#Just Because… Use of AI in Design

AI in Interior Design: A Powerful Tool, Not the Designer

Artificial Intelligence is becoming an increasingly common topic within the design industry, with many wondering whether it will change the way interior designers work.

At Murray Fishpool, we believe AI is an incredibly valuable tool – but that's exactly what it is: a tool.

Every project we undertake begins in exactly the same way it always has: with conversations, ideas, sketches, technical knowledge and experience. We spend time understanding how our clients live, what they need from their home, and how every space can work as beautifully as it looks. From there, we develop the layouts, specify every material, finish, piece of furniture and lighting scheme, before meticulously modelling the entire project in 3D.

Those models are created by us. Every wall, every window, every item of furniture, every fabric, every finish and every carefully considered detail has been designed and positioned by our team.

Only once that work is complete do we introduce AI.

Surbiton Hockey Club - Original Murray Fishpool 3D Model - Unrendered

Rather than asking AI to design a room, we use it to transform our own 3D models into highly photorealistic visuals. The result is an image that communicates our design with far greater realism, helping clients better understand the atmosphere, materials and character of a space long before construction is complete.

It's a significant step forward in how we communicate our ideas.

Clients can visualise subtle material changes, appreciate the quality of natural light throughout a room and gain confidence in design decisions that would previously have relied on imagination alone. It leads to more informed conversations, greater certainty and ultimately a smoother design process.

But while the technology is impressive, it isn't making the creative decisions.

Surbiton Hockey Club - Original Murray Fishpool 3D Model - Rendered

AI doesn't know how a family will move through a home. It doesn't understand proportion, balance or how a room should feel to live in. It can't resolve the countless technical challenges that arise on site, coordinate with architects and contractors, or instinctively know when something simply isn't right.

That comes from experience.

Between us, we have more than 25 years of experience delivering projects ranging from private homes in South West London to luxury residences and hospitality projects around the world. Every layout, every design decision and every detail is informed by that experience – from the earliest concepts through to the final installation and dressing of the property.

Surbiton Hockey Club - AI generated Photorealistic render

Technology will continue to evolve, and we're excited to embrace the tools that genuinely improve the experience for our clients. AI allows us to present our ideas more clearly and more beautifully than ever before.

But the thinking, creativity, problem-solving and judgement behind every project remain exactly where they always have been – with us.

In the end, AI helps us show our designs. It doesn't create them.