Listen to the full interview with Max on a special bonus episode of The kbbreview Podcast. Hear it NOW using the player below or go straight to this episode in Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Alternatively, simply search ‘kbbreview’ wherever you get your podcasts.

After trying his hand at studying architecture, taking a lockdown-impacted gap year, and even a short stint handling 999 calls, Max Hitchcox eventually entered the industry through a design job with Wren.

And while he clearly has a natural affinity for design, it wasn’t until he walked into Point 5 Kitchens (perhaps portentously, on the eve of his 23rd birthday) that his career really took off.

“I was actually out with a couple of friends and we were going to get birthday lunch,” he recalls. “I was kind of interested in the business so we just popped by and I thought, ‘I kind of want to investigate what the next step up for me is’. I ended up having a chat, then from there, managed to get myself a job.”

And as it turns out, Hitchcox’s timing actually couldn’t have been better. With Point 5 planning to open its second showroom, the studio was looking to expand the size of its team, but hadn’t even begun actively looking for staff yet. But by a stroke of pure luck, Max wandered in the door at just the right moment.

He explains: “When I first started, I was working underneath our other designers, doing a lot of the background work – a lots of drawings and coming up with the plans. But now the new showroom’s open, I’m there most of the time, engaging with customers, and going through the entire design process.”

In fact, according to Point 5 co-founder Tomas Kolasinski, Max has contributed around 60% of the whole business’ design drawings over the past year. Although that’s already an impressive statistic on its own, Kolasinski says his efforts have freed up the business’ senior designers to focus more closely on client engagement and finer details across the two studios, so he’s been a massive support for Point 5 as a whole.

And although he’s definitely found his place at an independent like Point 5, Hitchcox also credits starting out with a national retailer as playing a part in his success too. 

“When I reflect back on the person I was when I first started at Wren, and I was standing around, trying to sell a kitchen… you’ve got to learn how to engage with a stranger and get them to believe that you’re the right person for their design,” he says. “I don’t know if I would have had the confidence to have walked into Point 5 without that kind of foundation.”

And with Point 5’s workload effectively doubling over the last few months with the opening of its second location, it’s incredibly likely that the retailer’s team will increase even more in the near future. So it’s encouraging to hear Hitchcox says he’s looking forward to have the chance to pass his knowledge on to others too. 

He concludes: “I guess in the way that when I came to the company, I was working underneath [senior designers] Manuel and Wojtek, I think as the company progresses, it’d be quite nice to give somebody else that opportunity too. That would be great because then I’ll be able to take on more of the client discussions I really enjoy as well.”

Over the next several months, you can find out more about each of our Rising Star finalists at kbbreview.com, as well as on The kbbreview Podcast and in each issue of kbbreview Magazine. The winner will be crowned at the prestigious kbbreview Retail & Design Awards ceremony at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole on March 2.