After our initial phone call, the next step in my process is typically a Design Consultation. This happens before any agreements are signed and gives me the opportunity to really understand your project, priorities, and goals before determining what working together could look like.

I often describe this meeting as a brain dump session.

Bring me everything—the ideas, questions, inspiration photos, budget thoughts, concerns, priorities, and even the things you aren’t quite sure how to explain yet. You don’t need to have it organized. That’s my job.

What Happens During the Consultation?

Most consultations take about an hour and are billed at my current hourly design rate. For remodels, we typically meet in your home. For new construction projects, we can meet virtually or in my meeting space and work through your architectural plans together.

We’ll talk through the overall scope of your project: what you want to change, which spaces you want me involved in, what may become a future phase, your timeline, budget considerations, and any builders or architects already involved.

Because this is a paid consultation, I’m also happy to brainstorm and offer professional advice along the way. Some questions can be answered right then, while larger decisions—like reworking a floor plan or moving walls—may require more exploration.

I’m Also Looking at How You Live

As we walk through your home, I’m paying attention to more than finishes.

I’m looking at traffic flow, layout, plumbing locations, potential structural considerations, HVAC locations, and how your family actually uses the space.

Who cooks? Who works from home? Where does everyone naturally gather? What’s currently frustrating you?

Those details matter because we’re not simply designing a beautiful house. We’re designing a home that needs to work for the people living in it.

At the end of our meeting, I’ll document the space with measurements and photos so I have everything I need to evaluate the scope and complexity of the project.

Do I Need to Have Everything Figured Out?

Absolutely not.

You don’t need to know your exact design style, have finishes selected, or know what the final layout should be. Inspiration photos or Pinterest boards are helpful, but what matters most at this stage is the big picture: what do you want to accomplish, what matters most to you, and what level of investment and scope are you considering?

We’ll figure out the details later.

What Happens Next?

After the consultation, I take everything we’ve discussed and turn that brain dump into a thoughtful Design Scope based on your project. I typically have this prepared within about a week, and then we’ll schedule a meeting to review it together, answer questions, and discuss what moving forward would look like.

The goal of the consultation isn’t to have your entire home figured out in an hour. It’s to create a solid foundation for the project—and for you to leave feeling more assured that there is a thoughtful process for getting from where your home is today to where you want it to be.