• 'So we've got a proper four wall bedroom situation': I asked Alex

    From TechnologyDaily@1337:1/100 to All on Friday, April 17, 2026 20:15:24
    'So we've got a proper four wall bedroom situation': I asked Alexa+ to help redecorate my apartment, and she has a great eye for design

    Date:
    Fri, 17 Apr 2026 19:00:00 +0000

    Description:
    It turns out Amazon's AI-powered assistant has a much better eye for design than me and it really loves sage green.

    FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member
    features. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting
    your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Join the club Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards. Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter Im bad at interior design. So bad, in fact, that I affectionately refer to my apartment as the clown house due to its total lack of a cohesive color
    scheme. Its definitely due for a refresh so I turned to Alexa+ to help me create something more tasteful.

    A few weeks ago, Amazon rolled out Alexa+ in the UK . The AI-powered virtual assistant made its debut in the US last year, but the company had taken its time localizing Alexa+ for British users. Not only does it recognize and use British slang (which is sometimes unintentionally funny considering its
    rather posh accent), it also links to services and sites that people use in the UK and since it's designed to be an 'ambient assistant' for your home, it seemed like a natural choice for decorating advice. I was lucky enough to get early access to the British version of Alexa+, so after getting to know her a bit (and teasing her about her accent, which she took with good humor) I
    asked her to suggest ways to make the clown house look a little bit less goofy. Article continues below You may like Alexa+ promises an AI layer over everything Im not sure we asked for that Amazon sees its original smart assistant vision realised in Alexa+ Enough chit-chat: Alexa is done waiting for the agentic AI future I spoke to Amazon's Daniel Rausch to find out more If you have one of the latest Amazon Echo Show devices, Alexa+ can take a picture of your room as a starting point for decorating suggestions (Image credit: Future) With certain devices (such as the latest Amazon Echo Show smart displays ), Alexa+ can take a picture of the room as a starting point, but if youre using different hardware or want help with another room, you can just describe what it looks like and the assistant will understand. There was a brief moment when I accidentally gave Alexa the impression that I had a strange bedroom with only three walls, but that was probably a poor explanation on my part (the fourth wall is painted a different color).

    I started with my spare bedroom/study, which is where I keep my Echo Show speaker, and is the place most in need to help. Paint always looks brighter and bolder on a wall than in a tin, and I ended up with a small room painted quite an alarming shade of swimming pool blue. With two bikes mounted on the walls, two desks, and a bookshelf, its quite an assault on the eyes. Alexa+ generated some paint swatches that would be more tasteful options for my
    study than its current swimming pool blue (Image credit: Future) Alexa+
    gently suggested toning things down with a sage green to make those bikes
    look like intentional art rather than storage solutions and create a calmer workspace for your computers without clashing with your existing setup. She even generated some swatches when I asked to see some examples of sage green paint, though she was unable to recommend one in particular, explaining that she couldnt see or recall images that she had created before. Nonetheless, it was very useful, and she even offered to message it to my phone for future reference. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Floor to ceiling Next I described the hallway, and was impressed that she factored in my smart home devices when making suggestions about flooring:

    A light colored runner would help enormously, she suggested when I described my narrow hallway with its black laminate flooring and no natural light.
    Maybe cream or soft beige to tie in with those bedroom curtains as we discussed, And since your robot vacuum can handle it, you wont have to worry about maintenance!

    She even suggested using an anti-slip rug mat underneath, or possibly carpet tape, and I was pleasantly surprised that it didnt immediately try to shuffle me off to Amazon to buy some. What to read next Alexa+ just got a personality upgrade brief, chill, or sweet Alexa+ has arrived in the UK, and it's got more than just a British accent Stickerbox is my latest fixation here's how
    I got on trying it for the first time I accidentally led Alexa+ to believe my bedroom has three walls, but we soon straightened things out (Image credit: Future) If an AI was capable of cringing, I think Alexa+ would have done it when I described my bedroom: "Blimey, that's quite the red theme you've got going!" she remarked, not unfairly. "Sounds like you're living in a proper crimson sanctuary there."

    Once Id clarified that the crimson sanctuary was in fact a normally-shaped room (which she called a proper four-wall bedroom situation), she suggested swapping the red for dusty lilac or more sage green, with soft neutrals or warm gray as your base.

    If I wanted to keep my red accent wall (yes, I know) she suggested fitting some cream curtains to break up the intensity: "The key is creating breathing space so the room feels cozy rather than overwhelming."

    She also recommended plants that can survive without natural light for my bedroom, and suggested adding copper accessories in my green living room. It all made sense, and since Im a fan of green, I wouldnt have a problem with spreading it throughout the whole apartment. Picture this... I was a little skeptical about how well the decorating conversation would work, but it was a rather lovely chat, and I came away with some genuinely good ideas (as well
    as my sage green swatches).

    Sadly when I tried the same experiment more recently, the experience wasnt quite as colorful. When I asked for some examples of a color, Alexa+ told me shes unable to generate images, and offered to tell me where I can buy paint instead.

    Although our initial conversation was definitely quirky, it was a lot of fun, and this turn of events was a tad disappointing. Hopefully Alexa+ will rediscover her eye for color soon. Amazon Prime deals Amazon Prime Video - Free Trial View at Amazon Amazon Prime - Monthly 8.99 /mth View at Amazon Amazon Prime - Yearly 95 /year View at Amazon



    ======================================================================
    Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/home/smart-home/so-weve-got-a-proper-four-wall-bedro om-situation-i-asked-alexa-to-help-redecorate-my-apartment-and-she-has-a-great -eye-for-design


    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64)
    * Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)