August 3, 2012 | Posted In General

Lisa LaPorta Q&A: Locate A Local Designer

Pfister is pleased to be working with interior designer and HGTV host Lisa LaPorta. In addition to LaPorta’s series of design inspiration videos, for the next few weeks we’ll be focused on questions Pfister customers have posed to LaPorta along with her response.

Last week LaPorta had advice on using a designer while staying on budget, this week she takes on the challenge of finding a quality designer close to home without picking up a phonebook.

Q: How do I find a reliable interior designer in my area? Can I just open the phone book and start there?

LisaUsing the phone book to find a designer can be an overwhelming and unreliable experience. I recommend asking friends and family to refer designers they have enjoyed working with. If you can’t find a referral, there are a couple of great resources to use, including local real estate agents, design centers and reaching out to the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID).

Try to get several names so that you can interview multiple candidates. Your first consultation should be free and the designer should offer you ideas to show you what they can do with your space. Make sure you discuss budget in this conversation so you know how each designer charges, and what they will be able to do with your budget.

A big thank you to Lisa for those tips to get you started with finding a great, reliable interior designer.

We would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment with any problems you’re having with your home design and we’ll direct them to Lisa LaPorta for consideration in a future column.