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About us
Design Q&A provides independent Interior and Exterior Remodeling design to help clients redesign their homes with good taste & objective advice affordably. Our clients choose the level of service they need from a 2 hour in-home design consultation to full color 3D remodeling plans showing them and contractors what their project will look like upon completion. Call 612.600.1681 for a quote today!
Business highlights
20 years of experience
Services we offer
Additions. For your exterior we help with anything from simple Curb Appeal Ideas to Full Exterior Remodeling Plans that include Color, Basements, Baths, Bedrooms, Dormers, Great Rooms, Independent Interior & Exterior Remodeling Design via 3D renderings and On-The-Spot advice. We love or clients and help them plan Kitchens, Offices, Roof Color, Siding Types, Stone Placement and Landscape Integration., Window & Door Style
Amenities
Free Estimates
Yes
Accepted Payment Methods
- CreditCard
Reviews
4.9163 Reviews
| Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 90% | ||
| 7% | ||
| 2% | ||
| 1% | ||
| 0% |
Showing 1-25 of 163 reviews
Paul D.
Oct 2023
We had Design Q&A create plans for our basement remodel for a contractor they often work with and were very happy with the results. Our designer Paul had several good ideas and he was able to provide additional thought and assistance during the actual construction phase which we very much appreciated. The style we were looking for was mid century modern with a bit of a modern twist. It turned out really good.
Response from DESIGN Q & A
"Thank you for taking time to write a review [Member Name Removed], I know how busy you are. Your nearly finished basement has been turning out great. Bill did a wonderful job building it and you two are doing great with the additional finish work. I’m proud to know you like it and will gladly post pictures of it online. (I’ll ask separately if that is OK). My guess is you’ll be spending a lot of time down there entertaining friends now that it is getting cold."
Laura L.
Oct 2023
I've worked closely with Paul over the past year to help me with the design of an extensive home remodel, which included all 3 bathrooms, repainting of the whole interior, all new light fixtures/electrical design, new flooring, replacing our stairwell/banister, etc. Paul designed our primary bathroom, providing us with a few creative options on how to redesign the space. He also was critical in giving us advice on light fixtures, paint colors, bathroom fixtures, flooring options/colors---basically, he was heavily involved in every aspect of our remodel project. The thing I love about Paul is that he took the time to really understand my design preferences and then he provided design guidance to align with those preferences. With this remodel, he was able to bring our house forward from the original 1980s build/design to a much more streamlined, mid-century modern look and feel. I absolutely love how our home looks now. And we're currently working with Paul to redesign our kitchen, which I know will also turn out amazing. The last thing I'll say about Paul is that he's a pleasure to work with. He's responsive to my requests, he appropriately pushes back on my ideas when they don't align with my overall design scheme, and he's incredibly knowledgeable, pragmatic, and professional. I cannot recommend him highly enough.
Response from DESIGN Q & A
"[Member Name Removed], I can’t thank you enough for taking your time to write a review and for being so thorough. You have been wonderful to work with and I couldn’t be more proud of how your house has turned out so far. And you’re right, your kitchen is going to be a major attraction when it’s finished."
Zach B.
Jan 2023
Paul was wonderful to work with, and was able to significantly improve on our initial thoughts on our home extension. Great listener - really tries to understand what we're going for, while also making suggestions to ensure we're making fully informed decisions. Set clear expectations on timing and delivered as promised.
Response from DESIGN Q & A
"Thank you for taking your time to write a review [Member Name Removed] and I'm here to return the favor. I very much enjoyed working with you and [Member Name Removed] too. Not only were you fun to communicate with, but your property and family lifestyle were unique as well. I'm very happy to hear your project is nearing completion and I hope you are able to buy a tractor to move earth around at will."
Dave R.
Nov 2022
Design Q & A (Paul) was the catalyst for making decisions we had procrastinated on for years. He generated many alternative ideas and designs based on what we said we wanted and what he thought we might need, with numerous critical questions along the way. Also feedback on detail design choices and placement. Multiple design cycles. The designs we ended up with, while not actual blueprints, were detailed enough for professional remodelers to use. We moved a bedroom from upstairs to basement, doubled the upstairs bathroom size, grew the primary bedroom, added a walk-in closet, and repaired the basement flood damage. Many things we should have done long ago. Paul got us going to a better place.
Response from DESIGN Q & A
"Hello [Member Names Removed], Thank you so much for taking you time to write a review. I know we have met a few times over the years and I am very happy that I could be a catalyst for your project this time (although I'd probably wager that your sewer backing up was a bigger impetus). In the end I think your home is going to be aesthetically updated but, better yet more functional for your needs. I hope you are about buttoned up so you can enjoy the holidays in your new spaces. Thanks again! Paul"
NJ C.
Jun 2022
Paul is a professional, personable, punctual, and ethical. I would hire him again in a heartbeat. He listens, is a genuine person, and is honest, and creative.
Response from DESIGN Q & A
"Hi [Member Name Removed] and [Member Name Removed], Thank you for taking your valuable time to write a review, I really appreciate it. You two were great to work with and your needs were both modest and well reasoned. I be happy to work with you any day in the future. Thank you for your business and good luck in your new home! Paul"
Larry K.
Oct 2021
Completely excellent! Paul is a pro. Easy to work with. He showed up ready to work. Spent a few hours measuring/documenting and then created the drawings. He met with us to review a few weeks later. Made himself avail for follow up questions.
Response from DESIGN Q & A
"Hi [Member Name Removed], Thank you for taking your valuable time to write a review and I'll say that, even though your timeline was aggressive, you and Mary made it pleasurable and easy. Your thankfulness and willingness to work with me was very much appreciated. Thank you and good luck with your project, Paul"
LONNIE S.
Jul 2020
From beginning to end Paul was easy to work with. He worked within our budget and created designs that were attractive and affordable. Communication was prompt and professional. When we decided to add to the project midstream he graciously accommodated our needs. I enjoyed the whole process and wouldn't hesitate working with Paul again.
Response from DESIGN Q & A
"Thank you [Member Name Removed], I am sorry it took me so long to respond to you (I had a password/username conflict in this system) and I very much appreciate you writing this review. Your designs turned out great and I hope the actual building looks great as well. Working with you was really easy considering that we never met due to the pandemic. I found it amazing that we were able to work so seamlessly and I appreciate your effort in the process. Thank you again for your business! Paul"
David T.
Mar 2020
2nd project by Paul for our home having redesigned exterior previously. Our neighbor commented recently that a friend visiting asked when the new home was built across the street (our home was actually built in 1981). Paul helped us create an en-suite from our small master bedroom and 3/4 bathroom. He provided a set of buildable/biddable plans that we used to get bids from contractors. His unique blend of having an architect’s understanding of the space coupled with an interior designer’s skill makes for an invaluable combination. He provided at least a dozen 3D models to view and make decisions from. We’ve learned to simply trust his opinions and Paul serves as a useful arbiter when my wife and I have opposing views on a particular detail. When we reached an impasse we’d agree to ask Paul what he thinks. Super nice and easy to work with. Can’t recommend Paul highly enough
Response from DESIGN Q & A
"Hello again, I just responded to your first review and found this one. I very much like how the exterior of your house came out and I'm just as pleased with your new En Suite. What I really liked about both projects is that neither came out looking like cookie utter projects. You both have good taste and were willing/encouraging of doing something slightly different yet tasteful. I hope your your Kitchen/LR paint job turned out great too. BTW, I'm not fishing for another compliment here, you've done your part and I very much appreciate it. Thank you again! Paul"
David T.
Sep 2019
Paul’s a joy to work with. This is an unsolicited review, not one done at Paul’s Request. . He’s low pressure, accessible (maybe too accessible for my wife as he gets back to her always in a very timely manner) and very talented. Literally transformed our 1981 modern style home’s curb appeal by following his plan. He is next going to assist with redesign of a master bath and adjacent bathroom inside our house. Looking forward to what he will come up with for the interior and will enjoy working with him again
Response from DESIGN Q & A
"Hi [Member Names Removed]! I am sorry it took me so long to respond to you (I had a password/username conflict in this system) and I very much appreciate you writing this review. I don't want that to look like I didn't appreciate your business or the fun we all had together redesigning the exterior of your home. You two had me me institutes much of the time yet were great at concentrating on the project and absorbing the solutions. One of the days I'll get some good pictures of your home and post it on my website/Facebook page. Thanks you again for this and employing me for subsequent projects. Paul"
Adele M.
May 2019
Paul did a great job identifying a style that would work for me and identifying design features that I would never have thought of. He was also good at noting details for the contractor to ensure the project was done correctly.
Response from DESIGN Q & A
"Thank you so much for taking your time to review my service, I really appreciate it. Your house was really unique so it was a fun project to work on. It was more time consuming than most because of it, hence the price seeming a little high. You were really great as a client too and would help you in a heartbeat again. Thanks again for your business and the time you took to write a review, Paul"
Julie O.
Feb 2019
Our house was built in 1977 and we needed to replace windows, siding, add a front porch and bump out the garage. The house is a bit unusual in style and he worked with it to make the character shine. We like that it is different and didn’t want to change the style just tweak windows, add front porch, etc. I am glad we started early enough with him to mull over the options presented. Paul is thoughtful, thorough, excellent communication, honest, practical The 3D presentation was critical. We could visualize the windows – color, scale, trim, window boxes Seeing the front porch in 3D helped us realize that the original size we wanted was too large in scale. We had a garage bump-out design on paper and he brought it to life in 3D. Finally adding light fixtures and we could see our dream. The 3D design alleviated my anxiety as I could not visualize the design or colors. Knowing we would be spending a lot of money on the siding and windows, we wanted to make sure we were doing it right. He is worth every penny and I will recommend him to clients & friends. I would use him again in the future. Excellent to work with and wonderful process.
Response from DESIGN Q & A
"Hi [Member Name Removed], Thank you so much for taking your time to write such a great review. You hit all of the points that I like to tout and your review will help me sell my service. I really appreciate it. I need to call out you as a great client too. I knew you were apprehensive about the cost of my service and whether I'd be able to help you find a look you liked. As you described, your house was harder than most because it is unique. But, you really understood how to use the process to your benefit and I am really happy with how your house will look. The singular look of your home will keep it from becoming dated and looking fresh for a long time. Thank you for your business and I'll be happy to help you if/when you decide to tackle another project. Paul"
David P.
Jun 2018
Initially spoke on the phone to discuss the improvements we were considering, we then arranged a time to meet in person. Paul came to our house, helped us coordinate roofing and siding choices, and was able to provide a basic electronic sketch of our house with the addition of decorative trim.
Response from DESIGN Q & A
"Hi [Member Name Removed], Thank you for taking time to write a review and I'm happy to hear that our visit was helpful. I would one to see pictures of our plan once it is implemented on your house, I think it had potential to look great. Thank you agin, Paul"
JOANNE B.
May 2018
It went fine. I did consider hiring him again for recommendations on the curb appeal and exterior paint that needed done. However, I realized that I didn't really embrace the recommendations he was making and was unwilling to pay more money.
Response from DESIGN Q & A
"Hi [Member Name Removed], Thank you for writing a review for our visit together last year. We discussed so many options for inside and outside your home that it was hard to get into any one thing in depth. It's not uncommon to point out solutions that are different than what my clients expect especially in a home as unique as yours. I am confident that we could have come up with ideas that you would really like and also make your home more desirable in the real estate market. But, you are right that it would have taken more time (and hence cost) concentrating on specific areas. Thank you again and I hope that you are making progress, Paul"
Gary H.
Feb 2018
Paul was extremely professional and worked very hard to get to know our likes and dislikes. Working with a very nebulous, ill-defined situation, he did a marvelous job of coming up with a great plan and good suggestions. We would absolutely use him again, and most likely will after the first stage of our project is complete.
Response from DESIGN Q & A
"Hi [Member Name Removed], I am sorry for my late response to your review, I just found it. But, I very much enjoyed meeting you and [Member Name Removed] and helping you through a few options. You have a beautiful home and a few tweaks were really all that you needed. I certainly hope that they worked out well for you two. Thank you for spending your time writing a review and I am very happy to hear that you were pleased. Paul"
Herman V.
Jan 2018
Went well - he made good suggestions but subsequent followup call were ignored.
Response from DESIGN Q & A
"Hi [Member Name Removed] I am very sorry that missed a follow up call to/from you. I make it a point to return all calls and feel bad if I missed yours. I strive to help all clients with the same vigor and professionalism because I want them to spend their money wisely and be excited about the result. It's my nature to work this way and not for the reward of an 'A' review but am disappointed just to same when I earn something less. As previously discussed, I believe you were expecting too much from three 2-hr meetings spaced over a year for such large projects. Your home had a lot of potential but dated to the 70's. Installing new windows, changing exterior details, painting all siding, and redoing your kitchen/great room are major projects but you wanted only wanted minor, sporadic amounts of design help. If done right, those projects should move your home forward in time, improve functionality, increase home value, and look great to you. Discussing the ideas verbally was not sufficient given all of the ground that needed to be covered. We all seemed to really enjoy our first two meetings (I know I liked our banter) and I know you were pleased with your exterior changes. Our 3rd meeting on the other hand became uncomfortable and I expect that's where your C grade came from. I am sorry that I could not give you my blessing, in a rush meeting, on your sudden decision to replace your kitchen cabinets with nearly identical ones. That idea went against everything discussed and decisions you made in our previous two meetings. If you went ahead with your plan, I truly I hope it functions well and looks good to you. Thank you for taking your time to write this review and please feel free to call if you have any questions. Paul"
Ken B.
Jan 2018
It was exactly as hoped-for. Good, organized and productive discussion about possible projects that could update the inside of our home and increase its resale value down the road. We thought it would probably be only a 1 hr. discussion, but it ended up being 2 hours (therefore it cost twice what we expected). Every minute of the time, however, was well spent--no wasted time in chit-chat. After he left, we agreed it was money well spent. Paul asked lots of questions, listened carefully and gave us thoughtful, well-organized advice. We now have a game plan to move forward.
Response from DESIGN Q & A
"Wow [Member Name Removed] Thank you for the great review and it was very quick too. I very much enjoyed meeting both to you and I'm very happy to hear you felt the time was worth it. It is very rare for an initial meeting to take less than two hours. It seems that the answers need to be teased out through conversations of goals, budget, and how you want your space to work/look in the end. I hope our plan for implementation works out well for you, I know it will look great if you choose the right color for your walls. Please let me know if you have any questions. Paul"
Roger O.
Dec 2017
It went very well. He had explained beforehand that he had not done consulting like that for awhile- having moved up to more of space redesign and new space planning. But, he did just what I was looking for and made many good suggestions on lighting, colors, layout and furnishing styles I’ll be acting on.
Response from DESIGN Q & A
"Thank you [Member Name Removed] for taking your time to review our consultation. I drive past your home many times per week and always wonder how things are going in there. Please let me know if you have questions, you were a pleasure to work with and I'd be happy to help you again if you get stuck. Thanks again, Paul"
Carol H.
Nov 2017
Good ideas and information
Response from DESIGN Q & A
"Thank you [Member Name Removed] for your review. I have to admit that you had one of the most unique questions that I have run across in 12 years in business. But, I think we came up with some viable options for you. Please let me know if you wish to explore them more deeply but if you're able to act on them from our discussion, more power to you. I very much appreciate your review, Paul"
Ann R.
Oct 2017
Professional, knowledgeable, great ideas, flexible..... can't wait to move forward.
Response from DESIGN Q & A
"Thank you for your review [Member Name Removed], I will be very happy to help you with new plans for your home if/when you wish to move forward. I have folder on my computer with measurements and photos I took of your home so another visit to your place probably will not be necessary. A phone call to refresh my memory discuss if any of your goals have changed should be all that we need to move forward. Happy New Year and thank you again, Paul"
Anne W.
Sep 2017
I got even more information than I expected, including options I hadn't considered. Paul knows the structural details of a building, and as a bonus, he knows a lot about interior decorating. I found him very helpful in that arena as well.
Response from DESIGN Q & A
"Hi [Member Name Removed], Thank you for taking your time to write a review for me, I really appreciate it. Your review was also great because I feel you captured the niche I fill between and architect and interior designer so well. I enjoyed meeting you and helping you come up with a plan for your home. Your home has nice space and a lot of potential to improve both aesthetically and functionally. I will be happy to help you further when you get to a point that you feel I will be helpful. Thanks again, Paul"
Mike L.
Sep 2017
I thought it went very great.
Response from DESIGN Q & A
"Thank you [Member Name Removed] and [Member Name Removed], I thought it went well too. I appreciate your time to write a review and hope that you've been able to improve your home. Happy New Year, Paul"
Robert L.
Sep 2017
Excellent. I learned a great deal, and not just about the projects I was thinking about.
Response from DESIGN Q & A
"Thank you [Member Name Removed] for taking your time to review our consultation. Yes, we did cover a lot of territory walking around your house and therefore much of the conversation was top level. I know you have a lot of thinking to do now. But, please let me know when you want to tackle one of your projects and I would be happy to help you with more specific plans. Thank you again for your business, Paul"
Josiah P.
Aug 2017
Paul created awesome plans and was good about communicating the timeline.
Response from DESIGN Q & A
"Thank you so much for your business and for taking your time to write a review [Member Name Removed]. It was a pleasure working with you and assume you are making progress already. I bet your kids are excited to see their rooms take shape too."
MARY B.
Aug 2017
Paul came to our house and looked at the scope of our project and gave us some great ideas and professional opinions. We would definitely hire him again!
Response from DESIGN Q & A
"Hi [Member Name Removed], Thank you for your review and I am very happy to know that I have been helpful to you. I'm not sure where you are in deciding if you should stay put and remodel or look for another home that better fits your lifestyle. But, you are right on the cusp and either decision will be the right one and I will be happy to help you anytime you need it. Thanks again, Paul"
Patty G.
Jul 2017
The start time was changed and I did not realize it. I felt I was shorted some time. My house was filthy and I felt they did a great considering the circumstances.
Licensing
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FAQ
DESIGN Q & A is currently rated 4.9 overall out of 5.
DESIGN Q & A accepts the following forms of payment: CreditCard
Yes, DESIGN Q & A offers free project estimates.
No, DESIGN Q & A does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
No, DESIGN Q & A does not offer a senior discount.
No, DESIGN Q & A does not offer emergency services.
No, DESIGN Q & A does not offer warranties.