What Happens During a Kitchen Design Consultation With Ashley Jay

A lot of people picture a kitchen consultation as a sales appointment: a chance for a company to show you what they can sell you. That is not how it works at Ashley Jay, and it is worth explaining exactly what does happen, because knowing what to expect makes the whole process far less daunting.

Our approach is deliberately unhurried. We work with around 20 projects a year, which means every client gets proper time and attention rather than being moved quickly through a sales pipeline.

Phase One: The Initial Discovery Call

Before anyone sits down together, we start with a short discovery call. This is simply a conversation to understand your home, your project, and what you are hoping to achieve. It gives us a chance to check that we are a genuine fit for each other before any time is committed on either side, and it means the design consultation that follows is focused entirely on your project rather than on general introductions.

Phase Two: The Design Consultation

Once the discovery call has taken place, the design consultation itself follows. Wherever possible, we prefer this to happen in your home, since seeing the actual space, the light, the walls and how a family genuinely moves through the room tells us far more than a set of measurements ever could. For clients further afield, or those working from an off-plan property, a video call consultation is available instead.

This is where the real conversation begins. We ask about how you cook, how you entertain, what has frustrated you about previous kitchens, and what you are hoping never to repeat. Being able to brief a designer properly makes a genuine difference to the outcome, and part of our job in this consultation is drawing that information out of you, even when you are not entirely sure how to put it into words yourself.

The Two-Design Approach

One thing that regularly surprises clients is that we do not simply take a brief and hand back a single design. Where it is useful, we present two directions: the design you have asked for, and the design we believe you actually need once every option has been properly explored. Sometimes these end up being the same thing. Often, the second design solves a problem the client had not fully articulated, whether that is a layout issue, a storage gap, or simply a better use of natural light.

This only works because we take the time to properly understand a project before drawing anything. It is a deliberately slower process than working from a template, and it is the reason our projects tend to be remembered rather than simply delivered.

What We Ask, and What You Should Ask Us

A good consultation runs in both directions. We will ask about your budget expectations, your timeline, and any structural constraints your home has. You should feel free to ask us about our experience with similar layouts, how we handle unexpected challenges during a project, and what happens if something needs to change partway through. An honest answer to a difficult question tells you more about a designer than any amount of polished presentation.

What Happens After the Consultation

Following the consultation, we begin developing your design in earnest. Depending on the complexity of the project, this can take several weeks, since every option genuinely is explored rather than adapted from an existing catalogue layout. You will see the design developed, discussed and refined with you before anything is finalised. A typical bespoke kitchen project runs to around 10 to 12 weeks from confirmed design to completed installation, though more complex renovations naturally take longer.

Why This Process Matters

A kitchen is one of the most significant investments most people make in their home, and for many clients, it is the last kitchen they will ever commission. Rushing that decision, or working from a limited set of pre-approved options, rarely produces a result that still feels right ten or twenty years later. A proper consultation is simply the first step in making sure the finished kitchen is built around how you actually live, not how a generic layout happened to be drawn up.

In Summary

A design consultation with Ashley Jay is a conversation, not a sales pitch. It starts with a short discovery call, moves into a detailed, in-person or video consultation, and results in genuine design options built around your home and your life, not a template.

If you would like to arrange a discovery call, talk to one of our designers to find out more about how the process works for your project.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to commit to a project before booking a consultation?

No. The initial discovery call exists precisely so we can have an early conversation and check we are the right fit for your project before anything else is arranged. There is no obligation at this stage.

Is the design consultation held in person or online?

We prefer an in-person consultation in your home wherever possible, since seeing the actual space tells us far more than measurements alone. A video call option is available for clients further afield or working from an off-plan property.

Why do you sometimes present two design options rather than one?

We often present the design you have asked for alongside the design we believe you actually need, once every option has been properly explored. This approach helps solve layout or storage issues clients had not always fully articulated in the brief.

How long does the design process take after the consultation?

This varies depending on the complexity of the project, but a typical bespoke kitchen runs to around 10 to 12 weeks from confirmed design to completed installation. More complex renovations naturally take longer.

What should I bring to a design consultation?

Photographs of ideas you like, a rough sense of your budget expectations, and honest feedback on what has frustrated you about previous kitchens are all genuinely useful. You do not need finished plans, floor measurements, or a fixed design in mind.