Whenever a new year is around the corner, I imagine my future: picturesque environments in the form of beautiful, awe-inspiring lands; minimalist yet conscious design; and a squeaky clean presence. Sometimes artificial intelligence can help paint a picture of what you want – like a freshly designed bathroom.
I recently spent time in the Bay Area, in an Airbnb in a three-story 1910s home tucked in the corner of a second-floor bathroom, chosen for its accessibility and affordability. I was prepared that the room would meet my basic needs, but was still disappointed by the bathroom design and underwhelmed by the fluorescent lighting. As a digital nomad, I have spent many nights in different Airbnbs for different needs, from last minute stays to specific design-driven choices.
Partly out of imagination and partly out of curiosity, I turned to Renovate AI, an app that uses AI and generative models to create and recreate design-driven worlds. For me, entering the website felt like I was entering a very specific corner of SimsNation, created for architecture and interior design enthusiasts and experts.
After staring at the moving blob on the homepage for far too long – somewhere between a trance experience and an art therapy session – I began a temporary redesign of my makeshift bathroom to test whether this app is really something you can get started with the renovation of your house.
The original, disappointing bathroom.
The Renovate AI process
Renovate AI offers a free plan, paid plans range from $8 to $60 per month. Since I was only planning on redesigning one room, I decided not to upgrade. However, if you are interested in interacting with the site beyond a test run and plan to seriously use Renovate AI to generate ideas for more than one room, a paid plan is required to get the most out of the tool.
After registering and logging in, I went to the “Bathroom” image as part of the “Living Area” tab. (There are also Exterior and Commercial tabs.)
After a few attempts at capturing the entire space, I was able to upload the image of my Airbnb bathroom to the website. From here I was able to determine the scope of my redesign, including Optimize, Expand, Renovate And Transform. Since I was on the free plan, I had the option of using Renovate or Transform once before having to upgrade.
Renovate includes style themes and layout changes, giving your space extensive furniture updates to create a fresh, new feel. Transform offers complete interior reinventions, offering structural modifications and design changes that create an entirely new living environment. I stuck with it Renovate.
From here, you have the option to choose what type of room you want to redesign, or you can let the AI automatically detect it based on the details in your image.
I was excited to see the next step of adding style influences that artificial intelligence will use as a template for the redesign. I chose Japandi (Japanese mixed with Scandinavian), Zen and Urban styles. I envisioned a bathroom design that exudes warmth, simplicity and sophistication.
The final three steps require you to decide whether you want to retain objects from your photos and select a color tone and descriptors to influence the AI-driven result. I have added descriptions such as minimalist, warm and sophisticated. From here I clicked on the last button which read Renovate, and waited for the newly generated image to appear.
Renovate AI gave me three options based on my style choices and descriptive words. My favorite was the redesign, where warm light spilled over the mirror and the wainscoting added to the sophisticated look I was envisioning.
My favorite AI bathroom redesign – although it had some oddities.
Sure, it had some strange properties. For example, a basket instead of a toilet. A bamboo screen in the shower for another (not sure how long that would last) and a round rug that looks more like a platform or lazy susan. However, it's definitely less boring – and it shows you the vibe you're going for in your remodeling project.
There's no “retry” option in the app (so I essentially had to stick with one of the three designs on my free plan), but on an initial test run I was pleasantly surprised by the results. Even through the lens of artificial intelligence, good – or improved – design can really make a room feel larger.
Who should use Renovate AI?
Learning design can be stressful if it's not your area of expertise. That's why I appreciate how artificial intelligence can expand the circle of users to include people who have no design experience but have a desire to immerse themselves in the possibilities of design.
I've always had a hard time pinpointing exactly what type of design I like. That's why I was immediately excited when I found a platform that offered the ability to “redesign” a space in response to an image upload and a “style” choice. . (Who doesn't like looking at visually stimulating things?)
Whether you're someone like me who simply wants to redesign their Airbnb or someone who wants to remodel a room or their entire house, I think Renovate AI is thoughtful and inclusive.
In addition to design “renovations,” the platform also offers virtual staging and 3D renderings, as well as the ability to change interior and exterior colors and upscale blurry images.
I imagine that if someone like me enjoyed the experience of using a tool like this, people in the industry would find it fascinating – if only to learn how design decisions affect data or to quickly get a feel for it to get different designs.
I'm all about something that can help refine or organize a process and strengthen communication in a visually stimulating way. Everything to reinvent any world in seconds.
Isn't that what dreaming is all about?
For more tips on how AI can help you redesign your living room or even create social media portrait photos of yourself, check out CNET's AI Atlas homepage.