Your kitchen showroom visit, made useful.

A showroom visit should help you make decisions you cannot make from a photograph. You can judge the scale of an island, open the storage, compare finishes and explain the room you have in mind. Posh Design’s kitchen showroom is in Kings Norton, Birmingham, alongside the workshop where we make our cabinetry.

Take time with the working parts of a display. Open a deep drawer and consider what you would put in it. Look at a tall cupboard from the position you would stand to use it. Try the handles and notice the relationship between storage and worktop.

Displays show possibilities, but your room may need a different arrangement. Ask which features can be adapted and which are constrained by the selected fittings or appliances. A useful visit connects what you see with the way your household cooks and stores things.

An accurate drawing is helpful but not essential for a first conversation. Photographs from each corner, approximate dimensions and the position of windows and doors can explain a great deal. If an extension is planned, bring the latest architectural layout rather than an earlier version.

• ◆List the appliances you want to keep, with model details where possible.
• ◆Bring a few examples of colours, finishes or rooms you like.
• ◆Note the biggest frustrations with the existing kitchen.
• ◆Be ready to discuss your budget range, location and intended timing.

You do not need to arrive knowing the answer. These details give the designer something concrete to work with.

Place door, worktop and hardware samples together. Look at the cabinet colour upright, then view the worktop horizontally. Ask about the finish, cleaning guidance and any variation you should expect in the chosen material.

Photography and showroom lighting can make a finish look different from your own room. Discuss how the final samples will be reviewed before specification, particularly if the kitchen needs to sit beside existing flooring or joinery.

For an initial look at the studio and practical visiting information, see our Birmingham showroom page.

The most useful result is a clear direction: a home measure, a revised room brief, a materials shortlist or a discussion with your builder. Ask what information is still needed and how the design will move from ideas to a detailed proposal.

Contact the studio before travelling if you would like dedicated time with a designer or need to check a particular display. Our showroom page carries the current contact and visiting details. If you are travelling from outside the West Midlands, include your postcode when arranging the conversation.