In this article: Smart homes as a design trend in 2024 – In or out? • Some experts say, "In!" • Some experts say, "Out!" AI's growing role in the interior design process Conclusion
Modern interior design trends increasingly reflect the growth of smart homes and smart technology.
A smart home is a house where smart technologies automate and streamline core functions, enabling remote and networked control of door locks, televisions, thermostats, home monitors, cameras, lights, and even appliances.
As smart home technologies become more prevalent, they have a growing impact on the aesthetics of interior spaces and, hence, an increasing influence on interior design.
But where precisely do interior design and smart homes intersect?
And what do the experts have to say about interior design and smart homes in 2024?
Smart homes as a design trend in 2024 – In or out?
This year’s top trends in interior design include personalization, quiet luxury, and a move toward warm palettes, textural depth, and sustainable materials.
Cookie cutter rooms copied from Pinterest and Instagram and bold pieces that look good in an image but that lack functionality are out, design experts say, while authenticity, classic style, and comfort are all in for 2024.
But what do design experts have to say when it comes to 2024 interior design trends and smart homes?
There’s an old joke about Episcopalians and, as I was raised in the Episcopal church, I feel I have an insider’s right to share it. It goes something like this.
“When two or more are gathered in His name, there is sure to be a fifth.”
It’s a joke about Episcopalians and drinking.
But it might very well describe the pronouncements of designers and their definitive … yet often divergent opinions … about design trends. Two or more interior designers … five or more opinions about trends in interior design.
Some experts say, “In!”
Many experts view smart home technology as integral to on-trend interior design.
For example, in her December 2023 article, “The Tech Revolution: Unveiling the Future of Interior Design with AI and Technology,” published by Digital First Magazine, interior designer Zuzana Phillips discusses the intersection of smart homes and interior design.
Phillips asserts that the idea of smart homes has evolved beyond simple convenience and is now a crucial component of contemporary interior design.
With the Internet of Things (IoT) effortlessly connecting devices and systems, designers are challenged to craft spaces that not only house but also amplify these technological wonders, writes Phillips. Ranging from intelligent lighting and temperature control to AI-powered home automation, interior design is increasingly intertwined with the realm of technology, resulting in homes that are not just visually appealing but also intuitively practical.
Echoing Phillips, design blog, Decorilla, views the seamless integration of smart technologies into our surroundings as a “hot” interior design trend for 2024, emphasizing the revolutionary role of smart technologies in “enhancing comfort and convenience” and making “daily life easier, more efficient, and undeniably cool.”
And in an interview for the December 2023 Wion article, “Crafting tomorrow’s spaces: The intelligent intersection of AI and Interior Design,” Varun Poddar, CEO of interior design brand Vox India, describes AI as essential to the trendiest of 2024 trends in interior design – personalization.
With the power to decode vast datasets, AI facilitates the blending of design trends and individual preferences. AI tools aren’t merely about constructing areas; they help shape personalized stories that deeply connect with those who consider these spaces their home, asserts Poddar.
Some experts say, “Out!”
But not every design expert sees smart homes as a trending interior design in 2024.
House Beautiful senior market and partnerships editor, Medgina Saint-Elien predicts a technology pause.
Quoting designer Noz Nozawa, Saint-Elien writes in her December 2023 article, “12 Interior Design Trends You’ll See Everywhere in 2024, According to Experts,” homeowners “’are actually wanting to return to ‘dumb homes’ …. Harsh blue lights and bright touchscreens that illuminate when you walk by at night are starting to give way to a love of mechanical controls: old-school buttons, switches that toggle up and down, and simpler toilet washlets!’”
AI’s growing role in the interior design process
Whether you are seeking to augment the integration of AI and smart technologies in your design aesthetic or tamp down on technology, there is little doubt that the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the process of interior design.
AI-powered tools for interior design – such as Midjourney and DecorMatters – are software applications that aid in various design tasks. These applications range from AI-driven design generators that formulate room layouts based on user preferences, to advanced software such as HOMEE AI’s smart phone-based interior design AI that can virtually position furniture in a room.
Common features of these tools often encompass 2D and 3D visualization, furniture arrangement, color and material selection, and even personalized design suggestions.
AI programs - which include a vast number of datasets gathered through observations, measurements, studies, and analyses - can be used by interior designers to create visuals from text prompts enabling designers to swiftly generate a visual room design concept from a client’s description. AI can also be utilized for generating product ideas, designing specific elements for a space, or creating artwork. Coupled with 3D printing, AI allows designers to play with complex and non-traditional forms, leading to the creation of furniture items that were once impossible to produce using conventional manufacturing techniques. Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are providing revolutionary immersive experiences in interior design. Users can employ a computer, handheld device, or VR headset to enter a 3D virtual world, where they can explore rooms designed for their consideration. VR and AR enable designers to offer virtual walkthroughs of spaces, allowing users to visualize every detail before implementation.
AI tools for interior design provide a variety of features that assist both experts and novices in crafting beautiful, customized environments. By automating many of the labor-intensive aspects of interior design, these tools enable users to concentrate on the creative process and make informed decisions about their space.
AI tools are not only improving the design process, they are also making it more accessible, offering designers and their clients an unprecedented level of engagement and understanding.
These tools are poised to play an increasing and even transformative role in interior design … in 2024 and beyond.
Conclusion
“The future of interior design is irrevocably tied to the advancements in technology and the integration of AI. From revolutionizing the design process to creating spaces that respond intelligently to inhabitants’ needs, these technological marvels are not just tools for designers but catalysts for a paradigm shift in the way we conceive and experience the spaces we inhabit.” Zuzana Phillips, Design Director, ACCANTO INTERIORS
The fusion of smart home technology and interior design is not just a trend, but a transformative shift towards creating living spaces that are as intelligent as they are beautiful.
As we embrace this digital era, our homes become more than just physical structures; they evolve into personalized, intuitive environments that enhance our lifestyle and comfort.
Both as a design aesthetic and a design tool, artificial intelligence is transforming the realm of interior design, and it’s smarter, more efficient, and more exciting than we could have ever imagined.
K. ("Kristen") Powell is a technical writer and ghost writer for a firm that represents advanced degree STEM professionals, many of whom work on the cutting edge of AI and robotics. While fascinated by the research and the high-tech innovations she learns about through her professional life, in her personal life Kristen seeks simplicity and a welcoming and uncluttered home.