Carly Quellman, aka Carly Que, is a multimedia strategist and storyteller at the intersection of technology and the humanities, investigating how perspective can enhance, rather than overstimulate, the world. She can be found online and near the closest south-facing window in Los Angeles.
Whenever I have a spare moment, I like to imagine my dream home: picturesque and awe-inducing; minimalistic yet intentional design; and a squeaky-clean presence. Sometimes artificial intelligence can help with putting an image to my hopes -- like a freshly designed bathroom.
I was recently spending time in the Bay Area, in an Airbnb located in a three-story 1910s home tucked away in the corner of the second floor. I was prepared for the apartment to meet my basic needs, but I was still underwhelmed by the bathroom design and overwhelmed by its fluorescent lighting. As a digital nomad, I've spent many nights in various Airbnbs, from last-minute stays to specific design-focused choices.
Partly from imagination, partly from curiosity to see what it could do, I turned to Renovate AI, an app that uses AI and generative models to create design-driven worlds. For me, navigating to its site felt like entering a very specific corner of SimsNation, built for architecture and interior design enthusiasts and experts.
After spending far too long staring at the moving blob on the homepage -- somewhere between a trance experience and an art therapy session -- I began the process of redesigning my temporary bathroom to test out whether you could genuinely use this app to get started on your home renovations.
Renovate AI has a free plan, and paid plans range from $13 to $99 per month. Since I planned to redesign only one space, I didn't miss out by not upgrading. However, if you're interested in interacting with the site beyond a trial run and plan on seriously using Renovate AI to help with ideas for more than one room, a paid plan is necessary to get the most out of the tool.
Once I signed up and signed in, I toggled over to the Bathroom image as part of the Residential tab. (There are Exterior and Commercial tabs, too.)
After a couple of attempts at capturing the entire space, I was able to upload the image of my Airbnb bathroom to the site. From here, I could decide the extent of my redesign, including Tweak, Enhance, Renovate and Transform. Since I was on the free plan, I had the option of using Renovate or Transform once before needing to upgrade.
Renovate includes style themes and changes to layout, and it gives your space major furniture updates in hopes of crafting a fresh, new ambiance. Transform provides complete interior reinventions and provides structural modifications and design shifts that create an entirely new living environment. I stuck to Renovate.
From here, there's an option to choose which room type you're redesigning, or you can have AI auto-detect based on the details within your image.
I was excited about the next step, which is where you can add the 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 imagined a bathroom design that oozed warmth, simplicity and refinement.
The last three steps involve deciding if you'd like to preserve any objects from your photos, and choosing a color tone and descriptors to influence the AI-operated outcome. I added descriptors like minimalist, warm and refined. From here, I clicked the final 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 descriptor words. My favorite was the redesign that had warm lighting cascading over the mirror, and that contained paneling that enhanced the refined look I'd imagined.
Sure, it had some wonky features. A basket instead of a toilet, for one. A bamboo screen inside the shower for another (not sure how long that would last), and a circular rug that looks more like a platform or a lazy Susan. Definitely less dull, though -- and it'll point you in the direction of the vibe you're going for during your remodeling project.
There isn't an option within the app for a "redo" (so I essentially had to stick with one of the three designs per my free plan), but for an initial trial run, I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. Even through the lens of artificial intelligence, good -- or upgraded -- design can truly make a space feel bigger.
Design can be grueling to learn if it's not your area of expertise, so I appreciate how artificial intelligence can broaden the range of users to include people who have no design experience but do have a desire to be immersed in design's possibilities.
I've always had a hard time nailing down what kind of design type I like, so I was immediately excited when I found a platform that offered the capability to "redesign" a space in response to a picture upload and a "style" choice. (Who doesn't like to look at visually stimulating things?)
Whether you're someone like me, who simply wants to reimagine their Airbnb, or someone who's looking to remodel a room or their entire house, in my opinion Renovate AI is thoughtful and inclusive.
Besides design "renovations," the platform also offers virtual staging and 3D renders, along with the ability to change interior and exterior paint colors and to upscale blurry images.
I imagine that if someone like me enjoyed the experience of such a tool, folks in the industry would find it fascinating -- if for nothing more than insight into how design choices influence data, or to quickly get a feel for different designs.
I'm all in on something that can help refine or organize a process and strengthen communication in a visually stimulating way. All to reimagine any world, in seconds.
