What to Bring to Your First Interior Design Consultation: A Kitsap County Homeowner’s Guide

Starting a home remodel is exciting, but your first interior design consultation can also come with plenty of questions. What should you bring? How much should you already know? Do you need to have every finish, fixture, and detail figured out?

The good news is—you don’t.

At Mise en Place Design, the first conversation is about understanding your home, your goals, and most importantly, how you actually live in your space. Thoughtful preparation helps us create a stronger foundation for the design process, but you don’t need to arrive with all the answers.

Bring Your Inspiration—But Don’t Worry About Having a Defined Style

Pinterest boards, saved Instagram posts, magazine clippings, screenshots, and photos of spaces you love are all helpful starting points. They give your designer insight into the colors, materials, layouts, and overall feeling that catches your attention.

It can be equally helpful to show us what you don’t like.

You don’t need to know whether your style is “modern organic,” “transitional,” or something else entirely. Our job is to identify the common threads and translate your inspiration into a cohesive design that feels appropriate for your home and lifestyle.

Think About What Isn’t Working

Before your consultation, spend some time thinking about the frustrations you experience in your current space.

Maybe your kitchen doesn’t have enough storage. Perhaps two people can’t comfortably cook at the same time. Your bathroom may have plenty of square footage but an awkward layout, or your home might simply no longer function for the way your household lives today.

These everyday details are incredibly valuable during the design process.

At Mise en Place Design, we aren’t simply designing a beautiful room. We’re creating highly functional spaces built around the people who actually use them.

Know Your Priorities

You don’t need a finalized wish list, but having a general sense of your priorities can make the first conversation more productive.

Think about what you absolutely need from the remodel versus what would simply be nice to have. Consider your storage needs, daily routines, entertaining habits, accessibility concerns, and any features you’ve always wanted in your home.

It’s also helpful to think about your anticipated budget and timeline. These don't have to be exact numbers or dates. Having an open conversation early allows your designer to help establish realistic expectations around the scope of the project.

Bring What You Know About Your Home

If you already have floor plans, property drawings, measurements, previous renovation documents, appliance information, or photographs of your home, bring them along.

Don't worry if you don't have any of these. An on-site walkthrough is an important part of the Mise en Place Design process and allows us to evaluate the physical space in greater detail.

What matters most at the beginning is giving us as much useful context as possible so we can begin putting the pieces together.

You Don’t Need to Have Everything Figured Out

Your first interior design consultation isn't a test, and you aren't expected to arrive with your remodel already designed.

That's what we're here for.

Our mise en place philosophy is rooted in having everything in its place before the heat is turned on. Through thoughtful space planning, technical documentation, material selections, budgeting, and design-to-construction support, we front-load the decisions that matter so your project can be prepared before the first hammer swings.

For homeowners planning kitchen, bathroom, or whole-home remodels throughout Kitsap County and the Western Puget Sound, that preparation creates a clearer path from the first idea to the finished space.

Come prepared to talk about your home, your routines, your frustrations, and what you'd love to change. We'll help you figure out the rest.

Everything in its place. Finally.

Mise en Place Design | NCIDQ & ASID CertifiedSilverdale | Kitsap | Gig Harbor | Port Orchard | Bremerton | Kingston | Poulsbo | Bainbridge Island | Hansville | Seabeck