Wondering what your living room would look like with different furniture, colours or lighting? Upload a photo to ChatGPT and ask it to create a redesigned image. It is a useful way to compare ideas in your own space before you start decorating.

Below are five ChatGPT prompts for interior design, with examples based on a real photo of my sitting room. Each prompt gives the same room a different look: Japandi, mid-century modern, industrial, maximalist and coastal. Copy one, upload your own photo and see which direction you like.

The original sitting room

This is the starting photo for the five style examples. The room has an ornate ceiling, a dark wooden fireplace with green tiles, fitted shelves, dark floorboards and a mix of colourful seating. The prompts ask for those architectural features to stay while the furniture, fabrics and decoration change.

Original photograph of Will Francis’s sitting room, with an ornate white ceiling, wooden fireplace, green tiles, fitted shelves, orange loveseat and patterned rug
The original photograph. All five redesigns start from this image.

The redesigns below were generated with OpenAI’s image generation in Codex, using this photo and the five style prompts below. You can use the same upload-and-edit approach in ChatGPT.

How to use these prompts in ChatGPT

  1. Take a clear photo of your room. Include the walls, main furniture and the features you want to keep. A wider view gives ChatGPT more context.
  2. Upload it to ChatGPT. Add one of the prompts below and send the message. Each prompt explicitly asks for an image.
  3. Adapt the details to your home. Keep the features you like, and remove references to things your room does not have, such as my green fireplace tiles or ornate plasterwork.
  4. Start from the original for each style. Upload the same photo in a fresh chat for the next prompt, so you are comparing alternatives from the same starting point.

Click Copy prompt beside any block below, or download the five style prompts and follow-up prompts as a text file.

Japandi: warm neutrals and less clutter

This version uses cream upholstery, natural textures and a simple wooden coffee table. The paper-style pendant and quieter shelves soften the room, while the original fireplace and ceiling still give it character.

AI-generated Japandi redesign of Will Francis’s sitting room with cream linen seating, a wooden coffee table, a natural rug and a paper pendant
Warm neutrals, linen and light wood around the retained fireplace.
Prompt 01
Create a photorealistic image redesigning the sitting room in my uploaded photo in a Japandi style. Use light wood, warm neutral colours, linen upholstery, simple furniture and minimal clutter. Preserve the room’s dimensions, walls, windows, doors, ceiling height, ornate plasterwork, coving, ceiling rose, fireplace surround, green fireplace tiles, fitted shelves and cupboards, and camera angle. Keep the existing dark wooden flooring. Keep the main seating in the same positions, but change the furniture, upholstery, rug, curtains, lighting and decoration to suit the style. Keep the TV in its existing position and the daylight direction consistent. No added text.

Mid-century modern: walnut and mustard

The mustard sofa is the biggest change here, backed up by a walnut coffee table, geometric rug and globe pendant. It is a useful example of how a few coordinated choices can give the same room a different feel.

AI-generated mid-century modern redesign with a mustard sofa, walnut coffee table, geometric rug and brass globe pendant
Mustard upholstery, walnut furniture and geometric shapes.
Prompt 02
Create a photorealistic image redesigning the sitting room in my uploaded photo in a mid-century modern style. Use walnut furniture, tapered legs, a mustard sofa, restrained geometric patterns and a statement pendant light. Preserve the room’s dimensions, walls, windows, doors, ceiling height, ornate plasterwork, coving, ceiling rose, fireplace surround, green fireplace tiles, fitted shelves and cupboards, and camera angle. Keep the existing dark wooden flooring. Keep the main seating in the same positions, but change the furniture, upholstery, rug, curtains, lighting and decoration to suit the style. Keep the TV in its existing position and the daylight direction consistent. No added text.

Industrial: brick, leather and warm light

For this look, the prompt asks for brick within the existing wall panels, rather than removing the room’s original plasterwork. Brown leather seating and black metal furniture make the biggest difference, with warm lamps keeping it from feeling too stark.

AI-generated industrial redesign with brick finishes inside the wall panels, brown leather seating, black metal furniture and warm lamps
An industrial finish that keeps the original ceiling and fireplace.
Prompt 03
Create a photorealistic image redesigning the sitting room in my uploaded photo in an industrial style. Use an exposed-brick feature-wall finish within the existing wall panels, black metal furniture, leather seating and warm lighting. Preserve the room’s dimensions, walls, windows, doors, ceiling height, ornate plasterwork, coving, ceiling rose, fireplace surround, green fireplace tiles, fitted shelves and cupboards, and camera angle. Keep the existing dark wooden flooring. Keep the main seating in the same positions, but change the furniture, upholstery, rug, curtains, lighting and decoration to suit the style. Keep the TV in its existing position and the daylight direction consistent. No added text.

Maximalist: colour, pattern and plants

This is the busiest version: green velvet, patterned cushions, a leopard-print footstool, a gallery wall and plenty of plants. It shows how the existing period features can sit alongside a much richer mix of fabrics and decoration.

AI-generated maximalist redesign with green velvet seating, layered patterned fabrics, a leopard-print footstool, a gallery wall and plants
Layered patterns, colourful fabrics and a full gallery wall.
Prompt 04
Create a photorealistic image redesigning the sitting room in my uploaded photo in a maximalist style. Use bold colours, layered patterned fabrics, a gallery wall, distinctive furniture and plenty of plants. Preserve the room’s dimensions, walls, windows, doors, ceiling height, ornate plasterwork, coving, ceiling rose, fireplace surround, green fireplace tiles, fitted shelves and cupboards, and camera angle. Keep the existing dark wooden flooring. Keep the main seating in the same positions, but change the furniture, upholstery, rug, curtains, lighting and decoration to suit the style. Keep the TV in its existing position and the daylight direction consistent. No added text.

Coastal: pale blue and woven textures

White seating, pale blue cushions and woven furniture give this version a lighter feel. The dark floorboards and fireplace remain, so you can compare the change in fabrics and accessories without turning the room into a completely different building.

AI-generated coastal redesign with white seating, pale blue cushions, a woven coffee table and pendant, and the original wooden fireplace
White linen, pale blue accents and woven textures.
Prompt 05
Create a photorealistic image redesigning the sitting room in my uploaded photo in a coastal style. Use pale blues, white linen, woven textures, light wood and airy furniture. Preserve the room’s dimensions, walls, windows, doors, ceiling height, ornate plasterwork, coving, ceiling rose, fireplace surround, green fireplace tiles, fitted shelves and cupboards, and camera angle. Keep the existing dark wooden flooring. Keep the main seating in the same positions, but change the furniture, upholstery, rug, curtains, lighting and decoration to suit the style. Keep the TV in its existing position and the daylight direction consistent. No added text.

Go further: change just one thing

The five styles are starting points. Once you find something you like, you can get much more specific: change just the fireplace, the sofa or the rug.

These three examples each start from the coastal image above. They are separate edits, so the new fireplace, sofa and rug do not accumulate across the images. Upload your chosen room image and copy the relevant prompt. Adapt the furniture descriptions to match your room.

Change just the fireplace

The dark wooden fireplace becomes cream marble with dramatic burgundy veining. The coastal seating and woven textures stay.

AI-generated coastal room with a cream marble fireplace, burgundy veining and a black fire opening
The dark wooden fireplace becomes cream marble with dramatic burgundy veining. The coastal seating and woven textures stay.
Prompt 06
Edit the uploaded coastal room image. Replace only the fireplace: remove the dark wooden surround, its integrated mirrored overmantel, the green tile insert and brass fender. In the same position and width, create a striking contemporary cream marble fireplace with dramatic burgundy veining, a thick straight mantel, clean rectangular uprights and a matte-black fire opening. Keep its height within the existing chimney-breast panelling, below the decorative plasterwork. Keep the mantel vases and flowers on the new mantel. Preserve every other part of the image: the white sofas, pale blue cushions, armchair, woven coffee table, natural rug, shelves, TV, artwork, curtains, lamps, ceiling, doors, dark floorboards and all other accessories. Keep the exact camera angle, crop, daylight and shadows. Make the marble look physically real. Output one photorealistic image with no text.

Change just the sofa

A burnt-orange velvet sofa adds a bold new colour and rounded silhouette to the foreground. The smaller white loveseat stays.

AI-generated coastal room with a sculptural burnt-orange velvet sofa in the foreground
A burnt-orange velvet sofa adds a bold new colour and rounded silhouette to the foreground. The smaller white loveseat stays.
Prompt 07
Edit the uploaded coastal room image. Replace only the large white sofa in the foreground with a bold burnt-orange velvet sofa with a curved sculptural silhouette, thick rounded arms and a low upholstered back. Keep it in exactly the same position, orientation and approximate footprint. Keep the existing pale blue and striped cushions on the new sofa. Preserve every other part of the image: the smaller white loveseat against the back wall, white armchair, original dark wooden fireplace and green tiles, woven coffee table, natural rug, shelves, TV, artwork, curtains, lamps, ceiling, doors, dark floorboards and all other accessories. Keep the exact camera angle, crop, daylight and shadows. Show realistic velvet texture and believable furniture scale. Output one photorealistic image with no text.

Change just the rug

The natural rug becomes a hot-pink and black checkerboard, with the existing seating and woven coffee table around it.

AI-generated coastal room with a hot-pink and black checkerboard rug
The natural rug becomes a hot-pink and black checkerboard, with the existing seating and woven coffee table around it.
Prompt 08
Edit the uploaded coastal room image. Replace only the natural beige rug with a vivid contemporary rug featuring a large hot-pink and black checkerboard pattern with an ivory border. Keep the rug in exactly the same position, shape and size, running beneath the woven coffee table and partially beneath the foreground sofa. Preserve the original furniture overlaps and contact shadows. Preserve every other part of the image: all white seating and pale blue cushions, the original dark wooden fireplace and green tiles, woven coffee table, shelves, TV, artwork, curtains, lamps, ceiling, doors, dark floorboards and all other accessories. Keep the exact camera angle, crop, daylight and shadows. Show a realistic woven wool texture. Output one photorealistic image with no text.

Try furniture from a product photo

You can also upload a product photo you have found online and ask ChatGPT to put that piece in your room. Upload the room as image 1 and the product photo as image 2. A clear photo of the whole chair makes the request easier to follow.

Prompt 09
Edit the room in image 1. Replace only the existing armchair with the chair shown in image 2. Match the product photo’s shape, upholstery, colour and legs as closely as possible. Put it in the same position and orientation as the original armchair, at a believable scale. Adjust its perspective, light and contact shadows to fit the room. Preserve all other furniture, the fireplace, rug, decoration, architectural features and camera angle. Output one photorealistic image with no text.

The more specific you are about what should stay, the more useful the comparison becomes. If a result loses an important feature, ask for it to be restored using the original photo.

These are visual concepts. AI can alter proportions or small details, so use the images to choose a direction and check real measurements before buying furniture.

More ChatGPT image ideas

For other creative uses, see my practical comparison of AI image generators and five everyday ChatGPT prompts.

Workflow checked on 28 September 2026 against OpenAI’s Images in ChatGPT guide and image prompting guidance.