I hired Patrick to design the template for my site:
http://www.bulkupfast.comI wanted something that looks professional, but also 'fun' (as opposed to those stuffy corporate sites that the internet is full of).
He really hit the nail on the head.
There are 3 reasons why I'd recommend Patrick over anyone else:
1. Patrick is a graphic designer first, coder second. This means you get a gorgeous looking site, instead of a well coded, dull site.
2. Patrick is a really calm, level headed guy. Any changes required are made with a smile on his face - he doesn't take criticism to heart and will work until he's blue in the face to make sure you're happy.
3. The price I paid was a very reasonable cost for a website that looks far more professional than anything I've ever had. Plus Pat even threw in a bunch of custom designed images for my blog pages for free, as a goodwill gesture!
He was also willing to painstakingly go through exactly what I wanted on Skype until we had the right end product. I'm sure I'm not the easiest customer he's ever designed for, but despite this, we never even came close to falling out (which is not the case with many other designers, I'm sure you'll agree).
If you're not a talented graphic designer, you'll always struggle to get a great looking site, no matter how good your coding skills are.
I would recommend that you bite the bullet, let an expert do the work for you, while you worry about more important activities (like generating revenue for your business).
If anyone wants more info on Patrick's work, shoot me a PM.
Richard