So you have decided to reach out to a designer. You have done your research, looked through portfolios, and you are ready to have a real conversation about your home. That is an exciting place to be.
Now comes a question I hear often: what do I actually need to bring to that first meeting, and how do I make sure I am ready?
The good news is that preparing well is not complicated. It mostly comes down to thinking through a few key things before you show up, so that the time you spend together is focused, productive, and gives both of you a clear picture of what your project actually needs.
Here is exactly what I recommend.
Understand How the First Meeting Works
Before you prepare, it helps to understand what the first meeting is actually for and how it is structured, because it shapes everything you need to bring.
With me, the process starts with a discovery call. This is a conversation over the phone or video where we get to know each other a little, talk through your project at a high level, and figure out whether working together makes sense. You do not need to have everything figured out for this call. You just need to be able to describe what you are hoping to accomplish and have a general sense of your goals.
If the discovery call feels like a good fit on both sides, the next step is meeting at the jobsite, your home. This is where the real work of understanding your project begins. I walk through the space with you, see what you are working with firsthand, ask detailed questions, and start developing a genuine picture of what your project requires. This is the paid consultation that eventually leads to a formal proposal.
Knowing this two-step structure helps you prepare appropriately for each conversation rather than trying to have everything ready before you have even said hello.
What to Bring to the Discovery Call
The discovery call is a conversation, not a presentation. You do not need a fully formed vision or a detailed list of everything you want. What helps is being able to speak to a few things clearly.
A general description of your project. Which spaces are involved? Are you furnishing from scratch, renovating, or refreshing something that already exists? Are you planning to stay in the home long term or thinking about selling in the next few years? The more context you can share, the more useful the conversation will be.
Your general timeline. Do you have a date you are working toward, a family event, a move-in date, a season you want to be finished by? Or is the timeline more flexible? Either answer is fine, but knowing it upfront helps frame the conversation around what is actually realistic.
Any big picture questions you want answered. If there is something specific you have been wondering about the process, the investment, or what working together would actually look like, the discovery call is a good place to start. There are no bad questions at this stage.
What to Bring to the Jobsite Meeting
The jobsite meeting is where preparation really pays off. This is the paid consultation where I am in your space, asking detailed questions and developing the scope for your project. Coming prepared makes that time significantly more productive for both of us.
Inspiration images. This is one of the most useful things you can bring, and Pinterest is genuinely a great tool for this. Spend some time before the meeting saving images of spaces that resonate with you, rooms that feel right even if you cannot fully articulate why. You do not need a perfectly curated board. A mix of images that reflect what you are drawn to gives me real insight into your taste, your instincts, and the direction you are hoping to go.
Do not worry if your saved images do not all match each other. That is normal, and it is actually useful information. The through lines across images that appeal to you, the finishes, the scale, the mood, tell me more about your style than a single perfectly coordinated board would.
A clear sense of your budget range. You do not need an exact number, but having a realistic range in mind before the jobsite meeting is genuinely helpful. Budget shapes everything from the scope of the project to the caliber of materials and furnishings we are working with. Coming in without any sense of what you are comfortable investing makes it difficult to scope the project accurately or give you realistic recommendations.
If you are not sure what things cost, that is completely fine, and it is part of what the process is designed to help you understand. But if you have a general range you are working within, sharing it openly means the proposal I put together reflects what is actually achievable for you rather than a version of the project that does not fit your reality.
If you have already hired a builder or contractor, consider bringing them. If your project involves renovation or construction work and you already have a contractor or builder on board, the jobsite consultation is a great opportunity to get everyone in the same room at the same time. Having your contractor present means we can talk through the scope together, ask questions in real time, and make sure the design direction and the construction plan are aligned from the very beginning. It prevents the miscommunications that happen when design decisions and construction decisions are made in separate conversations, and it sets the whole project up for a smoother process from day one.
If you do not yet have a contractor, that is not a problem. I work with a trusted network of contractors and tradespeople in the Birmingham area and am happy to make introductions to the right fit for your project scope.
An honest assessment of what is and is not working. Before the meeting, spend a little time in each space you want to address and think about what specifically bothers you, what feels off, what you have been tolerating, and what you wish were different. This kind of reflection gives you much more to work with than “I just know something needs to change.” The more specific you can be about the problems, the more targeted the solutions can be.
What You Do Not Need to Have Figured Out
This is just as important as what to bring. A lot of homeowners hold off on reaching out because they feel like they should have more figured out before they call. In my experience, waiting until you have it all sorted usually just means waiting longer than necessary.
You do not need a fully formed design vision. That is what the process is for. You do not need to know exactly what you want in every room. You do not need to have your budget perfectly allocated. And you do not need to have made any decisions yet about materials, finishes, or furniture.
What you need is a sense of what you are trying to accomplish and a willingness to engage in the process. Everything else develops from there.
A Few Things That Make the Process Go More Smoothly
Beyond the practical preparation, there are a few mindset things worth mentioning because they genuinely affect how a project unfolds.
Be honest about your budget. I know it can feel vulnerable to share a number before you know what things cost, but a designer who knows your real budget can do far more for you than one who is guessing. It allows the project to be scoped correctly from the start and prevents the uncomfortable conversation mid-project where expectations and budget do not line up.
Share your lifestyle openly. The more I know about how you actually live in your home, whether you have kids, pets, how often you entertain, how you use different rooms day to day, the better I can design a space that works for your real life rather than just your ideal one. Beautiful design that does not hold up to how you actually live is not good design.
Trust the process. The discovery call and jobsite consultation are designed to move at a pace that serves you. You will not be asked to make major decisions before you are ready, and nothing is locked in until you have had time to review and approve it. Coming in with a spirit of openness rather than a need to have everything settled upfront makes for a much better experience on both sides.
Ready to Get Started?
If you have been thinking about reaching out and just needed to know what to expect, I hope this gives you the clarity to take that first step. The discovery call is low commitment and designed to answer your questions as much as mine.
Kristen McGee is a full-service interior designer and licensed realtor with over 14 years of experience serving Birmingham, Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook, Homewood, Hoover, and surrounding areas, with virtual design services available nationwide.
