From Pallet-Wood Bar to Beach-House Bright | Deep Dive AI
From Pallet-Wood Bar to Beach-House Bright:
How Practical AI Shrinks the Gap Between Dream and Demo Day
By the Deep Dive AI Team • Updated July 13, 2025
Why “Everyday” AI Beats Mood Boards
Traditional remodeling starts with Pinterest rabbit holes, magazine tear-outs, and many versions of “Imagine if the kitchen felt… more open?” That guessing game costs time, breeds miscommunication, and—worst of all—locks you into choices after you’ve already spent money.
Practical AI flips that script with low-cost, no-code tools that let anyone:
- Erase visual clutter in seconds to preview structural changes.
- Auto-fill missing pixels, turning messy mock-ups into contractor-ready photos.
- Swap floors, colors, and textures to test entire design languages before buying materials.
- Iterate dozens of options—faster than printing one mood board.
This case study shows how we used four quick renders to go from a pallet-wood breakfast bar to a crisp, coastal concept—without swinging a hammer or spending a dime on demolition.
Step 0 – The Reality Check (Original Photo)
First, a brutally honest photo walk-through revealed three pain points:
- An improvised pallet-wood bar that hijacked half the sight-line.
- Two floor types colliding—oak planks up front, glazed tile in the kitchen.
- Cedar tongue-and-groove around the pass-through that darkened the space.
We knew we wanted openness, continuous flooring, and brighter walls—but would it actually look good, or just create a giant void? Time to test the idea risk-free.
Step 1 – “Erase the Eyesore” with Generative Fill
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What We Did
- Painted a rough selection around the bar in Photoshop (Beta).
- Clicked Generative Fill → Remove.
- Watched the offending structure vanish, leaving a grayish smear.
Why It Matters
- Instant validation. The moment the bar disappeared, we could picture real conversation flowing between kitchen and living room.
- No commitment. A single undo brings the bar back—cheaper than hiring demo crews.
- Shareable “what-if.” Even skeptics finally got why we hated the half-wall.
Step 2 – AI Clean-Plate Rendering (Good-bye Blurs, Hello Quotes)
Blurs are fine for brainstorming, but contractors need clarity. We uploaded the erased image into InteriorAI’s “Restoration” mode. In 30 seconds the AI:
- Back-filled the tile texture, matching grout lines perfectly.
- Straightened perspective on windows, cabinetry, and floor grid.
- Balanced exposure so colors were true to life.
This cleaner image let us ask critical budget questions (“Can we keep the existing tile?”) and blueprint questions (“Is the bar non-load-bearing?”) before anyone billed us for onsite inspections.
Step 3 – Fast-Forward Concept Design
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Rather than a third-party renderer, we used a custom ChatGPT project that interprets our clean-plate image and applies style prompts. We instructed it: “Coastal Modern Farmhouse, light oak LVP, off-white walls, keep cabinet layout, keep cedar ceiling fan.” Within seconds we got a photo-real render that nailed our dream vibe:
- Continuous plank floor flows from office to kitchen.
- Warm cream walls replace the heavy cedar panel—yet the fan stays as a rustic accent.
- Original cabinet & appliance map remains—cheap on plumbing, big on style.
Our ChatGPT project even spits out a HEX color palette and material list—so we could send a single PDF to suppliers and skip the “closest match” headache.
Toolbox: Free & Paid Apps We Used
| Tool | Core Feature | Free Tier? | Why We Chose It |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photoshop (Beta) | Generative Fill | 7-day trial | Best edge detection, natural textures |
| Magic Eraser | Quick object removal | Yes | No install, phone-friendly |
| InteriorAI | Clean-plate & style renders | Yes (watermark) | Accurate geometry & lighting |
| Custom ChatGPT Project | Style-transfer & concept rendering | Available in our workspace | Fully customizable prompts & outputs |
| Canva Pro | Annotations & mood boards | 30-day trial | Drag-and-drop labels for clients |
A Repeatable 7-Minute Workflow
- Snap → Upload → Erase. 90 seconds.
- Export to InteriorAI. 60 seconds for a clean plate.
- Feed to custom ChatGPT project. 2 minutes for concept render.
- Annotate in Canva. 2 minutes to circle finishes & jot notes.
- Share via Google Drive. 30 seconds—contractor has everything.
Total: under seven minutes per iteration. Repeat until the decision feels inevitable.
Pitfalls, Fixes & Pro Tips
1. AI Changed My Cabinet Sizes!
Fix: Overlay a semi-transparent grid (1 ft squares) to spot scale drift. Resize the layer until handles and hinges align.
2. Lighting Looks Fake.
Fix: Take your base photo at midday with curtains open. Balanced input photos = believable output renders.
3. It Removed My Cat.
Fix: Mask out furry friends as “keep” layers before you hit Generate.
4. Contractor Skepticism.
Fix: Attach both the original and the AI render in a single PDF so pros can see you’re not hiding structural details.
Where Practical AI Design Is Headed
Today’s tools fake textures convincingly; tomorrow’s will price them, track inventory, and auto-schedule deliveries. NVIDIA’s Neuralangelo is already turning smartphone clips into CAD-ready 3D models. Expect:
- On-device language models for offline, on-site tweaks.
- Real-time AR overlays that adjust as you move through the space.
- Permit-check AI that flags code violations before you submit blueprints.
Next Steps & Resources
We filmed every step—mistakes included—and posted the 12-minute recap on our channels:
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