AI for Interior Designers
How Interior Designers Can Use AI for Marketing
Let's talk about marketing your interior design business—you know, that thing you're supposed to be amazing at because you have "an eye" for design, but somehow it always ends up at the bottom of your to-do list, right underneath "organize fabric samples by color" and "actually post to Instagram today."
Good news! AI can now handle the parts of marketing that make you want to fake your own death and move to a small island with no WiFi. Here's how the smartest designers are using AI to market themselves without losing their unique voice (or their sanity).
The one thing you want to keep in mind is that it’s becoming a lot easier to spot when something has been written by AI. Substack is all up in arms about the em dash—something I’ve used with reckless abandon for years! But after you start using it, you’ll start to spot it pretty quickly. And the only thing more embarrassing than ignoring your marketing, is making it obvious that AI is in charge of your marketing.
I’m partial to ChatGPT, but I’ve also played around with Claude. AND…Gemini has gotten insanely good at images.
1. Email Newsletters People Actually Open (Not Just Delete with Extreme Prejudice)
Let's be honest: most design newsletters are where good intentions go to die. You start strong in January ("This year I'll send a monthly newsletter!"), and by March you're ghosting your email list harder than a bad Hinge date.
AI can help you:
Generate newsletter content based on your recent projects, blog posts, or social media (don’t have AI actually write your newsletters! Just use it as thought starters or to clarify and refine ideas)
Create subject lines that get opens (instead of ones that scream "PROMOTIONAL EMAIL DELETE ME"). I like to use the prompt: “Create curiosity” when asking ChatGPT to help with this.
Help you streamline your ideas into an organized and engaging story.
2. Social Media Captions That Don't Make You Sound Like a Robot
We've all been there: staring at a gorgeous photo of your latest project, completely blanking on what to write besides "Check out this beautiful space we designed! #interiordesign #design #beautiful"
AI can help you:
Generate multiple caption options that actually tell a story
Create hooks that stop the scroll (because let's face it, people are zipping through Instagram faster than designers collect paint swatches)
Develop content themes and series that keep your feed feel cohesive without being boring
Prompt idea:
“I’m posting a photo of a [living room/kitchen/bedroom] project with [style details]. Write five Instagram captions that tell a story and invite engagement without sounding salesy.”
3. Content Calendars That Don't Make You Want to Weep
Planning content in advance? Revolutionary concept, I know. But somehow it always feels like trying to predict what you'll want for dinner three months from now.
AI can help by:
Generating a content calendar based on your business goals
Suggesting seasonal topics before you're scrambling
Creating balanced content that educates, entertains, AND sells
4. Blog Posts That Aren't a Complete Snoozefest
Writing regular blog posts often feels like high school homework—you know it's good for you, but you'll find literally any excuse not to do it.
AI can help you:
Create outlines for meaty, valuable blog posts
Generate first drafts based on your expertise and voice (then you need to edit it to actually sound like you)
Suggest SEO-friendly headlines that actual humans might search for. Pro tip: Use your H2 headers to answer specific questions your ideal clients might type into Google or AI search tools (like ChatGPT or Perplexity). This helps your blog post show up in AI results when people search for those exact questions.
For example, instead of a vague H2 like “Using AI in Design,” try:
“What are the best AI tools for interior designers? Let’s Dive in”
Prompt idea:
“Write three blog title options for a post about [specific design trend] that balance SEO keywords and human curiosity.”
5. Magazine Quotes that Actually Get Published
If you've ever tried to give an expert quote, you know it's weirdly hard to be both knowledgable AND concise. It's like trying to seduce someone in an elevator—you've got limited time and a lot to communicate.
AI can help you:
Take your ideas and refine them to sound authoritative, yet entertaining
Help you expand on one idea
Tailor messaging based on the outlet
Prompt idea:
“Take my response to this design trend for House Beautiful and make it sound more coherent and entertaining without losing my voice.”
6. Website Copy That Actually Converts Visitors to Clients
Your portfolio might be gorgeous, but if your website copy sounds like it was written by a cartoon character, you're losing potential clients.
AI can help you:
Identify what's missing from your current website copy
Generate service descriptions that focus on benefits, not just features
Create FAQs that actually address client objections
7. Lead Magnets People Actually Want (Not Just Another "10 Tips" PDF)
Creating valuable lead magnets—those free resources you offer in exchange for email addresses—often feels like an impossible task when you're already stretched thin.
AI can help you:
Brainstorm lead magnet ideas based on what your audience actually needs
Create the structure and content for guides, checklists, or mini-courses
Design quiz questions that segment your audience while providing value
8. Client Testimonial Requests That Actually Get Responses
We all know testimonials are marketing gold, but somehow asking for them feels awkward—like asking someone if they think you're pretty.
AI can help you:
Craft non-awkward testimonial request emails
Create specific questions that prompt detailed responses
Follow up without sounding desperate
AI can help you ask specific questions about your client's experience, making it easier for them to respond thoughtfully instead of just saying "She was great to work with!"
9. Pinterest Descriptions That Actually Bring You Traffic
Pinterest can be a goldmine for designers, but most of us slap on a vague description and call it a day, missing huge opportunities for traffic.
AI can help you:
Write keyword-rich Pinterest descriptions that actually get found
Create Pinterest-specific content strategies
Generate multiple descriptions to test which perform better
10. Case Studies That Tell a Story (Not Just "Before and After")
Case studies are one of the most powerful marketing tools for designers, but they're also one of the most time-consuming to create.
AI can help you:
Structure case studies that highlight your process and problem-solving
Extract the most compelling narrative from each project
Focus on results and transformation, not just pretty pictures
The Real Talk: What AI Can't Do for Your Marketing
Let's be clear about what AI still can't nail:
Your exact unique perspective and design philosophy (without your input)
The nuances and quirks that make your voice specifically yours
The emotional intelligence to know exactly what will resonate with YOUR specific audience
Creating truly original design concepts or visuals (the stuff it generates looks like it was designed by a committee of robots who've only ever seen Pinterest)
The Bottom Line: Let AI Handle the Heavy Lifting So You Can Be More You
The most successful designers aren't using AI to replace their marketing—they're using it to amplify it.
The designers who are killing it with AI marketing aren't trying to automate everything. They're strategically automating the parts that drain their energy so they can show up more authentically in the parts that matter most.
Because here's the truth: your unique perspective, taste, and personality are what clients are hiring. Think of AI as a tool that will help you be more productive.
