What suggests a comfortable space to you? Is it more a matter of its appearance or of the behaviours it facilitates? Or, is the latter in fact predicated upon the former?

I think that depends on the purpose of the room. A space that is for a very clearly defined purpose, such as a hospital operating theatre, is not contingent upon the aesthetic state of mind of its users. Domestic interior design is different, particularly for living rooms, dining rooms and bedrooms.

This is because they are spaces for relaxation and socialising. They are spaces for suggestion, play and open-endedness of interaction. In other words, they are informal.

Do you initially think of orange when you imagine relaxing, comfortable colours? I wouldn’t necessarily, but the following album of generative interior design images, produced using Midjourney V5, have a distinctly orange palette. In combination with stone colours, it works wonderfully to suggest a cozy and relaxing ambience.

One of the interesting traits I’m discovering with this type of ideation is that it returns us to the 19th and 20th century ideal of a master architect, whereby one person was responsible not just for the building shell but also the interior, potentially right down to the soft furnishings. Here too, we have a good idea of what cushions would complement what sofa; the room comes complete.

In another way, it reminds me of the 19th century practice of ordering from catalogues of mass-produced parts, in which clients would simply look up what their options were and then “pick one”. Limiting in some ways, though optional, and of course less and less an issue as generativeAI design tools become more effective.