Renovate AI : Home Design

What it does

Renovate AI is a mobile design tool that uses artificial intelligence to help users visualize home renovations. Users can upload photos of their own interior or exterior spaces and apply a wide range of architectural and design styles, from Modern to Farmhouse. The app also features tools for virtual staging, changing paint colors, removing unwanted objects from a scene, and redesigning landscaping.

Where it shines

Renovate AI shines in its breadth of features and the level of control it offers. The core renovation tool is powerful, allowing users to apply dozens of styles to their photos (01:48). A standout feature is the 'Renovation Spectrum' (02:08), which lets users choose the intensity of the AI's changes, from a minor 'Tweak' to a complete 'Transform'. The app also includes a novel 'AI Copilot' (07:32), a chatbot that provides conversational design advice based on uploaded images, making the creative process feel more guided and accessible.

UX highlights

Guided Onboarding: The app uses a multi-step quiz during onboarding (00:13) to quickly understand the user's goals and experience level, setting the stage for a personalized experience.
Intuitive Comparison: The 'press and hold to see the original' interaction (02:23) is a simple and effective way for users to compare the before and after versions of their renovation.
Contextual Tutorials: The app uses a series of coach marks (01:29) to walk first-time users through the various tools available on the editing screen.
Community Inspiration: An integrated community feed (06:45) allows users to see what others are creating, providing social proof and a constant source of new ideas.
Preserve Area: Users can lock specific objects or areas in their photo (05:25), preventing the AI from altering them during the renovation, which offers a high degree of precision.
Granular Control: Beyond the main style selection, users can choose different renovation intensity levels, giving them more command over the final output.

Monetization & growth

Monetization is front and center. After a brief onboarding, the user is presented with a soft paywall (01:01) framed as a '1 Year Anniversary' discount, which creates urgency. There is no free trial mentioned. Paywalls reappear frequently after key actions, such as saving a project or trying to access certain community features like anonymous posting (07:04). Advanced project management, like deleting a saved project (09:19), is also gated behind the pro plan, creating a functional incentive to upgrade.

Who it’s for

This app is designed for homeowners, renters, and DIY enthusiasts who want to visualize potential changes to their living spaces before committing to them. It would also be a useful tool for real estate agents looking to create virtual staging mockups or for interior designers seeking a quick way to generate and share initial concepts with clients.

Notes & opportunities

While the app is feature-rich, the initial user experience could feel slightly overwhelming. The series of tutorial popups that appear on the first renovation screen (01:29 - 01:45) are shown in rapid succession, which might not give users enough time to absorb each one. Staggering these tips or making them appear more contextually upon first interaction with a tool could improve usability. Additionally, the frequency of paywall prompts could be a point of friction for some users.