AI for Interior
Designers™
Designers™
Member Resource
AI Prompt Playbook
Member Prompt Library
Your AI Prompt
Playbook
These are the prompts you reach for every week in your design business. Organized by workflow, built for iteration, and ready to customize for every client and project. Think of this as your starting point — the best prompts are always the ones you make your own.
Visual Sets
Sourcing
Browser Agents
Refining
Ethics
30+
Prompts
5
Workflow Areas
4
AI Tools
How to Use This Guide
Every prompt includes the tool it works best in, the prompt in italics, and a refinement tip below it. Wherever you see [brackets], swap in your own project details — client style, room type, budget range, or specific vendor names.
Prompting builds with repetition. Run it, read the output, adjust one thing, run it again. The more specific your input, the more useful the output. That is the goal.
Mood Board Foundation
Gemini
"Create a mood board concept for a [primary bedroom] in a [coastal transitional] style. The client loves [warm whites, natural textures, and linen]. Include imagery descriptions for: wall treatment, bedding, flooring, lighting, and one accent piece."
→ Change the room type and style words to match your project brief exactly. The more specific your style descriptors, the more on-target the output.
Style Direction from Client Words
Gemini
"My client described their dream home as: [warm, collected, traveled, and not too precious]. Translate this into a visual direction including a color palette, 3 material suggestions, and a mood description I can use in a presentation."
→ Use your client's actual intake words. The more you paste in their language, the better the translation.
Concept Board Copy Block
Any LLM
"Write a 3-sentence design concept statement for a [living room] that is [modern organic] in feel. The palette is [warm greige, terracotta, and aged brass]. This will appear on a client presentation mood board."
→ Write this in Claude or Gemini first — you will get noticeably better output than Canva's built-in tool. Then paste directly into your text block. Takes ten seconds.
Image Generation Direction
Gemini
"Generate a photorealistic interior rendering of a [primary bathroom] with [floor-to-ceiling marble tile, a freestanding soaking tub, and matte black fixtures]. Lighting is soft and natural from a [frosted window on the left]. Style: quiet luxury."
→ Add "photorealistic" and "editorial interior photography style" to push output quality. Specify light source direction for more realistic results.
Presentation Opening Narrative
Any LLM
"I'm building a client presentation for a [kitchen renovation]. Write a short narrative for the opening slide that sets the emotional tone — not a list, just 2 to 3 flowing sentences that make the client feel the vision before they see the details."
→ This is your cover page copy. An elevated first impression before a single product image appears.
Palette Naming & Description
Any LLM
"Name this color palette and write a one-line description for each color as if presenting it to a client. Colors: [deep sage green, warm ivory, aged bronze, dusty blush]. Make the names feel editorial and elevated, not generic."
→ Claude or Gemini will give you far more elevated naming than Canva's built-in tool. Write it there, then paste into your palette slide. The difference in quality is worth the extra step.
Power Words for Visual Prompts
photorealistic
editorial interior photography
quiet luxury
warm and collected
soft natural light
layered textures
organic modern
transitional
aged brass
linen and natural fiber
matte black
artisan
aerial view
vignette style
from a low angle
dappled light
Product Sourcing — Specific Criteria
Perplexity
"Find three non-wired wall sconces under $300 in a [matte black finish] that would work in a [transitional bedroom]. Include the vendor name, product name, price, and a direct product URL for each."
→ Always ask for the URL. Perplexity pulls live web results — verify links before sending to a client.
To-the-Trade Sourcing
Claude
"I'm an interior designer looking for [upholstered dining chairs in a performance fabric] in the [$800 to $1,500/chair] range from to-the-trade vendors. List at least 4 options with vendor name, line name, estimated retail, and whether they offer trade pricing."
→ Specify "to-the-trade" to filter toward professional vendor results. Ask Claude to format the output as a table for easy copy-paste.
Vendor Comparison Table
Perplexity
"Compare [Visual Comfort, Arteriors, and Hudson Valley Lighting] on: price range, design aesthetic, trade program terms, and lead time. Format as a comparison table."
→ Use this before a client presentation to build confidence in your vendor recommendations.
Budget Alternative Finder
Gemini
"My client loves the look of [RH Modular Sectional] but has a [living room furniture budget of $8,000]. Find 3 alternatives with a similar aesthetic — deep seating, performance fabric, modular option — at a lower price point. Include vendor, name, and price."
→ Use a specific inspiration piece as your anchor. The more detail you give about what the client loves, the closer the alternatives will land.
Sourcing Verification Pass
Claude
"Here are 5 products I'm considering for a [primary bedroom] project. For each one, flag any potential issues: discontinued status, unclear pricing, or missing trade info. [Paste your sourcing list here]"
→ Run this after your initial sourcing pass to catch problems before the client presentation. Claude is strong at spotting gaps in a list.
Client-Facing Sourcing Narrative
Claude
"I've selected the following items for my client's [dining room]: [list items and vendors]. Write a short sourcing notes section — 3 to 5 sentences — explaining why these pieces work together: the materials story, the mix of scale, and how the finish palette connects."
→ This turns a spec list into a story. A sourcing narrative is what separates a presentation from a spec sheet.
Power Words for Sourcing Prompts
to-the-trade
trade program
lead time
direct product URL
performance fabric
COM available
tearsheet
format as a table
under [price]
in the [range] range
compare [A] vs [B]
non-wired
hardwired only
quick ship
in stock
plug-in option
Live Website Research
Browser Agent
"Go to [vendor website URL] and find all dining tables currently in stock under $2,000. List the product name, dimensions, finish options, and price for each. Return as a table."
→ Browser agents can read live websites in real time. Use this for vendors with limited filtering on their own sites.
Multi-Site Price Check
Browser Agent
"Search for the [Arteriors Beacon Chandelier] across [Arteriors.com, LumiSource, and one additional lighting retailer]. Compare current pricing, availability, and whether a trade discount is offered at each."
→ This used to take 20 minutes. Now it takes 60 seconds. The more you use it, the faster your sourcing process gets.
Pre-Meeting Client Research
Browser Agent
"Search for publicly available information about [client name or business name] and summarize any design-relevant details — their aesthetic preferences, home style, or professional background — before our first meeting."
→ Behind-the-scenes only. Public information only. This is internal research, not something you share with the client.
Trend Sourcing from Editorial
Perplexity
"What interior design trends are being featured in [Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, and House Beautiful] right now? Summarize each trend in 2 sentences and note which vendors or brands are being mentioned alongside them."
→ Run this quarterly to stay current on editorial direction. Use the vendor callouts as new sourcing leads for your library.
Showroom & Market Finder
Perplexity
"Find interior design showrooms in [city name] that carry [high-end lighting and decorative accessories] and offer trade accounts. Include address, website, and whether they are trade-only or open to the public."
→ Great prep for market trips or when working in an unfamiliar city. Also useful for building a local vendor referral list.
Competitor Research
Browser Agent
"Visit the websites of [3 interior design firms in my market] and summarize: their stated design aesthetic, service offerings, price positioning, and how they present their portfolio. Format as a side-by-side comparison."
→ Run this when you are refining your own positioning or building a new service package. Knowing the landscape helps you stand out in it.
The Pushback Prompt
Any LLM
"That is too generic. Try again — this time the style should feel more [specific adjective], the tone should be [elevated / casual / warm], and avoid using the words [list words to avoid]."
→ Never accept the first output if it is not right. One refinement round almost always produces better results than starting over.
The Persona Prompt
Any LLM
"Respond as a senior interior designer with 20 years of experience working with luxury residential clients. With that perspective, evaluate this sourcing list and tell me what is missing, what feels off, and what you would swap out."
→ Giving AI a persona filters output through a specific lens. Use this to stress-test selections before a client review.
The Format Shifter
Claude
"Reformat this sourcing list as: [a table / a bulleted summary / a client-ready paragraph / a spec sheet]. Keep all the same information but change the presentation format."
→ You do not have to re-run a search to get a different format. Ask Claude to reformat what you already have.
Length Control
Any LLM
"Shorten this to 2 sentences — it needs to fit on a presentation slide, not a proposal." OR "Expand this into a full paragraph — I need more detail for the written concept section of my proposal."
→ Length control is one of the most useful refinements. Use it constantly as you move content between slides, proposals, and client emails.
The "Sound Like Me" Prompt
Claude
"Rewrite this in a voice that sounds warm, confident, and expert — not corporate or robotic. It should sound like a real conversation with a trusted design advisor, not an AI-generated paragraph."
→ AI writes the bones. You bring the personality. Always do a final read-through in your own voice before anything goes to a client.
The "What Did I Miss" Prompt
Claude
"I am preparing a client presentation for a [whole-home renovation]. Here is what I have so far: [paste your outline or slide list]. What am I missing? What questions might my client ask that I have not addressed yet?"
→ Use this as a final QA step before any client-facing deliverable. Claude is good at spotting holes in logic, flow, and missing context.
This is not about fear. It is about building a practice you can stand behind. AI is part of your workflow now — which means how you use it reflects on your business. These three categories give you a framework to decide what goes where.
Show Live
AI-generated concept boards presented as visual direction with your design narrative. Sourcing research done with AI that you curated and verified. Prompt-assisted copy you reviewed and edited. Canva AI layouts you built and customized.
Behind the Scenes
The specific tools and platforms you used. Browser agents running research tasks. First drafts before your edit. Sourcing lists before you verified accuracy and links. AI-generated renderings used for internal mood building only.
Avoid
Presenting AI-generated images as real project photos. Sourcing data you have not verified. Client data pasted directly into any AI prompt. Any output that has not had a human edit pass before it reaches a client.
Client Disclosure Language
Claude
"Write a one-paragraph disclosure statement I can include in my client agreements explaining that I use AI tools to support research, visual development, and presentation building — in a way that builds confidence rather than concern."
→ Add this to your contract, welcome packet, or onboarding email. Transparency builds trust, and most clients appreciate the efficiency angle when it is framed well.
Privacy Check Before Prompting
Any LLM
Before pasting anything into an AI tool, ask yourself: "Does this contain my client's name, address, budget, or any identifying detail?" If yes — remove it or generalize it first. Replace "Sarah Jones, 4220 Oak Lane, budget $250K" with "a client in [city], residential project, [budget range]."
→ You would not share a client file with a stranger. AI tools are powerful, but they are not confidential by default. This is a professional standard, not a limitation.
Originality Check Prompt
Any LLM
"Review the visual I generated. Does it look too closely derived from a specific designer's signature style or a specific product that exists in the market? Flag anything that could read as too derivative before I use it in a client presentation."
→ AI learns from existing work. Your job is to use it as a starting point, then apply your own design judgment to make it yours.
Your Plan
30-Day AI Action Plan
Keep it small and specific. One prompt on one real project is worth more than ten saved to a folder you will never open. The more you do, the faster it gets.
Week 1 — Try It
- Run one sourcing prompt on a current project
- Use Gemini to generate one mood board concept
- Build one slide in Canva AI
- Write your Rules of Engagement
Weeks 2 & 3 — Build It
- Use AI sourcing on your next new project
- Build a full visual set from brief to deck
- Run one browser agent research task
- Add AI disclosure to your client agreement
Week 4 — Measure It
- Track time saved on one sourcing task
- Note client reaction to AI-assisted presentation
- Identify what AI has not solved yet
- Pick the next workflow to tackle