Why did you draw something that doesn’t exist?”
The AI replied: “My apologies for the mistake! I’ll correct the image by removing the extra cabinets.”
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AI trying to fix its own hallucinated kitchen elements |
It has drawn this for me.
I asked, “Why did you add the cabinets?”
I give up and open a new chat, since we’ve reached a dead end here.
I tried the second prompt: “Replace the kitchen backsplash with the provided print. Maintain the proportions. It should be replaced to the left of the white refrigerator, including the angled section on the wall to the right near the sink.”
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A much better result after starting a fresh AI dialogue
The third time, it turned out almost perfectly, except for a small gap behind the electric kettle. Not a big deal. This way, we can imagine what the kitchen would look like if we bought this backsplash.
At this point, I decided the AI had done a great job, and adding a second print would be just as easy. But then the fun begins.
Second print
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| Second print option for comparison — Screenshot taken by the author |
I wrote the same prompt as before and added the replacement print.
I thought that after a successful replacement, Gemini would figure out how to replace the apron background, since it had been successful, albeit not the first time.
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Gemini struggling with the second print layout |
Everything would be fine, but the bottom part disappears, I can’t see what the kitchen set looks like in its entirety, plus the AI is adding a bit of the wall. I wonder why?
I asked the AI: “Hey, where did the bottom part of the kitchen go?”
It answered me: “My apologies! It seems I accidentally cropped out the lower part of the kitchen. Here’s the corrected image, where only the backsplash has been replaced and the rest of the kitchen remains untouched.”
And it creates for me a mirror version of the picture, still without the bottom part, but with imagination.
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| The AI mirroring the image while still missing the floor |
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| GIF of people facepalming |
I clarified: “Are you crazy?”
You never know… things happen…
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| Final attempt showing AI's creative limitations |
This is the last option that comes out. I lose hope that it will turn out as required, and I stop the experiment. This short test taught me several key lessons for working with Gemini, and indeed with any AI:
- Prompt precision: AI doesn’t read our minds; the more precise the prompt, the greater the chance of successfully achieving the desired result;
- Object boundaries: AI doesn’t always know the boundaries of an object in a photo. what was obvious to me about the beginning and end of an apron isn’t obvious to Gemini;
- Fresh starts: If the AI gets confused, open a new dialog — that way, you’ll save time and let the AI start from scratch;
- Save prompts: If the prompt is successful, save it somewhere so you don’t have to rewrite it a hundred times next time;
- Specialization: Gemini’s AI design skills aren’t very good yet, but this model isn’t designed for designers.
Gemini is a very smart AI, but it doesn’t have the design skills for other tasks, even though it tried. So my experiment showed that human supervision and precise specifications are indispensable. AI is currently only an accelerator for designers, not a replacement.
The realization that there are no shortcuts to professional quality is a lesson that applies far beyond the world of interior design. In the digital marketing space, many creators fall into a similar trap, hoping that following a few viral trends or "hacks" will guarantee instant fame. Just as an algorithm cannot replace the nuanced eye of a designer, generic growth strategies often fail to account for the unique demands of different platforms. To avoid wasting your time on ineffective methods and to understand the reality behind the "get-rich-quick" promises of social media, you should read my next investigative piece:
Insider Tip: if you're planning a real DIY renovation after your AI tests, don't rely on AI for measurements. A professional laser measure tool is much more reliable than any chatbot. Accurate data is the best "Plan B" when the digital design meets the real world!
While AI is still learning how to handle kitchen cabinets without deleting the floor, I’m focused on building a shop full of things that look just as good. I may not be an interior designer, but I’m deeply embedded in the world of visual design (plus, I’m a huge fan of raccoons! 🦝). Maybe you’ll find something useful for your next big project or just something cute to brighten your day?
In what areas do you think AI will become a full-fledged partner or replacement for humans in the next couple of years? What’s your favorite AI for creative tasks? Let's discuss in the comments!
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