I Showed My Living Room to an AI

Before heading out to buy a new lamp, I took a photo of my living room. Just a quick shot—nothing special.

But instead of sending it to a friend or salesperson, I gave it to an AI.

And that changed everything.

I wasn’t asking it for a price or product info. I just wanted to know: Would this lamp feel right in the space I already live in?

I didn’t want it to match perfectly. I wanted it to make sense—visually, emotionally, practically.

Something that goes with my space.

And the thing is… the AI kind of got it.

Photos as Conversations

I’ve started doing this more often.

I take a photo of the room I’m working on.
I screenshot a product I’m thinking about.
I upload them together and ask: “Does this make sense here?”
Or: “Show me three better options that would feel more natural in this setup.”

And it helps. Not perfectly, but helpfully.

Because it’s not just about answers. It’s about carrying context.

The photo carries scale.

The lighting.

The layout.

The vibe.

Even things I might not notice—but that affect how the room works.

The image becomes a kind of message. A little package of meaning that lets the AI see what I see, instead of me trying to describe everything from scratch.

I Didn’t Know I Was Creating a System

I didn’t set out to build anything fancy.

I just wanted to make better decisions without getting overwhelmed.

But now I have this growing habit: I take photos and write little notes. I save them. I reuse them. I send them to the AI when I’m working on something.

“This is the cabinet I’m trying to match.”
“Here’s the rug I just bought—don’t clash with it.”
“This kitchen gets a lot of light—recommend finishes that don’t glare.”

Little by little, these become more than references.

They become a way of thinking.

A way of not starting from scratch every time.

The AI Doesn’t Have to Guess Anymore

When I send it these modules—photos, notes, preferences—it starts from something real.

It doesn’t need me to explain everything again.

It already knows:

This is the room.

This is the style.

This is what matters to me.

So now instead of asking “What lamp should I buy?”, I ask:

“Which of these lamps belongs here—and why?”

The question shifts. The results shift.

Because the context is already in the room.

You’re Probably Already Doing This

If you’ve ever sent a screenshot to a friend and said “would this go?”, you’re doing it.

If you’ve ever taken a picture of your kitchen before shopping, or saved a list of things that worked last time—you’re doing it.

You’re already building small context modules.

You just might not have called them that.

All that’s left is to make it a little more intentional.

To start collecting the pieces that help you think—not just remember.

And once you do, the AI stops being a tool you keep prompting from scratch.

It starts becoming a collaborator that remembers with you.