So you’re renovating your kitchen and have recognised you need design help. But how do you prepare for your kitchen design consultation?
The focus of this article will be on how you can prepare for your kitchen design consultation, what happens in a kitchen design consultation and what to do when you need a professional design consultation.
What Does a Kitchen Consultation Involve?
A kitchen design consultation is the meeting you will have with a professional designer to work out the nuts and bolts of how you want your kitchen to look and function.
You will focus on anything from the basic measurements and layout of your kitchen, to the finer points like your preferred countertop finish, how many ovens you want and where your fridge goes.
It may sound overwhelming, but in fact, it’s just the opposite. This is the time you can really think about the options available to you, what you can do with your preferred layout, what you can get for your money and so much more.
And the best part is, there is rarely any need for commitment during the initial consultation stage. Until the day your order is processed – or some other cut off date advised by your designer – you can make as many changes as you need.
How Long Do Kitchen Consultations Take?
In our opinion, you’ll want to take your time during your kitchen consultation. We don’t like to rush you and often recommend you put aside an hour or two if you want to get the most out of your appointment.
How Can I Prepare for Kitchen Consultations?
You may think that preparing for your kitchen consultation is as simple as getting dressed for the day and showing up. But, unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple. There are, in fact, a few different things you can do before your kitchen consultation – or even booking your consultation – that makes the process easier for you and your designers.
Do Your Research
Doing your research is so important when it comes to designing a kitchen, and something we cannot stress enough. Research can cover anything from the trends you like or dislike, your preferred trends and styles, contractors, cost and so much more.
Inspiration File
Whether it’s bookmarked online or printed out in a folder, we want to see your inspirations! If you’ve been daydreaming about your favourite colours in your local hardware store, or found a vanity you love on Pinterest, store it in a file and bring it along to your appointment.
Create Lists
Lists are our best friends as kitchen designers, and can really make the whole process a lot smoother for all involved.
We recommend not only making a list of what you do and don’t like in kitchen design, but also what you need in your design versus the things you would like to include (but aren’t entirely necessary from a functionality standpoint).
As the kitchen renovation progresses, you also might want to make other lists for yourself, to keep track of how things are going. Examples of this includes:
– when bills are due, and how money is allocated
– what tasks need to be completed and by what time
– questions you need to ask contractors
– when final decisions need to be made
Budget
Now that we’ve mentioned it, now may be the time to talk about the elephant in the room: budget.
We know some people don’t like to discuss money or share how much their budget is when designing a kitchen, but we have to tell you that you’re more likely to get what you want if you give us this information.
By giving us a figure to work with, we’ll be able to provide you with solutions and designs to match your preferred kitchen renovation.
You never know, that big luxury item you may have thought was out of your price range might actually be achievable with the right workarounds. Or we might be able to provide you with solutions that are just as good as the pricey selections, without the hit to the hip pocket.
Measurements & Photos
Where you can, provide accurate measurements regarding the size of your current kitchen (or the space available if installing an additional kitchen).
Photos of your existing space are also an asset, so if you have some on hand, we’d love to see them!
What to Do When You Need a Professional Kitchen Consultation
If you need a professional kitchen consultation with a design team you know you can trust, we’re your first point of call. Not only do we have the best designers on site ready to make your dreams come true, we also have access to some of the highest quality kitchen materials around.
To arrange your kitchen consultation – or find out more about the process – get in touch today.
