What to expect in your first meeting with a kitchen designer

If you’re interested in hiring a designer to oversee your kitchen remodel but feel unsure of what that first meeting entails, we’re here to demystify the process. We’ve put together a how-to guide on what to expect from your first conversation with a kitchen designer—and how to prepare—as you kick off your renovation process.

Planning a kitchen renovation is an exciting endeavor that involves a lot of decision-making as you craft your dream kitchen. There are so many stunning colors, styles, cabinet types, appliances, storage solutions, and hardware options to consider. Managing the entire remodel project can start to feel overwhelming if you aren’t prepared. 

Even though there are a lot of choices, according to recent MasterBrand research, 95% of homeowners are satisfied with their overall kitchen renovation experience. That data point may comfort you as you embark on your remodel journey! To close that gap to a 100% satisfaction rate, we gathered feedback from remodelers. The top piece of advice they had for their fellow homeowners was that they wish they had hired a kitchen designer to help them simplify and streamline the renovation process—and to offer expert advice on trends, materials, and all other selections that make a kitchen remodel successful and satisfying for years to come. 

Photo from MasterBrand Cabinets.

If you’re looking to remodel your kitchen and are interested in being connected with a kitchen pro, Rebode Jumpstarter has you covered. After filling out a short questionnaire detailing what you want from your new kitchen, we can match you with a local kitchen designer who can help you kick off your remodel process.

What to expect from your first conversation

A kitchen designer plays an important role: they use their expertise to ensure you get your dream kitchen by providing invaluable recommendations at each phase of the project, helping you overcome any bumps along the way, and ultimately driving the renovation toward success. Think of your designer as a partner who can amplify your vision by offering expert suggestions aligned with your goals and help manage the remodel process, from planning and drawing up 3D renderings of your space, to suggesting and ordering the best cabinetry brand for you, helping select materials, and ordering to identifying the perfect hardware for your cabinets. 

Despite the benefits of hiring a kitchen designer, something we hear a lot from homeowners is that it can be intimidating to talk to an expert about your space. Some even fear that the designer will change their vision too much. Kitchen designers want to hear what you want, offer tips to bring your goals to fruition, and ultimately make your dream kitchen a reality! The key word here is “you”: you’re in control of your kitchen remodel, and a designer is there to be your second in command.

After you first reach out to a designer, you’ll receive an email or phone call within the next few business days to discuss your inquiry and set up a first meeting. In this first conversation, you can expect your designer to ask about the following:

• Your kitchen remodel ideas and goals: are you looking for a gut renovation, a simple cabinet update, or something in between?
• Your design and style preferences 
• Your desired functionality in your new space as well as how you currently use your existing kitchen
• Approximate measurements of your space
• Your estimated budget and ideal timeline for the remodel 

This may seem like a lot for a first meeting, but your designer asks for this information up front so that they can fully understand how you’re thinking about your kitchen to ensure the working relationship between you two is productive and suits your remodel needs. To make sure you’re ready for this conversation, we’ve put together suggestions for how to gather all of this information so you feel confident and excited for your first meeting with a kitchen designer!

How to prepare for your first meeting

There are some easy steps you can take to get the most out of this initial conversation with your kitchen designer. If you’ve completed our simple and free questionnaire on Rebode Jumpstarter, sharing your Remodel Profile with your designer is a great way to brief them on your kitchen remodel vision. Mood boards, collages, color swatches, photos of kitchens you love, links to must-have appliances or storage solutions, or even a description of what you don’t like are also great ways to help your designer understand your preferences. Below, we’ll further break down how to prepare for your first meeting with a kitchen pro.

Mood boards like this flat lay can help your designer get a sense of your style preferences. Photo from MasterBrand Cabinets.

Consider your style preferences

Many homeowners begin their kitchen remodel process with a vision of a personalized and gorgeous space. Look and feel are usually the easiest places to start when preparing for your conversation with a kitchen designer because your imagination can run wild. Think about the striking colors that would enliven your cabinets, walls, floors, backsplash, and accents as well as the styles that you love. Does your dream kitchen have a coastal and breezy feel, or is it Scandinavian-inspired and minimalist? Perhaps your ideal space is a rustic and cozy gathering place instead or has an air of Mediterranean romance. Regardless of what you envision, having a sense of your style preferences will make your first meeting with a kitchen pro go smoothly.

Think about function

Considering how you use your current kitchen, and how you’d ideally use your new one, is also a crucial step when preparing to meet with a designer. Perhaps you have a small space, and installing clutter control solutions is top priority for you. Or maybe you work from home, and you’d love a kitchen island that transitions from a work space during the day into a preparation and dining space at night. For coffee and tea lovers, dedicated beverage stations can make your morning pick-me-up even more fun to prepare and drink. You might also picture how you store your belongings: does open shelving show off your most treasured dishware and decor? Does a roll tray hide all of your furry friends’ accessories? 

Roll trays are a great storage solution for your kitchen cabinets and pantry alike. Photo from MasterBrand Cabinets.

You don’t have to have all the exact specifics of what you need from your dream kitchen, but having a sense of your top use cases will allow your designer to incorporate your ideal functionality into the remodel plans from the very beginning. 

Estimate your kitchen’s layout and size

While you can always measure your space manually (see here for our how-to guide!), Rebode Measure makes the process easy by helping you to measure for a remodel. Rebode Measure is available on iOS for iPhone models 12 Pro and later and iPads that have the LiDAR Scanner; it is currently not available on Android.

Keep in mind that your kitchen designer will take precise measurements at a later stage, so you don’t have to stress about being perfect. The goal is to give your designer a broad sense of the size of your space so that they can advise you on cabinets, appliances, and storage solutions that will fit your kitchen.

Establish a working budget and timeline

One of the most important parts of planning any kitchen remodel is to know what you can spend. The National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) generally recommends setting aside 20-25% of your home’s value as your kitchen renovation budget. Of that budget, approximately a third should be applied to purchasing cabinets, and 10-15% should be set aside for unexpected costs like repairing hidden damage, adding structural reinforcements, or managing code-related updates. 

If you need help establishing a budget, Rebode Jumpstarter offers a budget estimator and budget guidelines as part of its easy questionnaire. Your designer can also help you refine your budget based on your wants and needs for your new kitchen.

Now is also a good time to discuss your ideal timeline for starting this remodel as well as any deadlines you might have for it to be completed. Remember that depending on your goals, timelines may shift, but it’s always helpful for your designer to be aware of potential time constraints.

Jot down questions you have for your designer

The final step to prepare for your first meeting with a kitchen designer is to write down any questions you have. Remember that your designer is full of knowledge and expertise—ask them your burning questions about style, function, budget, and anything else that comes up!

Get connected to a kitchen designer

Working with a kitchen designer on your remodel project is a great way to streamline the process and ensure that your dream kitchen becomes a reality. Rebode Jumpstarter not only prepares you for a first conversation with a designer by helping you establish your vision, but it also allows you to connect with local designers directly through your Remodel Profile. 

Now that you know what to expect from your initial meeting with a kitchen pro, click here to get connected to a local kitchen designer for free!