Help your designer better understand your lifestyle and your vision.

• Collect photos of kitchens that inspire you and note any functional features you like.
• Think about what’s really important – how you live in your kitchen. Do you congregate in your kitchen as a family or with guests? Are there other activities you frequently do there, like homework or crafts? Do you have any special accessibility needs?
• Jot down what bothers you about your current kitchen. There’s no place to hide small appliances or charge your tech. You never seem to have enough counter space next to your range. Maybe the recycling bin or dog bowls are always in the way.

You’re not committing to anything yet, but it’s a good idea to go into design discussions with an idea of your layout and what types of appliances you’d like.

• There are a lot of ways to improve your kitchen without entirely changing the existing layout. Or, you may want to add an island or open up your space to other living spaces. The most common kitchen layouts are:

G-Shape   | U-Shape   |    L-Shape   |   Galley   |   Single Wall

• You don’t have to know the exact appliance models you’ll get for your kitchen, but a design plan will vary considerably if you want a six-burner cooktop and double wall oven versus a stand-alone range.

Images allow your designer to get a better sense of the overall space.

• Take several shots of your kitchen from various angles in the room, making sure you capture the location of windows, door openings, HVAC registers or radiators, and structural elements like ceiling beams and stairs.

Bring a sketch of your space to help your designer determine possible kitchen plans.

• Start by drawing an outline of your space, noting how long each wall is in inches.
• Go back and mark the location of window and door openings, plumbing lines and electrical outlets.
• Measure the height of the room from floor to ceiling and any soffits you have.

Your designer will help you make the most of any budget. So be prepared to have a candid discussion about numbers.

• For help getting started, use our budgeting calculators.

Tell your designer if you’re trying to complete your project by a certain date or event, like an upcoming party you’ll host or the expansion of your family.

• Be realistic in your expectations. Get a sense for how long it typically takes to remodel a kitchen in our sample timeline.