Hi, Michelle,

My suggestion is to forgo the "fun" of crowdsourcing your Kitchen design before consulting with a local design professional. You'll risk getting so invested in whatever design you come up with that you'll be less open to the designer's ideas--and may pass over a better design. Begin the design process when the designer walks in the door.

In preparation for your initial meeting with the designer I suggest you spend your time thinking about how and how often you cook; whether the design needs to accommodate one cook or multiple cooks working in the Kitchen at the same time; your preferences for appliances (gas vs. electric vs. induction; water in the door of fridge or not, range vs. cooktop, etcr;) what your storage needs are, preferred location of the dishwasher relative to the sink, single sink or multiple sinks, list ancillary appliances like blenders, mixers, Cuisinarts, etc. and where you prefer to eat everyday meals (island, peninsula, table, banquette, etc.) or whether one eating area for all occasions (consolidating the Kitchen eating area and Dining Room) works for you.