042. Quirky Interior Design Trends on Pinterest, Illustrated By AI
A fan-girl post for The Great Indoors Podcast
The Great Indoors Podcast is a shiny happy spot in my week. I listen to it Thursday mornings on my 35 minute bike commute to work - happily zipping through the great outdoors while smiling at the stream of witty, informative and joyful chatter about the indoors.
A few weeks ago the episode was a particularly light and fun one. Hosts Sophie Robinson and Kate Watson-Smyth (who also writes here on Substack) discussed predicted interiors trends for 2024 based on data about recent Pinterest searches. Some of the trending searches have been about rather niche interiors… And as soon as I heard them I knew I wanted to use AI to illustrate some of these searches and the entertaining podcast discussion about them.
AI is perfect for this type of visualisation… What WOULD a jellyfish room look like?! Inquiring interiors-obsessed minds want to know! Or, at least my mind wanted to know! Below are some AI-assisted answers to this and other profoundly important questions.
In a world where stability seems to be a distant dream and the news is soul-crushing, it does me good to retreat to lighthearted images as a salve for my weary eyes…
WEIRD CORE MUSHROOM INTERIORS: I kind of understand the fascination with mushrooms thing. There's a Netflix documentary that might be feeding this trend, Fantastic Fungi.
Weird core mushroom interiors OVERSIZED BOWS: There was talk of bow chandeliers on the podcast… could work!
UPCYCLED FURNITURE: A not-new trend that humans increasingly embrace as the impact of our infestation of the planet increasingly bites us in the arse. Upcycling can lean down- or up-market…
AQUATECTURE (which apparently means using small aquariums and terrariums as decor): A nice idea in theory, but I can't even keep plants alive, so I will keep my enjoyment of this trend in the digital realm. We never use our fireplace, so I'm thinking a built-in aquarium could be a great repurposing of that space.
BE JELLY (as in jellyfish decor): Jellyfish just so happen to be my favourite animals. I imagine being able to blissfully float through existence with nothing else to do other than allow the current to move me, while breathing gracefully. Jellyfish are the animal incarnation of zen. I for one support their place in the world of interiors.
KITSCHENS (i.e. kitsch kitchens): Leaning ALL the way in can be SO FUN. Kitsch is a good way to decorate for a memorable AirBnB experience, for example. Perhaps too much for a personal residence… or NOT!
QUIET LUXURY (aka BORING): This look doesn't excite me in the least. Zero personality = zero interest for me.
MOB'S WIFE LUXE: This trend sounds so judgy. I mean… if you love shiny things, why not embrace the bling that brings you joy? Life is short - ignore the haters. Just yesterday Architectural Digest published an article describing this aesthetic.
WESTERN GOTHIC: I had absolutely no idea what this looked like until I searched on Pinterest. The combination of Western and Gothic seems wonderfully random to me… to each their own!
Western Gothic got me thinking about what other unlikely style combinations we might investigate. For example…
POLYNESIAN ART DECO: This combo definitely works.
VICTORIAN SCANDI: I think this one has staying power. Remember, you saw it here first ;-). It could also be called ORPHANAGE CHIC.
TROPICAL BRUTALIST: Eye-catching but would require a sizeable budget to pull off.
And here ends our light-hearted romp through the world of AI-assisted interiors. This fun little exercise actually demonstrates how AI can be useful to quickly iterate through different amalgamations and interpretations of what humans have created in the past. It’s great for brainstorming - for both serious and not so serious matters!
And if you have your own bright ideas for new style combinations, let me know in the comments… we might start a new quirky interiors trend for 2025 ;-).
-Vanessa :-)
Read how to work with me one-on-one here. You can also follow me on Instagram for more interiors joy.
What a fun article, loved the kitsch kitchens! I'm also a fan of The Great Indoors, always enjoy listening to them x
What a great fun article. It's my favourite podcast and I remember this episode. How interesting seeing the designs recreated by AI.