Until recently, 3D kitchen design meant one of two things: pay a workshop to render it in KitchenDraw, or wrestle with IKEA's planner, which only knows layouts built from its own catalog. Now you enter your room dimensions in a browser and have a 3D kitchen layout in about ten minutes. If you'd rather not place every cabinet yourself, an algorithm does it for you.
Below: how an AI planner actually works, where it differs from IKEA and similar tools, and what the path looks like from an empty room to a layout you can take to a workshop for a quote. No cost, no account.
What an AI kitchen planner is, and how it differs from IKEA's
A classic kitchen planner (IKEA Kitchen Planner, DAN Kuhinje's planner, and similar tools) has worked the same way for about fifteen years: you manually drag cabinets onto a floor plan, choose from their catalog, and the tool shows you a 3D preview. Useful, but the actual layout work is still entirely on you — and if you don't know the work-triangle rule or standard cabinet dimensions, it's easy to build a layout that looks fine on screen and works poorly in practice.
An AI planner adds one step before manual placement: click "AI Fill" and an algorithm proposes a complete layout, respecting the work triangle, standard clearances, and your existing plumbing, gas, and electrical connections. You then adjust that proposal as much as you like — move a cabinet, swap a front, delete what you don't need. It's the difference between a blank sheet of paper and a sketch that already has something on it, where you just correct.
| Classic planner (IKEA, DAN) | AI planner (KuhinjaAI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinet layout | Manual, unit by unit | AI suggestion or manual — your choice |
| Catalog | Only that brand's products | Modular catalog independent of one manufacturer |
| Redesign from a photo | Doesn't exist | Upload a photo, AI proposes a new look |
| Sending to a workshop | Screenshot or PDF | Exact measurements and layout straight from the planner |
| Price | Free (sells their own furniture) | Free (planner); the kitchen itself is ordered separately, wherever you like |
IKEA and DAN's planners aren't bad tools — use them if you already know you're buying from them. An AI planner makes sense when you want a layout that isn't tied to one catalog, or when you don't have time to manually experiment with dozens of combinations.
How the KuhinjaAI planner works, step by step
- Enter your room dimensions — width, length, ceiling height. If you have an angled wall or a niche, add that too.
- Mark doors, windows, and connections — where the water, gas, and electrical hookups are. This determines where the sink and stove can realistically go.
- Click "AI Fill" or place cabinets yourself — the algorithm proposes a complete layout from a modular catalog (carcass + front + interior fitting), respecting the work triangle and standard clearances. You can also drag every element manually.
- Configure fronts, handles, and materials — every element has its own configuration: door style (slab, shaker, glass), drawer type, handles, color. Change it in real time and see the result instantly in 3D.
- Review the kitchen from every angle — this is a full 3D viewport, not a 2D drawing with a side 3D preview. Rotate, zoom, view at eye level.
- Send the layout to a workshop — request a quote directly from the planner with exact measurements and layout, so the workshop knows exactly what you're talking about — no dimension confusion.
Design your kitchen for free
Our 3D planner lets you try everything — layout, colors, materials. No sign-up required.
Start designingDon't have time to design? Send a photo instead
If even 10 minutes is too much, there's a shortcut. Send a photo of your current kitchen, and AI proposes a new look in about 30 seconds — color, front style, general layout. You won't get measurements this way, but you'll get a direction concrete enough to know if you even like it, before you sit down to measure the room.
Don't have time to design?
Send a photo of your kitchen — AI suggests a new design in 30 seconds.
Try AI designerWhy it's free
The planner is free because it's the only honest way for someone to try us before deciding whether they even want a new kitchen. If you order one from our workshop afterward based on that design, great — that's the goal. But you can take the planner design to any other workshop too; nothing about it locks you in.
“A neighbor of mine showed me 40 Pinterest photos last year before ever calling a workshop — and still didn't know how many meters she needed, or whether the fridge would fit next to the door. Photos show you a style. They don't show you whether an island fits in an 11m² room. For that you need a measured layout, not inspiration.”
Who this works best for
The planner is useful for every type of Serbian home, but the purpose shifts slightly depending on the space:
- Panel apartment (4–7m²) — every centimeter matters, so an AI suggestion quickly shows whether an L-shape or a galley layout uses the space better.
- Open-plan new-builds (8–15m²) — the hardest to decide, since you're weighing an island, a peninsula, and different orientations. Instead of guessing, you try 3–4 variants in 15 minutes.
- Houses — the most freedom, and the biggest risk of a layout that looks good on paper and works poorly in practice. A full 3D view from every angle helps most here.
If you're planning a small kitchen, check our guide on using every centimeter in a 4–12m² kitchen — then try it directly in the planner.
What you end up with
By the end of the process you have a 3D layout with exact measurements for every element, chosen materials and fronts, and the ability to send it straight off for a quote. That's a completely different starting point than walking into a workshop with "I want a white kitchen, something like this." You know exactly how many meters you need, what the layout looks like, and a workshop can't sell you something that doesn't fit your space.
Frequently asked questions
Is the planner really completely free?
Yes. Building a 3D kitchen layout, trying materials, and sending a quote request doesn't require payment or an account.
Do I need design experience to use the planner?
No. If you place elements yourself, the system guides you through standard dimensions and clearances. If you click "AI Fill", the algorithm builds the whole layout following professional rules, and you just refine the details.
Does AI design replace a workshop?
No. A workshop still comes to measure the space in person, and they still manufacture and install the kitchen — the planner doesn't do that part. What changes is that you walk into that conversation with a finished plan and real measurements, instead of an idea in your head and a hope that the workshop guesses right.
Does it work on a phone?
The planner runs in a browser on desktop and tablet. For precise measurements and detailed element configuration, a larger screen is easier, but the photo-based redesign works well from a phone too.
What if I don't like the AI's suggestion?
The AI suggestion is a starting point, not a final answer. You can change any element, color, front, or layout manually, as many times as you want, until you get a result you're happy with.
Design your kitchen for free
Our 3D planner lets you try everything — layout, colors, materials. No sign-up required.
Start designingConclusion
The biggest difference between a good and a bad custom-kitchen experience isn't how much money you spend — it's how clearly you know what you want before you call a workshop. An AI planner shortens that path from weeks of thinking and saving Pinterest images to about ten minutes of a concrete, measurable layout. Try it — it costs nothing, and the conversation with a workshop afterward looks completely different.
Design your kitchen for free
Our 3D planner lets you try everything — layout, colors, materials. No sign-up required.
Start designing
