With a few taps on her phone, Riana J. Saman moved pieces of furniture around her master bedroom, then pinched the screen to shrink a bedside table so it would fit snugly between her bed and wardrobe.
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The 35-year-old dance instructor was not using a tape measure or design manual – she was relying entirely on Planner 5D, an artificial intelligence-powered interior design app, to decorate her family’s new four-room, 93 square metre (1,001 sq ft) flat in Singapore.
“It’s so easy, I wish more people knew about it,” Saman said. “If we’re planning to buy a piece of furniture, I’ll look up its dimensions, choose one the app has that looks the most similar, and input the numbers.”
More homeowners in Singapore are turning to generative AI tools to plan renovations instead of hiring interior designers, a trend that users say offers savings and flexibility, though industry professionals warn it may fall short on feasibility and finesse.
Platforms such as Planner 5D allow users to visualise their homes by generating 3D models with customised layouts, floor plans and wall colours, while programmes such as ChatGPT and Midjourney provide design ideas in response to prompts.
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With a budget and an AI designer just a few clicks away, Saman decided to save on an interior designer. This cut renovation costs – which came up to S$25,000 (US$19,400) – in half, she estimated.