Before, After… and Everything In Between
There’s always a before.
There’s always an after.
And then there’s the part no one shows you:
Everything that happened in between… that made absolutely no sense but is always entertaining…
A client came to me and said:
“Can you help me visualize this before I spend money?”
Which is honestly the smartest question anyone can ask.
So, we did what everyone does now.
We brought in AI.
The Plan
Keep it simple.
Refine the space.
Make a few smart changes.
Very reasonable.
What Actually Happened
At one point, AI:
- added windows and wall sections that didn’t exist
- removed things we specifically liked
- scaled things 200% off
- and introduced accessories that I’d never seen before
And every version looked just convincing enough to make you question yourself.
As you can see above Sometimes it just goes rogue.
I kept trying doors that I found and uploaded but as you can see windows changed, grids changed and sometimes the art even changed which you can see in photo 3 the horse changed into a pot so I had to prompt to put the horse back which was actually kind of funny.
Lesson Learned
The prompts were easy to redefine when they went rogue.
When things start disappearing and changing tell them to put them back.
You just have to bring them back to reality and sometimes that means starting over.
Because This Is Where It Gets Tricky
You start thinking:
“Maybe this works?”
“Maybe I like this?”
“Wait… what did I like originally?”
And just like that, you’re 14 versions deep trying to keep track.
What AI Is Really Good At
Giving you options.
A lot of options.
Endless options.
Options you didn’t even ask for.
Options that work when you fix them.
What It’s Not Good At
Getting it right the first time
Understanding the vision in your mind by the words you use
Multi tasking.
So, We Did What Actually Works
We stepped back.
Removed the noise.
Stopped trying to “design more.”
And just made better decisions and clear prompts.
What Actually Changed
New floor
New door
Black windows
Furniture and accessories
Lighting
Which is exactly why it works.
Same space.
Same layout.
Just:
- a cleaner refresh
- more intentional
- updated
The Part No One Tells You
You don’t need more ideas.
You need someone to say:
“This works. This doesn’t. Do this.”
Because Most People Do This
They keep adjusting.
Keep testing.
Keep second-guessing.
Until something that was almost right becomes… not right at all.
The Takeaway
AI can help you see clear possibilities much quicker.
It saves time.
It saves money.
The decisions, still human…
Final Thought
Before and after’s are nice.
But the real work?
Happens in the middle… where everything briefly goes a little off the rails.
But it does give you the ability to visualize real products that you are actually going to use. The best part…I uploaded real furniture, lighting, flooring, art, and appliances so that in itself saves you so much time and money to see it in your space before you purchase. So no more second guessing your decisions!
And That’s Where I Come In
Not to give you more options.
To give you the right ones.
Lets visualize! info@thestripedbarn.com
Carrie
XOXO