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Interior designers interviewed by Livingetc say clients increasingly bring AI-generated room images that depict furnishings, layouts or construction details that cannot be reproduced as shown. The report describes how studios are using progress photos, video and clearer labeling to distinguish concepts from completed projects; there is no universal test for identifying AI images.
Designers Kelly and Graeme Smith, founders of the studio SPELK, described a shift from clients sharing magazine clippings and Pinterest boards to arriving with images generated from photographs and prompts. They told Livingetc that some images contain sofas with no real-world counterpart, layouts that may not meet building regulations, or furniture whose doors and drawers could not function as pictured.
The Smiths said clients are not necessarily trying to pass off invented images as real. They said people may save and share images without knowing how they were made, and that social media users can mistake a polished visual for a completed project. For designers, the result is extra work explaining which elements can be adapted and which are physically or practically impossible.
The designers also acknowledged that their studio sometimes shares AI images or visualizations, saying they label them as such. But captions can be missed as people scroll. To show evidence of built work, the studio photographs projects during construction, records video on site and includes people or everyday objects in finished-room images. The Smiths said they have also stopped making every photographed surface look perfectly tidy.
From Inspiration to Buildable Plans
The issue affects how homeowners judge design ideas and choose professionals. A striking image can create a clear expectation, but it does not establish that the pictured room has been built, that its furnishings are available, or that its layout works in a particular property. Visual appeal is not proof of feasibility.
It also changes what clients may look for in a designer. The Smiths described the work behind a finished interior as including scheduling, procurement, budgets, building regulations and coordination with tradespeople. A generated image may suggest a style, but it does not show whether its creator can manage those practical tasks. For clients, asking whether an image is a concept or a documented project can help set expectations before committing to a design.
For studios, the report points to a credibility challenge as portfolios increasingly mix renderings, AI-generated visuals and photographs. Progress images and video can offer more evidence of a project’s development, though they do not by themselves verify every detail or prove that every image is free of manipulation.
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Clients Now Bring Prompted Room Images
The Livingetc report places AI imagery within an existing evolution in how clients communicate ideas: from clipped magazine pages to online inspiration boards, and now to images generated from prompts. The newer images can look like photographs of finished rooms, even when they depict objects or arrangements that were never made.
The feature says design projects take time and cost money, leaving studios with fewer completed projects to photograph than the steady stream of content social platforms reward. The Smiths said this creates pressure, particularly for newer designers with few completed commissions, to post visual material. They also said they label their own AI content, while warning that viewers may not see the caption.
The report mentions metadata, platform detection tools and user labeling as possible ways to identify AI content. It says metadata can be removed and platform self-tagging is optional. The source also refers to a legal backdrop in the European Union but does not provide details of a particular law or explain how it applies to interior-design images.
““Can you make that?””
— Kelly and Graeme Smith, founders of SPELK, as quoted by Livingetc
Detection Is Still Incomplete
The report does not quantify how often clients bring AI-generated images, how frequently designers cannot reproduce the requested details, or how much the practice affects project costs or timelines. It also does not identify a reliable, universal method for telling AI images from photographs. The designers said metadata may be removed, while platform detection and user labeling do not provide a complete check.
Some visual clues, such as implausible reflections or objects that appear to merge, can raise doubts, but the feature does not present them as definitive proof. It is also unclear which EU legal measures the report refers to or what obligations, if any, apply to the specific images discussed. The source offers designers’ experience and practices, not a market-wide survey or technical evaluation of detection tools.
Ask Whether the Image Was Built
For now, the practical next step for clients is to ask designers whether a portfolio image is an AI-generated concept, a rendering or a photograph of completed work. They can also ask which products are real and available, whether a proposed layout can work in their property, and what changes would be needed to meet relevant building requirements.
The Livingetc feature does not announce a new industry rule or give a timeline for stronger platform labeling. It describes studios continuing to use clear captions and documentation, including construction photographs and on-site video, to show how projects move from an idea to a finished room. How reliably platforms will identify or label generated images remains unsettled.
Key Questions
What problem are interior designers reporting?
Designers told Livingetc that clients bring AI-generated room images and ask to recreate them, although some pictured products or arrangements may not exist or may not work in a real home.
Can an AI-generated interior image be built exactly as shown?
Not always. The report gives examples of furniture that cannot be purchased, layouts that may not meet building regulations, and doors or drawers that would not function as pictured. Each proposal needs to be checked against real products and the property.
How can a client tell whether a room image shows a completed project?
Ask the studio whether the image is a concept, rendering or photograph, and request project documentation such as construction-stage images. The designers say visual clues and metadata can help, but the report does not describe a definitive identification method.
Do the designers say all AI images are intended to deceive?
No. The Smiths said many people may share or save images without knowing they are AI-generated. They also said their own studio sometimes posts AI images or visualizations with labels, which viewers may overlook.
What should homeowners ask before using an image as a design brief?
Ask which pictured items can be bought, whether the layout is practical for the home, and what adaptations are needed. Clarify whether the reference image documents a built project or is only a visual concept.
Source: rss
