Not the hype, not the doom — the honest middle. A handful of prompts that actually save you hours, a short list of tools worth your time, and a clear line for where AI has no business in your work. Copy what's useful, ignore the rest.
Paste into ChatGPT or Claude, then swap in your details. The magic is in the specifics you add — AI drafts, you decide.
You're helping an interior designer write a warm, professional client update email. Here are my rough notes on where the [PROJECT NAME] project stands: [PASTE BULLET NOTES]. Write a friendly but polished email that reassures the client, clearly states next steps and any decisions I need from them, and keeps my calm, confident tone. Keep it under 200 words.Client Communication
Act as a social content strategist for an interior designer. Based on this project description — [PASTE 3–4 SENTENCES] — give me 5 Instagram caption ideas that teach something or tell a story (not just "swipe to see"). Mix in one behind-the-scenes angle, one lesson about the business of design, and one that invites comments. Keep my voice real and a little unfiltered.Marketing & Content
Help me draft a clear scope-of-work summary for a design proposal. The project is [DESCRIBE: rooms, scope, timeline]. Write a professional, plainly-worded scope section that sets expectations, notes what's included and excluded, and reads confidently — not apologetically. I'll add pricing myself.Proposals & Pricing
I'm an interior designer and I need to tell a client that [the budget won't cover their wish list / I'm raising my rates / a change order will cost more]. Give me 3 ways to say it that are warm but firm, hold my value without over-explaining or apologizing, and keep the relationship intact. Short and human.Boundaries & Money
Here's a long client or vendor email: [PASTE]. Summarize what they actually need from me in 2–3 bullets, flag anything time-sensitive, and draft a brief reply I can edit. Keep the reply friendly and professional.Admin & Ops
Help me write a short, evocative concept narrative for a client presentation. The space is [ROOM/HOME], the client is [WHO THEY ARE], and the direction is [3–5 KEYWORDS: e.g. warm, collected, quietly luxe]. Write 2 short paragraphs that make them feel the vision — sensory and specific, not generic "elevated living" filler. I'll refine the taste; you handle the first words.Client Presentations
Write a short, polite-but-firm follow-up to a vendor or tradesperson about [ISSUE: late order / missing info / damaged item / no response]. I need a clear answer and a date. Keep it professional and relationship-preserving — I work with them often — but don't let me sound like I'm apologizing for asking.Vendors & Trades
AI is a fast intern, not a designer. Let it handle the words-and-admin around the work. Never let it stand in for the taste, the judgment, or the honesty your clients actually pay you for. And if you ever use an AI image, say so.
You don't need all of them. Start with one.
Writing, summarizing, brainstorming — your everyday workhorse.
Transcribe client calls and site visits so nothing gets lost.
Fast social graphics and quick copy variations, on brand.
Early concept exploration only — never a final client deliverable.
Summarize project notes and turn meeting scribbles into clean action lists.
QuickBooks & co. now auto-categorize and flag — let it, then review.
Most have a free tier. Start with one you'll actually open — usually ChatGPT or Claude.
Don't try to "adopt AI." Just do these three small things this week.
The email you keep putting off, the caption you can't start. Open ChatGPT or Claude, paste the relevant prompt above, and let it write the first draft. You edit. That's the whole game — AI drafts, you decide.
Whichever two prompts here actually helped, drop them in a note on your phone. Reusing a good prompt is where the real time savings come from — not hunting for a new trick each time.
Decide, on purpose, one place AI will never touch in your work — and one place you're happy to hand off. Clarity there is what keeps AI a tool instead of a crutch.
Episode 8 of Really Renée digs into all of this — two designers, two honest takes on AI. Subscribe so you don't miss it.
A free tool from Really Renée — the real business of interior design.