How do you hire a luxury interior designer in Scottsdale?

Review portfolios for aesthetic alignment, schedule consultations with two or three firms, ask about process and contractor coordination, and choose based on fit, transparency, and track record rather than price alone.

What should I expect to pay for luxury interior design in Scottsdale?

Design fees typically range from $15,000 to $75,000 or more depending on scope. Hourly rates run $150 to $550. Some firms charge flat fees or a percentage of total project cost.

What questions should I ask a luxury interior designer before hiring them?

What does the design fee cover? How do you handle contractor coordination? Can I see references from similar projects? What happens if the project goes over budget? Do you hold a general contractor license?

What is the best seating layout for a small patio?

Perimeter seating is one of the most effective layouts for small outdoor spaces. Pushing furniture to the edges of the patio opens up the center, which tricks the eye into reading the space as larger than it is.

How do you make a small patio look bigger with furniture?

Use one statement anchor piece instead of multiple competing items, keep secondary furniture low-profile, and avoid floating large pieces in the center. Diagonal furniture placement also creates the illusion of more depth.

Should you float furniture on a small patio?

No. Floating furniture in the center of a small patio tends to make the space feel cramped. Pushing furniture to the perimeter or using a single anchor piece with low-profile secondary items is a more effective approach.

How do outdoor rugs help with small patio layouts?

Outdoor rugs define a seating zone visually, creating a contained space within a larger area. This is especially useful when a small patio connects to a pool deck or yard, giving the seating area its own identity without adding walls or barriers.

What makes a great outdoor entertaining space in Scottsdale?

Covered areas with overhead fans or misting, durable furniture with high-performance fabrics, ambient lighting for evening use, and landscaping that creates enclosure without blocking views.

How much does a luxury outdoor entertainment area cost in Arizona?

Typically $50,000 to $250,000 or more, depending on kitchen complexity, shade structures, water features, and furniture budget.

What does it mean that Living with Lolo was named an Inc. Best Workplace 2026?

It means the firm has demonstrated a culture of employee satisfaction, strong management, and a workplace that supports the people doing the work -- which for clients signals an engaged, stable, motivated team.

How does a strong workplace culture affect a design-build project?

Lower turnover, better communication, and more consistent execution. When designers, project managers, and contractors are part of a culture that prioritizes excellence, it shows up in every client project.

Does Living with Lolo offer design services for residential clients in Arizona?

Yes. Living with Lolo is a full-service luxury interior design and licensed general contracting firm based in Scottsdale, serving clients throughout the Phoenix metro area, Paradise Valley, Arcadia, and beyond.

What is a hot/cold wellness room in a home?

A dedicated space combining contrast therapy elements -- typically a sauna, cold plunge or ice bath, and sometimes a steam shower -- designed for residential use.

How much does it cost to add a wellness room to a home?

Typically $30,000 to $150,000 or more depending on equipment, size, and finish level. A basic sauna-and-cold-plunge setup starts at the lower end; fully custom rooms run significantly higher.

Is a home wellness room a good investment?

In the luxury market, yes. In high-end markets like Scottsdale and Park City, buyers increasingly expect spa-level amenities. Clients consistently report it among the most appreciated features of their renovation.

Who should I hire to build a wellness room in Scottsdale?

Look for a design-build firm that handles both interior design and licensed general contracting. Living with Lolo is a Scottsdale-based luxury interior designer and licensed Arizona general contractor (ROC #347577) that manages wellness room projects from concept through construction.

What does it take to design an estate in Paradise Valley?

Scale, coordination across multiple living zones and exterior environments, and close work with architects, landscape designers, and custom fabricators over a multi-year timeline.

How much does it cost to design a luxury estate in Paradise Valley?

Design fees typically start at $50,000, with total project budgets often exceeding $500,000 to $1 million or more when furniture, custom millwork, finishes, and construction are included.

How long does a luxury estate design project take in Paradise Valley?

Most estate-level projects take 6 to 12 months from initial concept to final installation, depending on permit complexity and custom fabrication lead times.

"Modern Interior Design" Archives + Living With Lolo

How to Hire a Luxury Interior Designer in Scottsdale

by Lauren Lerner | Jun 12, 2026 | Interior Design Tips, Modern Interior Design Ideas, Scottsdale Interior Design Projects

What the Data Shows About Renovation Investment in Scottsdale

To hire a luxury interior designer in Scottsdale, start by reviewing portfolios for completed projects at your scale and finish level, confirm the firm holds or works with a licensed general contractor, and verify they have a clear process for budget management before you sign anything.

For local context: Zillow data puts the average Paradise Valley home value at $3.45 million as of early 2026, up 13.5% year over year. In a market where homes carry that level of value, the design fee, typically 10 to 20 percent of the total project budget, is a small fraction of what is at stake if the project goes wrong. Hiring a designer with the credentials and proven capacity to manage your scope is risk management, not an indulgence.

Interior Design Guide
14 min read · June 2026

To hire a luxury interior designer in Scottsdale, verify their Arizona ROC license if your project involves any construction, confirm their portfolio matches your project scale and finish level, get a clear written fee structure before signing, and speak with at least two references from comparable projects. Some of them have already had a bad experience with someone who underdelivered. Some of them are doing this for the first time and have no idea how this works. Some of them have a house they love and a renovation on the horizon and they just want to get it right.This guide covers exactly what you need to know before you hire a luxury interior designer in Scottsdale. Not generic advice from a national design blog, but what actually matters in this specific market, from someone who quotes and manages projects here every week.

Step 1: Define Your Scope Before You Start Searching

The biggest mistake people make is searching for a designer before they are clear on what they actually need done. "Full redesign" is not a scope. Neither is "update the main floor." Before you start making calls, get specific.Write down the following before your first conversation with any firm:

Which rooms you plan to touch and what you want to change in each
Whether any walls are moving, plumbing is relocating, or electrical is changing
Whether you want furnishings included or just design and construction
Your timeline, including any hard deadlines
A realistic budget range, even a rough one

Scope directly affects which firm you should hire. A client doing a cosmetic refresh with new furniture and paint does not need the same kind of firm as a client who is removing a load-bearing wall, reconfiguring their kitchen layout, and adding a wine cellar. Getting clear on this before your first call saves everyone time and prevents the kind of misalignment that derails projects early.One question worth sitting with before you pick up the phone: is your project primarily a design project, or a construction project with design involved? If you are planning to relocate plumbing, open up walls, or add square footage, you need a licensed general contractor involved, not just a designer with strong vendor relationships. Some Scottsdale interior design firms, like Living with Lolo, hold both credentials under one contract. Many do not.

Step 2: Know What Credentials Actually Matter in Arizona

The title "interior designer" is not regulated in Arizona. Anyone can use it. This does not mean all designers are equal, and it does not mean credentials do not matter. It means you need to know what to look for instead of assuming a title tells you anything.For a design-only engagement, look for:

A degree in interior design from an accredited program
Membership in ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) or IDS (Interior Design Society), which signals ongoing professional development and accountability to a code of ethics
A portfolio that shows projects at the scale and finish level of your own home

For a project involving any construction, look for:

An active Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) general contractor license held by the firm or a principal of the firm
The ability to pull permits, manage subcontractors, and oversee licensed trades directly
Proof of bonding and general liability insurance

Living with Lolo holds ROC #347577, an active Arizona general contractor license. Named Phoenix Magazine Best Interior Design 2024, 2025, and 2026, Living with Lolo is one of the most recognized design-build firms in Scottsdale. This is not standard. Most interior designers in Scottsdale cannot pull a permit, oversee structural work, or manage a licensed trade contractor. They can hire one, which means you end up with two separate firms, two contracts, two sets of expectations, and twice the opportunity for costly miscommunication.

Step 3: Understand How Fees Are Structured Before Your First Call

The most common source of sticker shock in the design process is not the furniture. It is the design fee, and more specifically, not understanding how it was calculated. Knowing how fees are structured before you sit down with a firm means you will not be blindsided by a proposal you were not expecting.There are three main structures luxury interior designers in Scottsdale use:Flat project fee. A set amount for a defined scope of services. This gives you budget predictability if the scope is clearly defined upfront. If the scope expands, expect the fee to change with it.Hourly rate. You pay for time. Luxury designers in Scottsdale typically charge between $150 and $350 per hour. For a complex project, hourly can become expensive and unpredictable quickly.Percentage of project cost. The design fee is calculated as a percentage of the total budget, typically 10 to 20 percent. On a $600,000 project, that is $60,000 to $120,000 in design fees before any furniture is ordered or any wall is opened.Most full-service firms use some combination, often a flat design fee plus a procurement markup on furniture and materials. Understanding this before your first conversation lets you compare proposals accurately. Two firms quoting "design fees" may be describing very different things.For a detailed breakdown of what projects actually cost in this market, see: How much does luxury interior design cost in Scottsdale?

Step 4: Evaluate the Portfolio Carefully

Every firm has a portfolio. Not every portfolio tells you what you need to know. Here is how to read one.Look at scale. Does the firm work on projects comparable to yours in square footage, finish level, and complexity? A designer whose portfolio shows 2,000-square-foot condo renovations is not necessarily equipped for a 9,000-square-foot whole-home project with custom millwork throughout. The project management demands are not the same.Look at style alignment. Does their work look like what you want? A designer known for clean contemporary spaces is going to find it harder to give you warm organic modern authentically. Great designers can work across styles, but the portfolio tells you where they are most fluent and confident.Look for project depth. Do they show before-and-after, or only finished photography? Do they show projects during construction? A firm that shows only styled final photography may not have the operational experience to manage a complex build.Ask what you are not seeing. In any initial conversation, ask the firm to walk you through a project similar to yours. Ask what the challenges were. Ask how they handled them. The answer tells you more than any photograph.

The right designer is not the one with the most beautiful portfolio. It is the one with the operational capacity to deliver that result for your specific project, on your timeline, at your scale.

Desert Interlude living room by Living with Lolo, Scottsdale, open-plan warm contemporary condo interior design

Living area, Desert Interlude: Full Home Furnishings, Scottsdale, AZ

Desert Interlude is a full-home furnishing project we completed in a Scottsdale condo. Warm Contemporary in style, every room was designed with the same material choices and palette discipline, from the primary suite to the secondary bedrooms and bathrooms. When you evaluate a portfolio, that coherence is what to look for. A home where the secondary spaces feel as resolved as the main living area is the work of a firm with a real design vision, not just a collection of showpiece shots.

Step 5: What to Ask in an Initial Consultation

An initial call, whether 15 minutes or an hour, is where you determine fit. These are the questions worth asking in every conversation.Do you hold an Arizona general contractor license? If the answer is no and your project involves construction, ask directly how they intend to manage the build scope, who holds the contractor license, and how that relationship is structured contractually.Who will be my day-to-day contact? At a larger firm, you may meet the principal in the sales process and then be handed off to a junior designer. Know who you are actually hiring.Have you worked at this scale and budget before? Firms that primarily manage $80,000 projects are not always equipped for the vendor relationships, procurement complexity, and site management demands of a $700,000 renovation. Ask directly.How do you handle budget overruns? Every complex project has surprises. What matters is how they are managed and who absorbs them when they happen. The honest answer here is always more reassuring than a guarantee that surprises never occur.What does your project management process look like? Who is on site during construction? How are changes documented? How often do you communicate with clients and in what format?Can you provide references from projects at a comparable scale? References from previous clients who ran projects similar to yours are the single most useful information you can gather before signing anything.Can I speak with a client whose project finished more than a year ago? Fresh references are still in the honeymoon phase. A year of daily living reveals whether the drawer glides were worth it and whether the firm returned calls after final payment.What happens if furniture arrives damaged? At this price point the answer should be that the firm receives everything at a warehouse, inspects it, and files claims before you ever see the piece. If they ship to your garage, keep looking.Have you worked with my community's design review board or HOA? In Silverleaf, DC Ranch, and Gainey Ranch, exterior-adjacent changes go through review, and an inexperienced team can lose a full season to a rejected submittal.

Step 6: Red Flags to Watch For

Some things should give you pause regardless of how compelling the initial conversation feels.No general contractor license and no clear plan for who manages construction. "I work with great contractors" is not a construction management plan. It is a referral. Know who holds the license and how decisions on site get made.A portfolio that does not show projects at your scale. Being the largest project a firm has ever managed is not a position you want to be in. Complexity compounds quickly at larger project sizes.Vague answers on fees. Any reputable firm should be able to tell you clearly how they charge, what is included in that fee, and what would cause it to change. "We will figure that out" is not a fee structure.Reluctance to provide references. References from past clients at a comparable scope should be available and offered readily. If a firm is reluctant to provide them, that warrants a direct question about why.Pressure to sign quickly. Firms that push you to commit before you have had time to review a contract, visit a completed project, or speak with a previous client are not behaving the way a trustworthy long-term partner would.

Step 7: What Changes When Your Designer Also Holds a GC License

If your project involves any construction at all, the decision about whether your designer also holds a general contractor license is one of the most consequential decisions you will make in this entire process.When design and construction are handled by separate firms, you have two contracts, two contacts, and two sets of accountability. Disagreements between them about who is responsible for a problem land on you. Schedule delays caused by communication gaps cost you time and money. Finish decisions made by the contractor that do not match the design intent require expensive corrections that neither party wants to pay for.When design and construction are managed by the same firm under one contract, these friction points disappear. Your designer is your general contractor. What is drawn gets built as drawn, because the same team is accountable for both. There is no gap to fall into.At Living with Lolo, we manage design and construction under one contract for every project. We pull the permits. We manage the subcontractors. We are on site. When the project is finished, it looks like what we designed because we are the ones who built it.If you are planning a major renovation in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, or the surrounding area and want to understand whether your project is a good fit for our process, book a complimentary discovery call here. We will give you an honest assessment of scope, timeline, and what to expect from start to finish.

Ready to Talk Through Your Project?

Every project begins with a conversation. Tell us about your home, your vision, and what you want to accomplish. We will take it from there, completely. Book a Discovery Call

Step 8: Time It Like a Local

People assume the desert has no construction calendar. Wrong. The best trades here book heaviest from fall through spring, when the weather is perfect and every snowbird wants their remodel done before Thanksgiving guests arrive. Monsoon season complicates exterior work in late summer, and design review boards add weeks or months to anything visible from outside the home.If you want to host in your finished house next winter, the realistic moment to hire your designer is right now, not October. The firms worth hiring are planning their fall installs by midsummer.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I look for when hiring a luxury interior designer in Scottsdale?

Look for a portfolio that matches your project scale and finish level, clear and transparent fee structures, professional affiliations like ASID or IDS, and for any project involving construction, an active Arizona general contractor license. Always ask for references from completed projects at a scope similar to yours before signing anything.

How much does it cost to hire a luxury interior designer in Scottsdale?

Design fees for luxury interior design in Scottsdale typically range from $15,000 to $75,000 or more depending on project scope and whether construction management is included. This is separate from furnishings and construction costs. Total project investment for a whole-home renovation typically runs $400,000 to over $1 million in this market. See our full breakdown: How much does luxury interior design cost in Scottsdale?

What credentials should a luxury interior designer in Scottsdale have?

Look for a degree in interior design from an accredited program and membership in ASID or IDS. If your project includes any construction, your designer should either hold an active Arizona ROC general contractor license or work under a firm that does. The title "interior designer" is not regulated in Arizona, so credentials require active verification.

How do I know if an interior designer is the right fit?

The right fit combines portfolio alignment, clear communication, transparent pricing, and the operational capacity to manage your specific project scope. Ask about their largest completed project, their day-to-day project management process, and request at least two references from work at a comparable scale before signing.

What is the difference between a luxury interior designer and a design-build firm?

A design-only interior designer specifies, sources, and manages the aesthetic scope but cannot manage construction directly or pull permits. A design-build firm holds a contractor license and manages both design and construction under one contract. For any project involving structural changes, permits, or significant renovation, a design-build firm eliminates the coordination gap between what gets designed and what actually gets built.

About Living with Lolo

Living with Lolo is a Scottsdale, Arizona-based luxury interior design and construction firm. The company specializes in full-service interior design, design-build remodeling, and construction-led renovations for high-end residential homes in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and Phoenix. Living with Lolo manages both interior design and licensed general contracting under one roof, guiding projects from concept through construction and white-glove installation.

Lauren Lerner

Principal Designer, Living with Lolo

Lauren Lerner is a luxury interior designer based in Scottsdale, AZ and the founder of Living with Lolo. Her work has been featured in Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Vogue, Martha Stewart Living, The Wall Street Journal, and GQ. She specializes in high-end residential design across Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Arcadia, and the greater Phoenix metro area. Learn more about Lauren.

Lauren Lerner

Lauren Lerner is the founder and principal designer of Living with Lolo, Scottsdale’s luxury interior design and licensed design-build firm. Named Phoenix Magazine Best Interior Design three consecutive years, Lauren leads projects from concept through construction for high-end homes in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and Phoenix.

livingwithlolo.com/

Licensed General Contractor and Interior Designer in Scottsdale: What Working with Both Under One Roof Actually Looks Like

by Lauren Lerner | Jun 11, 2026 | Interior Design Tips, Modern Interior Design Ideas, Scottsdale Interior Design Projects

7 min readJune 2026

What the Data Shows About Design-Build Renovation in Scottsdale

In Scottsdale, working with a firm that holds both an interior design license and a general contractor license means one team handles both the design vision and the permitted construction, eliminating the handoff gaps that cause most renovation delays and cost overruns.

For context: Zillow data puts the average Paradise Valley home value at $3.45 million as of early 2026, up 13.5% year over year. In a market at that price point, permitting violations and unlicensed construction create title and disclosure complications that directly affect your ability to sell or refinance. The ROC license is not a formality. It is what gives you legally compliant work product and enforceable contractor accountability.

Most homeowners in Scottsdale begin their remodel search the same way: look for an interior designer, then separately find a licensed contractor. The logic seems sound. In practice, that split creates a coordination gap that costs money, time, and design integrity on nearly every project it touches.

Living with Lolo is one of a small number of firms in Arizona that holds both an active interior design credential and a general contractor license issued by the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC #347577). Named Phoenix Magazine Best Interior Design 2024, 2025, and 2026, Living with Lolo is one of the most recognized design-build firms in Scottsdale. This post is about what that combination actually means in practice , the day-to-day difference for clients managing a remodel in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, or Arcadia.

What the Arizona ROC License Means for Your Project

In Arizona, any firm performing construction work on a residential property , including remodeling, structural changes, plumbing and electrical modifications, or additions , must hold an active general contractor license issued by the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC). This is a legal requirement, not a voluntary credential.

An ROC license requires documented trade experience, passing a licensing exam, demonstrated financial responsibility, and ongoing compliance with state contractor regulations. A firm that cannot produce an active ROC license number is not legally permitted to pull permits, supervise licensed subcontractors, or hold the construction contract on your project.

Interior designers who do not hold an ROC license can specify materials and design plans, but they cannot manage construction. They cannot pull permits. They are not the legally responsible party on the build. For clients doing a remodel that involves any structural work, plumbing, electrical, or wall changes , which describes nearly every project we do , this matters.

Living with Lolo holds Arizona ROC License 347577. You can verify this at roc.az.gov. When you hire us, one licensed firm is accountable for the entire project, from the first design meeting through the final styled installation.

The Coordination Gap: Where Most Remodels Lose Time and Money

When a designer and contractor operate as two separate businesses on the same project, there is an inherent gap between them. Every decision, question, or field condition has to travel across that gap before it gets resolved. That gap is where projects slow down, budgets creep, and design intent erodes.

Here is how it plays out on a real project. The designer specifies a tile that requires a substrate not accounted for in the original contractor bid. The contractor issues a change order. The designer disputes whether the substrate is actually necessary. You are in the middle, absorbing the delay and the cost. Both parties are technically correct from within their own scope. No one is accountable for the combined outcome.

Or: demo reveals an HVAC run that conflicts with a planned ceiling detail. The contractor needs a design decision to proceed. The designer is in another client meeting. The crew charges by the hour while everyone waits. Two days later the decision gets made in a text chain, and it is not quite what the designer intended.

Or: a field decision gets made while the designer is off site. It is structurally sound but visually wrong. By the time anyone sees it, it is tiled over.

Every one of these scenarios is standard on split-responsibility projects. Every one is eliminated when the same team is responsible for design and construction. At Living with Lolo, the designer is the contractor. A field condition gets resolved by the same person who created the specification. There is no telephone game, no finger-pointing, and no gap.

What One Contract Actually Covers

When you work with Living with Lolo, you sign one contract. That contract covers everything from the initial design consultation through construction through final installation and styling. There is no separate design agreement with us and a construction agreement with someone else.

This matters for a practical reason: when you have two contracts, you have two firms each responsible for their own scope , and genuinely no one responsible for the seam between them. The seam is where most problems live.

Under one contract with a licensed design-build firm, the accountability is clear. If the finished result does not match the design intent, one entity is responsible for that outcome. That entity is us.

For clients in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley managing projects at the scale and price point most of our clients work at, that clarity is not a luxury , it is a requirement. These are high-value homes with complex scopes and real financial stakes. The structure of who is accountable for what needs to match the complexity of the project.

How Permitting Works When the Designer Is Also the Contractor

Permits in Arizona are pulled by the licensed general contractor on the project, not by the homeowner and not by an interior designer who does not hold a contractor license. On a Living with Lolo project, we pull permits directly.

This means we know the Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and Chandler permitting offices. We know what each jurisdiction requires for a given scope of work. We manage the inspection schedule as part of the project timeline rather than waiting for a separate contractor to submit documents on their own schedule.

It also means you have one point of contact for every permit question. When an inspection is scheduled, we are the ones coordinating it. When a correction is required, we address it. You are not in the middle managing communication between a designer who is not on the permit and a contractor who does not fully understand the design intent.

For homeowners doing any work over $1,000 in combined labor and materials , which covers essentially every renovation we work on , permits are required in Arizona. The ability to manage permitting directly, rather than through a third party, compresses timelines in a meaningful way on every project.

What the Process Looks Like from First Call Through Final Install

Discovery call. We start by understanding your project scope and goals. This conversation includes an honest discussion of realistic budget ranges for your specific scope , before you commit to anything.

Design phase. Space planning, concept development, finish and material selection, furniture sourcing, and detailed drawings. Because our construction team reviews every drawing, specifications that would create problems during the build are caught and resolved at the design stage rather than on site.

Permitting. We handle permit applications and manage the inspection schedule directly. No third-party coordination required.

Construction. Our team manages all subcontractors. We are on site. Real-time field decisions are made with full awareness of the design intent, because the person on site is the same person who made the design decisions.

Procurement and installation. Furnishings, lighting, hardware, and accessories are sourced and installed by the same team that designed the space. The result looks like the original vision because the people installing it created it.

Final styling. Every project ends with a full styling appointment before photography. The home is not considered complete until every detail has been attended to.

Who This Model Is Built For

The design-build model at Living with Lolo is designed for clients who want to hand the project over. Not clients who want to be closely involved in every trade decision, manage subcontractor schedules, or act as the communication bridge between a designer and a contractor. Those clients exist, and they are better served by a different arrangement.

Our clients are typically executives, entrepreneurs, and professionals who are managing demanding schedules and have no interest in becoming part-time construction managers. They want to describe what they want, approve a design direction, and return to a home that looks exactly like the plan. They want accountability to live in one place.

The Scottsdale and Paradise Valley market is filled with high-value homes and clients who approach renovation at a significant investment level. At that scale, having design and construction managed by two separate firms with two separate agendas is genuinely risky. The design-build model eliminates that risk structurally.

How to Verify Before You Hire

Whether you are evaluating Living with Lolo or another firm in the Scottsdale area, here is the due diligence that protects you:

Ask for the ROC license number and verify it. Go to roc.az.gov, search the firm name or license number, and confirm the license is active and in good standing. A firm that hesitates to provide this is a firm you should not hire for construction work.

Ask who pulls the permits. If the answer is a separate partner or a building team, you are not working with a true design-build firm. The firm holding your design contract should be the same firm holding the permit.

Ask who will be on site during construction. A designer whose involvement ends at the drawing stage is not a design-build contractor. The designer should be present during the build making real-time decisions that protect the design intent.

Ask to see completed projects , not renderings, not in-progress work. Completed homes, professionally photographed, at a scope comparable to yours. Ask explicitly whether those are projects the firm designed AND built, or only designed.

Ask how change orders are handled. This reveals how the firm operates when unexpected conditions arise , which they always do on a renovation. A clear, fair change order process is a sign of a well-run firm. Vagueness here is a warning sign.

How Permitting Works When the Designer Is Also the Contractor

What the Process Looks Like from First Call Through Final Install

Permitting. We handle permit applications and manage the inspection schedule directly. No third-party coordination required.

Final styling. Every project ends with a full styling appointment before photography. The home is not considered complete until every detail has been attended to.

Who This Model Is Built For

How to Verify Before You Hire

Whether you are evaluating Living with Lolo or another firm in the Scottsdale area, here is the due diligence that protects you:

The difference between design-only and design-build is not just a business model distinction. I have personally worked on both sides of that divide , projects where I was the designer handing off to a contractor I did not control, and projects where my firm owned the entire process. The difference in outcome for clients is not subtle. , Lauren Lerner, Living with Lolo

Related Resources

"We had done a kitchen remodel five years ago with a designer and contractor working separately. The experience was so difficult that we almost did not do another remodel. Lauren's model is completely different. One person owns the design. One person owns the build. They are the same person. Every question had one answer. Our project ran on schedule and our final cost was actually below estimate."

Rachel and David P. , Scottsdale whole-home remodel client

★★★★★

"My wife and I travel constantly for work. We needed a firm we could hand the project to and trust completely. Lauren holds the design credential and the contractor license. She is the single accountable party. We reviewed the design, approved it, and came back to a finished home. That model only works if one person owns the whole thing."

Thomas H. , Paradise Valley remodel client

★★★★★

"I interviewed four firms. Lauren was the only one who could hand me an active ROC license number and explain exactly how permitting would work on our project. The other firms either didn't have a contractor license or were vague about who would actually be managing construction. That vagueness costs you money. Lauren's clarity saved us from a mess."

Jennifer K. , North Scottsdale design-build client

★★★★★

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Living with Lolo a licensed general contractor in Arizona?

Yes. Living with Lolo holds active Arizona Registrar of Contractors general contractor license ROC 347577, in addition to an interior design credential. You can verify the license status at roc.az.gov.

Do I need a licensed general contractor for a remodel in Scottsdale?

Yes. Arizona law requires a licensed general contractor for residential work involving more than $1,000 in combined labor and materials, which covers essentially all kitchen, bathroom, whole-home, and structural renovation projects.

What is the difference between hiring a design-build firm and hiring separately?

A design-build firm manages design and construction under one contract with one accountable entity. Hiring separately means two contracts, two schedules, and a coordination gap between firms that typically produces change orders, delays, and cost overruns. When something goes wrong, the gap between two separate firms is where accountability disappears.

How is a licensed design-build firm different from a general contractor who works with a designer?

When a general contractor works with a designer they recommend, those are still two separate businesses. The designer's decisions are not binding on the contractor's scope in real time, and when there is a conflict, you are the one resolving it. At Living with Lolo, the designer and the licensed contractor are the same firm.

Can an interior designer in Arizona pull permits without a GC license?

No. Pulling permits in Arizona requires an active ROC general contractor license. An interior designer without a contractor license must refer permit work to a licensed contractor, who is then the party actually responsible for the build.

Why does having both credentials under one firm typically cost less than hiring separately?

Two separate firms each price their work with contingencies that account for the uncertainty of working with another party they do not control. When the same team is responsible for both design and construction, that uncertainty disappears, and clients consistently report projects coming in at or under budget.

What types of projects does Living with Lolo take on in Scottsdale?

Whole-home remodels, kitchen and bathroom renovations, large-scale furnishing and renovation projects, new construction interior design, and design-build projects across Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Arcadia, Cave Creek, and the greater Phoenix metro area.

Ready to Talk Through Your Project?

Living with Lolo is a full-service luxury interior design and design-build firm serving Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Arcadia, and the greater Phoenix metro area. We hold an active Arizona ROC general contractor license (ROC 347577) and manage your project under one contract from concept through construction and final styling.Book a Discovery Call

About Living with Lolo

Lauren Lerner

Principal Designer, Living with Lolo

Lauren Lerner is a luxury interior designer and licensed general contractor based in Scottsdale, AZ and the founder of Living with Lolo. Her work has been featured in Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Vogue, Martha Stewart Living, The Wall Street Journal, and GQ. She holds Arizona ROC contractor license 347577 and manages full design-build projects across Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Arcadia, and the greater Phoenix metro area.

Lauren Lerner

livingwithlolo.com/

Living With Lolo: A Scottsdale Designer’s Complete Guide

by Lauren Lerner | Jun 9, 2026 | Interior Design Tips, Modern Interior Design Ideas, Scottsdale Interior Design Projects

8 min read · June 2026

If you have been searching for a Scottsdale interior designer, you have found the right place. Living with Lolo is Lauren Lerner's full-service luxury interior design and licensed design-build firm based in Scottsdale, Arizona. Founded in 2017, the firm has grown into one of the most recognized residential design practices in the Southwest, working with clients in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Arcadia, and across the Phoenix metro. This guide covers who we are, what we do, and what it actually looks like to work with us.

What Is Living With Lolo?

Living with Lolo is the interior design firm Lauren Lerner built from the ground up in Scottsdale. The name comes from her nickname, Lolo, and the brand was built on one idea: that your home should be a full reflection of how you actually want to live. Not a showroom. Not a staged version of someone else's style. A real, livable, deeply personal space that happens to be exceptionally well designed.Today, living with lolo is a full-service firm that holds both an interior design credential and an active Arizona Registrar of Contractors general contractor license (ROC #347577). That dual license is not a common combination in the Scottsdale market. It means Lauren's team manages everything from the first concept sketch through the final install without handing you off to a separate contractor mid-project.The firm has been featured in Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Vogue, Martha Stewart Living, The Wall Street Journal, and GQ. It has been named Phoenix Magazine Best Interior Design three consecutive years: 2024, 2025, and 2026. Inc. Magazine recognized Living with Lolo as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the Southwest in 2026.

How Living With Lolo Works

Most interior design firms in Scottsdale offer design only or construction only. Living with lolo offers both under one contract and one team. Here is what that means for you as a client.When you hire Living with Lolo, you are hiring one team that holds accountability for design and construction from start to finish. The same people who specify your materials are the same people who manage the trades, track the schedule, and catch field decisions before they turn into expensive mistakes. This is the structural difference that separates full-service design-build from the more common model of hiring a designer and a contractor separately and hoping they communicate well enough to deliver what you envisioned.Our process starts with a discovery call. That is a 15-minute conversation where we get clear on your scope, your timeline, and your budget. We give you honest feedback about what is realistic in this market before you ever sign anything. From there, we move into full design development, then into construction or procurement, and finally into install and styling.

What Living With Lolo Designs and Builds

Our scope covers three main service categories.Full design-build projects include everything from demolition and structural changes through finish selection, millwork, cabinetry, tile, flooring, lighting, plumbing fixtures, and the full furnishing package. These projects typically range from $700,000 to $2,000,000 or more depending on the size of the home and the finish level being targeted. You can review completed design-build projects in our living with lolo portfolio.Furnishing-only projects are for homes in excellent structural shape that need a complete interior transformation. We source, procure, and install every piece from furniture and rugs to lighting, art, and accessories. A full furnishing for a 2,500 to 4,000 square foot home typically runs $150,000 to $300,000 or more at the luxury level in the Scottsdale market.New construction design is for clients building from the ground up who need a design partner from the finish selection phase forward. We work directly with builders to manage the decision-making sequence and make sure every selection is made on schedule. Delays on finish selections can hold up entire construction phases, and having a dedicated design team managing that sequencing protects your timeline and your budget.

The Living With Lolo Design Process

Here is how a project unfolds from the first call to the day you walk into your finished home.The discovery call is free and takes about 15 minutes. We talk about your home, your goals, your timeline, and your budget range. We give you honest feedback on what is realistic for your scope in this market, and we decide together whether it makes sense to move forward.Once we are aligned on scope, we execute a design services agreement and your project is scheduled. The design development phase is the most intensive part of the process. Our team produces a full set of documentation including floor plans, elevations, finish and material selections, furniture specifications, and detailed scope narratives. Nothing moves to construction or procurement until the design phase is complete and client-approved.For design-build projects, our licensed GC team manages the construction directly. We hold permits, oversee trades, and manage the build schedule. For furnishing-only projects, our procurement team sources products, places orders, tracks production timelines, manages delivery logistics, and oversees the full installation. You are not coordinating vendors or chasing tracking numbers. We handle all of that so you can stay focused on everything else in your life.Install and styling is the final phase. It looks effortless from the outside, but it is the result of every decision made in the months prior. Our team manages delivery day from start to finish, places every piece, and styles the home so it is completely livable the first time you see it.

Why Clients Choose Living With Lolo in Scottsdale

Clients who have previously worked with other firms often describe the same pattern of problems: miscommunication between the designer and the contractor, change orders that were not budgeted, timeline delays from decisions made too late in the process, and a finished result that did not quite match what had been presented months earlier.The living with lolo model was built to address those problems at the root. One team. One contract. One point of accountability from concept through completion.We are also direct about cost before you commit to anything. We give realistic estimates on a discovery call rather than low numbers designed to win your business that quietly grow through the project. If the budget does not support the scope, we say so at the start and find an adjusted plan that works. That kind of honest conversation is the foundation of how we have built the client relationships we have.Most clients who come to us after a difficult experience with another firm tell us the same thing: they wish they had started here. We take that seriously, and we design our entire process around making sure you never have to say that about us.

Awards and Recognition for Living With Lolo

Living with Lolo has been recognized consistently as one of the top residential design firms in the Scottsdale market. Phoenix Magazine named us Best Interior Design in 2024, 2025, and 2026. That three-year streak puts the firm in a small group of Scottsdale practices to have earned that recognition more than once.In 2026, Inc. Magazine recognized Living with Lolo as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the Southwest, reflecting growth across both design and construction volume over the past several years.Our work has been published in national outlets including Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Vogue, Martha Stewart Living, The Wall Street Journal, and GQ. We hold an active Arizona ROC general contractor license (#347577) and are proud members of the Interior Design Society, the American Society of Interior Designers, and the International Furnishings and Design Association.

Book a Discovery Call With Living With Lolo

If you are planning a renovation, a new build, or a full furnishing project in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, or anywhere in the Phoenix metro, a discovery call is the fastest way to understand what your project would cost and how long it would take to complete.Living with Lolo takes on projects across the Scottsdale area and select locations in other markets including Lake Tahoe, Park City, and Telluride. We manage everything under one contract so your project moves forward without the coordination issues that come from splitting design and construction between two separate firms.

Frequently Asked Questions About Living with Lolo in Scottsdale

What is Living with Lolo?

Living with Lolo is a full-service luxury interior design and licensed design-build firm founded by Lauren Lerner in Scottsdale, Arizona. The firm holds both an interior design credential and an active Arizona ROC general contractor license (ROC #347577), which means design and construction are managed under one contract. Living with Lolo serves clients in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Arcadia, and across the Phoenix metro, and has been featured in Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Vogue, Martha Stewart Living, The Wall Street Journal, and GQ.

How much does Living with Lolo cost in Scottsdale?

Living with Lolo projects range from $75,000 for a furnishing-only project in a smaller home to over $2,000,000 for a full design-build renovation. Most clients invest between $250,000 and $1,500,000 depending on scope, square footage, and finish level. The firm gives honest estimates on an initial discovery call at no charge.

Is Living with Lolo the right fit for my home?

Living with Lolo works best with homeowners investing $75,000 or more who want full-service management from concept through completion. If you want one team handling both design and construction, direct communication about cost and timeline, and a finished result that is both beautiful and built correctly, this is the right fit. A 15-minute discovery call is the fastest way to find out.

What areas does Living with Lolo serve?

Living with Lolo is based in Scottsdale, Arizona and primarily serves the greater Phoenix metro area, including Paradise Valley, Arcadia, Silverleaf, and DC Ranch. The firm also takes select projects in destination markets including Lake Tahoe, Park City, and Telluride. You can learn more about project scope on the services page.

Ready to Talk Through Your Project?

Living with Lolo serves clients across Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and the greater Phoenix metro. Book a complimentary 15-minute discovery call to discuss your project and get honest answers about scope and cost.Book a Discovery Call

Lauren Lerner

Principal Designer, Living with Lolo

Lauren Lerner

livingwithlolo.com/

My 4 Go-To Patio Seating Layouts for Small Outdoor Spaces

by Lauren Lerner | Jun 8, 2026 | Backyard Design, Interior Design Tips, Modern Interior Design Ideas

5 min readJune 2026

Most people make the same mistake with a small patio. They push everything against the walls, thinking it creates more space, or they float a big sectional in the center and wonder why the whole thing feels cramped. I have been designing outdoor spaces as a Scottsdale interior designer for years and I see this constantly: clients with beautiful slabs of travertine or concrete and zero idea how to make them work.

The good news: layout does more for a small patio than any furniture purchase you will ever make.

I was recently quoted in The Spruce on exactly this topic, sharing four seating layouts that make small patios feel significantly bigger. Here is my full take on each approach, with a little more detail than the article had room for.

Perimeter Seating: Push It to the Edges

This is the one that surprises people most. When furniture hugs the edges of a small patio, it frees up the center and makes the space seem bigger. That open middle area is what tricks the eye.

Think of it like a living room with a clear path through. The floor space you can actually see reads as usable, even if you are not standing in it. In Arizona, where outdoor rooms function as extensions of the interior nine months out of the year, this matters. Your patio should feel like a room, not a storage problem.

Put your main seating along the perimeter wall or fence line. Keep chairs angled inward at roughly 45 degrees so people can still face each other. Do not line everything up like an airport waiting area.

The Single Anchor Piece

A single statement chair or loveseat gives the space intention, while low side tables and ottomans avoid the clutter that makes small patios feel cramped.

This is my favorite layout for awkward rectangular patios under 150 square feet. Pick one piece that carries the visual weight: a curved two-seater, a sculptural lounge chair, something that reads as deliberate. Then keep everything else below seat height. Low tables, poufs, a small ottoman. Nothing tall competing for attention.

The instinct is to fill the space. Fight it. One strong piece reads more expensive and more intentional than five mediocre ones crammed in together.

Diagonal Placement

Placing furniture at a diagonal to the patio edges creates the illusion of more square footage by drawing the eye across the longest dimension of the space rather than straight across the short end.

This sounds counterintuitive but it works every time. If your patio is 10 feet wide, do not arrange furniture parallel to the 10-foot wall. Angle it. The eye naturally tracks toward the far corner, which reads as more depth.

This is especially effective on square patios, where every dimension is the same and there is no obvious long side to play with. A diagonal arrangement creates one.

Zone with Rugs Instead of Furniture

If your patio connects to a larger yard or you want it to feel like two distinct areas, use an outdoor rug to define the seating zone rather than relying on furniture arrangement alone.

The rug creates a visual container. Everything inside it belongs together. Everything outside it is separate space. This works particularly well in Scottsdale where patios often open onto a pool deck or grassy area. The rug gives the seating zone its own identity without a wall.

Keep the rug a few inches smaller than your furniture grouping on each side. The furniture legs should ideally sit partially on the rug. That is what anchors the zone.

One Rule That Applies to All of Them

Whatever layout you choose, resist the impulse to fill every inch. Small patios that feel generous almost always have negative space. Areas where there is just nothing. That emptiness is not wasted. It is doing the work.

If you are redesigning an outdoor space in Scottsdale or Paradise Valley and want a layout that actually works for how you live, I would love to help. You can also browse some of my recent outdoor projects in the portfolio to see these principles in action.

Named Phoenix Magazine Best Interior Design 2024, 2025, and 2026, Living with Lolo is a licensed Arizona General Contractor (ROC #347577) serving Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and the greater Phoenix area.

Layout does more for a small patio than any furniture purchase you will ever make. – Lauren Lerner

Related Resources

Ready to Transform Your Home?

Lauren Lerner and the Living with Lolo team work with clients across Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Arcadia, and the greater Phoenix metro area.

Book a Discovery Call

Lauren Lerner

Principal Designer, Living with Lolo

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best seating layout for a small patio?: Perimeter seating is one of the most effective layouts for small outdoor spaces. Pushing furniture to the edges of the patio opens up the center, which tricks the eye into reading the space as larger than it is.
How do you make a small patio look bigger with furniture?: Use one statement anchor piece, keep the scale appropriate to the space, and avoid over-furnishing. Fewer, well-chosen pieces read as intentional and give the space room to breathe.
Should you float furniture on a small patio?: In most small patios, floating furniture away from all walls creates awkward leftover space. Anchoring at least one side to a wall or railing gives the layout structure and makes the seating feel deliberate.
How do outdoor rugs help with small patio layouts?: An outdoor rug defines the seating zone, connects pieces that might otherwise look scattered, and gives the patio a finished room-like quality that connects to a pool deck or yard, giving the seating area its own identity without adding walls or barriers.

About Living with Lolo

Lauren Lerner

livingwithlolo.com/

We Were Featured in Forbes: Outdoor Entertaining Trends Worth Knowing

by Lauren Lerner | Jun 3, 2026 | Interior Design Tips, Modern Interior Design Ideas, Uncategorized

4 min readJune 2026

As Seen In Forbes

Earlier this week, I got a call I always love getting. Terri Williams at Forbes was writing a piece on outdoor entertaining trends and wanted to include our perspective and our work. The article is live now, and our Bronco Revival project is featured throughout.

You can read the full piece here: Incorporate These Outdoor Entertaining Trends in Your Backyard Design.

Why Outdoor Spaces Have Changed

For a long time, outdoor design was treated as an afterthought. You finished the inside of the house and then figured out what to do with the backyard. That is not how our clients think about it anymore, and honestly, it is not how we think about it either.

The homes we work on in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley have some of the best outdoor climates in the country. Nine months of the year, you can live outside. So the question we ask at the start of every project is: what does this family actually do out here, and what would they do if the space made it easy?

The answers drive everything: the shade structure, the cooking setup, the seating, the lighting, the flow from inside to outside. These are not decorating decisions. They are design decisions.

What We See Working Right Now

Indoor-Outdoor Continuity

The most successful outdoor spaces we design feel like a natural extension of the interior. Same material palette, same level of finish, same attention to detail. When you walk outside, it should feel like you are still in your home. That continuity is what makes a space feel intentional versus assembled.

On the Bronco Revival project, we carried the warm, organic material palette from inside all the way through to the outdoor living areas. The result is a backyard that photographs beautifully but more importantly, one the clients actually use every day.

Functional Outdoor Kitchens

We have been doing outdoor kitchens for years, but what has shifted is how serious clients are about the functionality. This is not a built-in grill and a mini fridge anymore. Clients want full prep space, real appliances, smart storage, and good lighting. They want to be able to cook a full dinner outside and not feel like they are camping.

Dedicated Dining That Stays

Outdoor dining tables that feel permanent, not like patio furniture you fold up and store. Weather-resistant materials that look like something out of an interiors magazine. Good light overhead. The kind of setup where guests do not want to go inside.

Layered Shade and Overhead Structure

In Arizona, shade is not optional. But the way we are approaching it has gotten much more design-forward. Pergolas with climbing plants, fabric sails layered with fixed shade, louvered roof systems that let you control light and airflow. The overhead structure is one of the first things we design now, not one of the last.

Lighting That Changes the Mood

This is one of the biggest shifts I have seen in the last few years. Clients are investing in real outdoor lighting design: low-voltage landscape lighting, overhead bistro or string configurations, architectural uplighting on plantings and walls. Done right, lighting doubles the number of hours a space gets used.

The best outdoor spaces are designed the same way we design interiors: from how the family actually lives, not from a catalog.

The Bronco Revival Outdoor Spaces

The Bronco Revival project in Scottsdale was a full home renovation, and the outdoor spaces were central to the vision. The clients wanted a backyard they could entertain in easily, something that felt warm and modern and genuinely nice rather than trying too hard.

We designed the outdoor living and dining areas to flow directly from the interior great room, using the same material sensibility throughout. Natural textures, a restrained palette, carefully placed shade. Terri featured several of the images from this project in the Forbes piece, and we could not be prouder of how they turned out. Photography is by Stephanie Studer of Life Created.

See the full project in our Bronco Revival portfolio, and read the Forbes article here: Incorporate These Outdoor Entertaining Trends in Your Backyard Design.

Thinking About Your Own Backyard?

If your outdoor space is not living up to what it could be, whether it is underused, disconnected from the inside, or just never quite finished, this is worth a conversation. We handle outdoor design as part of full home renovations, and we manage the entire process: design, construction, landscape coordination, and installation.

Let's talk about your outdoor space.

Book a Discovery Call

Lauren Lerner was featured in Forbes alongside leading designers discussing how outdoor entertainment spaces have evolved, and Living with Lolo has been at the forefront of this shift in the Scottsdale and Paradise Valley market. Named Best Interior Design by Phoenix Magazine in 2024, 2025, and 2026, Lauren Lerner operates under ROC #347577 and manages outdoor design scopes that span from furnishing and landscaping coordination to full exterior renovation.

Living with Lolo works with clients who want their outdoor spaces to function as true extensions of the home, designed with the same attention to materials, comfort, and durability as the interior. Living with Lolo handles the full scope from design concept through contractor coordination and final installation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What outdoor entertaining trends did Living with Lolo discuss in Forbes?

The shift toward multi-functional outdoor rooms, the rise of permanent outdoor kitchens, and how warm-weather clients are investing in shade structures, misting systems, and performance textiles to make outdoor spaces usable year-round.

How much does a luxury outdoor living space cost in Scottsdale?

A fully designed outdoor living space in Scottsdale typically starts at $75,000 to $150,000 for a comprehensive scope that includes a pergola or shade structure, outdoor kitchen, seating area, and lighting. More extensive projects with pools, fire features, and landscape integration run higher.

What does Living with Lolo include in outdoor design projects?

Living with Lolo manages furniture selection, shade and structure specification, lighting, outdoor kitchen design, and landscape coordination for outdoor spaces. Construction and installation are managed under one contract through the firm's licensed general contracting arm.

Can Living with Lolo handle outdoor renovation and construction in Arizona?

Yes. Living with Lolo holds an Arizona ROC general contractor license and manages both the design and construction phases of outdoor renovation projects in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and the greater Phoenix area.

Thinking About Your Outdoor Space?

Living with Lolo designs and builds outdoor living spaces for homes in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and Arcadia. Lauren Lerner and her team manage the full scope from concept through installation.Call (480) 961-7626 or email us to talk through your project.

Lauren Lerner

Principal Designer, Living with Lolo

About Living with Lolo

Lauren Lerner

livingwithlolo.com/

We Made Inc. Best Workplaces 2026. Here’s What That Actually Means for Your Project.

by Lauren Lerner | Jun 2, 2026 | Interior Design Tips, Modern Interior Design Ideas, Uncategorized

4 min readJune 2026

Every project we take on runs through the same team. The same designer who walked your home during the discovery call is the same one presenting your design concept, managing construction, and standing in your space at final installation. That is not an accident. It is a deliberate choice, and it is one that Inc. magazine just recognized us for.Living with Lolo was named to the Inc. Best Workplaces 2026 list. The recognition is based on employee survey data, not self-nomination. Companies are evaluated on whether people actually trust the environment they work in, whether they understand their role, feel heard, and have real visibility into how decisions get made. Inc. described our recognition as being for cultivating employee trust through explicit expectations, defined decision rights, and direct feedback.That language might sound like HR-speak. But for someone hiring a design-build firm to manage a six-figure renovation of their home, it translates into something concrete.

A Team That Stays

Interior design and construction are relational in a way that most industries are not. The vendor relationships, the institutional knowledge of how a project evolved, the understanding of how a particular client communicates. None of that transfers cleanly when someone leaves mid-project. At Living with Lolo, our Scottsdale interior design firm, we have invested in building a team that genuinely wants to be here, and that stability shows up in how your project runs from start to finish.

Everyone Knows Exactly What They Own

Defined decision rights is a phrase that sounds corporate but matters enormously in practice. It means every person on our team has clear ownership of their piece of the project. You are not getting handoffs to someone who does not have context. The person answering your question has the authority and the information to actually answer it.

We Communicate Directly With Our Team and With You

A culture of direct feedback internally creates a firm that is willing to have honest conversations externally. We will tell you when something will not work the way you are imagining it. We will flag when a contractor's timeline is unrealistic. We will push back when a finish that looked great on the sample board will not hold up in your actual space. That same directness is what earned this recognition, and it is what our clients experience in every review meeting.This is our second Inc. recognition this year. We were also named to the Inc. Regionals Southwest 2026 list for fastest-growing private companies across Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.Two Inc. honors in the same year feels significant. But more than the recognition itself, it reflects the kind of firm we have been quietly building since 2017: one where the people doing the work take real pride in it, and where that pride shows up in every project we deliver.Named Phoenix Magazine Best Interior Design 2024, 2025, and 2026, Living with Lolo is a licensed Arizona General Contractor (ROC #347577) serving Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and the greater Phoenix area.

The team that shows up for each other is the same team that shows up for you. That is not a policy. It is just how we are built. - Lauren Lerner

Related Resources

Ready to Transform Your Home?

Lauren Lerner and the Living with Lolo team work with clients across Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Arcadia, and the greater Phoenix metro area.Book a Discovery Call

Lauren Lerner

Principal Designer, Living with Lolo

Frequently Asked Questions

What does it mean that Living with Lolo was named an Inc. Best Workplace 2026?: It means the firm has demonstrated a culture of employee satisfaction, strong management, and a workplace that supports the people doing the work — which for clients signals an engaged, stable, motivated team.
How does a strong workplace culture affect a design-build project?: Lower turnover, better communication, and more consistent execution. When designers, project managers, and contractors are part of a culture that prioritizes excellence, it shows up in every client project.
Does Living with Lolo offer design services for residential clients in Arizona?: Yes. Living with Lolo is a full-service luxury interior design and licensed general contracting firm based in Scottsdale, AZ, serving clients across Paradise Valley, Arcadia, and the greater Phoenix metro area.
What should I look for when hiring a luxury interior design firm in Scottsdale?: Look for a firm that handles both design and construction under one contract, has a stable team with low turnover, and has demonstrated results in high-end residential projects. Lauren Lerner and Living with Lolo have served the Scottsdale market since 2017 with that exact approach.

About Living with Lolo

Lauren Lerner

livingwithlolo.com/

Why Your Next Renovation Should Include a Hot/Cold Wellness Room

by Lauren Lerner | Jun 2, 2026 | Interior Design Tips, Modern Interior Design Ideas, Uncategorized

4 min readJune 2026

June 2, 20266 min read

As featured in Bob Vila

Of all the custom features I am designing right now, the hot/cold wellness room is the one I am working on the most. I said as much when Bob Vila asked me about the top custom home features of 2026, and I want to give you the full picture here because one paragraph does not do it justice.This is not a trend. It is a shift in how people think about their homes.

What a Wellness Room Actually Is

When most people hear "home wellness room," they picture a treadmill pushed against a wall in a spare bedroom. That is a home gym. What I am designing is something entirely different: a dedicated room built around recovery, not just exercise.A proper hot/cold wellness room typically includes an infrared sauna, a cold plunge, soft lighting on dimmer controls, natural materials like stone and wood, and ventilation designed specifically for the thermal cycling. The best ones feel more like a spa than a gym, and that is intentional.The clients who go all in are also adding red light therapy beds, hyperbaric chambers, and fully custom sauna builds with integrated sound and chromotherapy. These are not afterthoughts. They are the primary reason the room exists.

Why It Is Worth the Square Footage

The question I get most often is whether it justifies the space. My answer is always the same: it depends on whether you will actually use it.What I have observed with clients who have these spaces is that they stop treating wellness as a scheduled item and start treating it as part of how their home functions. It stops being something you have to drive to. The cold plunge is three steps from your bedroom. The sauna is ready in 20 minutes. The barrier disappears, and the routine follows.That shift in daily life is what makes it worth the square footage. A room you use every day earns its place faster than almost any other investment in a home.

What Goes Into Designing One Well

The room itself is straightforward if you plan for it early. The details that matter most:

Waterproofing and drainage, especially around the cold plunge. This is not optional.
Ventilation sized for both the sauna heat and the humidity from the cold plunge. Standard bath ventilation is not sufficient.
Electrical for the sauna heater, which typically requires a dedicated 240V circuit.
Natural materials that can handle temperature swings: teak, cedar, stone, and concrete all perform well.
Lighting on dimmers with a warm, low-lux option for post-plunge recovery.
A transition space, even a small bench area between the sauna and plunge, so the thermal cycling is intentional rather than rushed.

Where projects go wrong is when the wellness room gets treated as a finish-out item rather than a structural one. The plumbing, drainage, and electrical need to be in the plan from the beginning. Retrofitting is expensive and often impractical.

Who Is Asking for This

Across my client base as a luxury interior designer in Scottsdale AZ and throughout the Phoenix metro, requests for dedicated wellness spaces have increased significantly in the past two years. It is not a specific demographic. I am designing these for clients in their 30s and clients in their 60s. Athletes and executives. New builds and renovations.What they share is a willingness to invest in how they feel at home, not just how their home looks. That is the broader shift I am seeing, and the wellness room is where it shows up most clearly right now.

How to Start Planning Yours

If you are in the early stages of a custom build or a major renovation, the best time to plan the wellness room is now. The structural and mechanical requirements are much easier to design in than to add later.If you are working with an existing space, a converted bedroom or a room off the primary suite both work well. The minimum functional size is around 150 square feet, though 200 to 300 gives you room to move and adds a proper transition zone.Living with Lolo handles both the design and the construction side of a wellness room renovation. As a licensed Arizona General Contractor (ROC #347577), Living with Lolo manages the full project from permits and structural work through equipment installation and final finish, so you work with one team from concept to completion. Named Phoenix Magazine Best Interior Design 2024, 2025, and 2026, Living with Lolo is one of the most recognized design-build firms in Scottsdale.I would love to talk through what this could look like in your home.

Ready to Design Your Wellness Room?

Let's talk about your space, your goals, and what a recovery-focused room would look like in your home. Book a Discovery Call

Lauren Lerner

Principal Designer, Living with LoloLauren Lerner is an award-winning interior designer based in Scottsdale, Arizona. Named Phoenix Magazine Best Interior Designer 2024, 2025, and 2026. As seen in Bob Vila, House Beautiful, Architectural Digest, and more.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a hot/cold wellness room in a home?: A dedicated space combining contrast therapy elements — typically a sauna, cold plunge or ice bath, and sometimes a steam shower — designed for residential use.
How much does it cost to add a wellness room to a home?: Typically $30,000 to $150,000 or more depending on equipment, size, and finish level. A basic sauna-and-cold-plunge setup starts at the lower end; fully custom rooms run significantly higher.
Is a home wellness room a good investment?: In the luxury market, yes. In high-end markets like Scottsdale and Paradise Valley, buyers increasingly expect spa-level amenities. Clients consistently report it among the most appreciated features of their renovation.
Who should I hire to build a wellness room in Scottsdale?: Look for a design-build firm that handles both interior design and licensed general contracting. Living with Lolo is a Scottsdale-based luxury interior designer and licensed Arizona general contractor (ROC #347577) that manages wellness room projects from concept through construction.

Related Resources

About Living with Lolo

Lauren Lerner

livingwithlolo.com/

Living with Lolo in House Beautiful: What Is a Micro-Makeover?

by Lauren Lerner | Jun 1, 2026 | Interior Design Tips, Modern Interior Design Ideas, Uncategorized

Journal / PressAs Seen In House Beautiful

When House Beautiful reached out to include my perspective in a piece on micro-makeovers, I knew it would resonate. It is one of the most common conversations I have with clients, and one of the most misunderstood concepts in residential design.The article, What Is a Micro-Makeover?, explores how targeted, intentional updates to a single room or space can dramatically shift how a home feels, without the timeline or investment of a full renovation. My insights were featured alongside before-and-after images from a recent project, and the piece includes a backlink to Living with Lolo.

What a micro-makeover actually means

A micro-makeover is not a compromise. It is a focused edit. Instead of pulling everything apart and starting over, you identify the one or two decisions in a room that are doing the most damage to how it looks and feels, and you fix those first. For most of my clients in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley, those decisions usually come down to lighting, layering, and scale.The before-and-after work I shared with House Beautiful shows how much a room can shift when you address the right things in the right order. New furniture alone rarely transforms a space. But replace the overhead lighting, add a layer of texture through textiles, and bring in one piece at the right scale, and suddenly the room reads completely differently.

Why this approach matters for busy homeowners

Most of my clients are not looking for a year-long renovation. They want their home to feel like it reflects who they are right now, without uprooting their lives to get there. Micro-makeovers are how we do that. They are scoped tightly, executed quickly, and the results tend to be some of the most satisfying work we do together, because the transformation is immediate.I often tell clients that a home is never finished. You layer it over time, and each phase should feel intentional. A micro-makeover is just one focused layer, done well.

Read the full feature

You can read the full House Beautiful piece here: What Is a Micro-Makeover?. And if you are sitting in a room right now wondering where to even begin, that is exactly the conversation a discovery call is built for.

Lauren Lerner was featured in House Beautiful for her expertise in the micro-makeover approach, demonstrating how targeted changes to lighting, textiles, and accessories can transform a space without a full renovation. Named Best Interior Design by Phoenix Magazine in 2024, 2025, and 2026, Lauren Lerner operates under ROC #347577 and brings the same precision to full-scale design-build projects in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was Living with Lolo's micro-makeover featured in House Beautiful?

The feature highlighted how strategic changes to lighting, textiles, and accessories can transform a space without renovation, illustrating the micro-makeover concept for a national audience.

What is a micro-makeover in interior design?

A focused design refresh that prioritizes the changes with the highest visual impact per dollar spent, working with the existing architecture and furniture rather than replacing it.

Is Living with Lolo available for micro-makeover projects?

Yes. Living with Lolo offers micro-makeover services alongside full-service design and design-build projects, ideal for clients who want a fresh look without a full renovation.

What is the difference between a micro-makeover and a full home redesign?

A micro-makeover focuses on the changes with the highest visual impact per dollar, working within the existing architecture and furniture plan. A full redesign replaces and reconfigures the space from the ground up. Micro-makeovers typically take 4 to 8 weeks; full redesigns run 6 to 18 months depending on construction scope.

Curious what a micro-makeover could do for one room in your home? Let's talk.Book a Discovery Call

Lauren Lerner

Principal Designer, Living with Lolo

About Living with Lolo

Lauren Lerner

livingwithlolo.com/

Interior Design Trends Scottsdale 2026: What We’re Seeing in Real Projects

by Lauren Lerner | Jun 1, 2026 | Modern Interior Design Ideas, Scottsdale Interior Design Projects, Uncategorized

9 min readJune 2026

Every year I notice a shift in what clients are asking for as a luxury interior designer in Scottsdale. Not a wholesale change in taste, but a refinement. The clients coming to us in 2026 are more specific about what they want and more willing to invest in doing it right. The projects we are finishing right now reflect that.Our Desert Oasis project is a good example. It is a full home renovation in Scottsdale that captures almost every direction we are seeing the market move. I will reference it throughout this post because it is the most recent work we have wrapped, and it illustrates these trends better than any list of inspiration images could.Here is what is actually showing up in luxury interior design in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley this year.

Trend 01Earth Tones Are Replacing Cool Gray for Good

The cool gray era is over. What replaced it is warmer, richer, and more specific: warm white, soft sand, dusty sage, terracotta, warm taupe. These are not trendy colors. They are colors that feel connected to the landscape in a way that slate and greige never did.On Desert Oasis, we built the entire palette around the colors that were already there when you looked out the windows. Warm stone, low desert brush, the kind of golden light you get at 4pm in Arizona. Everything inside echoes that. The result is a home that feels intentional and calm rather than decorated.If you have been sitting on a gray kitchen or gray walls wondering why the space never quite felt warm enough, this is why. The fix is usually simpler than people expect.

Trend 02Natural Stone as a Primary Design Element

We have always used natural stone, but the way clients are using it now has changed. It is no longer a backsplash material or a flooring choice. It is the focal point of the room.Full-slab stone kitchen islands. Bookmatched quartzite feature walls. Travertine floors that run continuously from interior to exterior. Slab shower walls with no grout lines. These are not budget decisions. They are design decisions, and the clients who make them consistently tell us those are the moments in the home they love most.On Desert Oasis, we used warm travertine on the floors throughout the main living areas and carried it outside to the covered patio. The continuity alone changed the scale of the space. It read as one large room instead of two separate ones.If you are in the planning phase of a renovation, I would encourage you to look at natural stone early. The slabs you can source right now are exceptional, and the options in warm tones are better than they have been in years.

Trend 03Textured Wall Finishes Over Paint

Flat paint on smooth drywall is not going away, but the clients who want their home to feel distinctive are looking at what is on the walls differently. Limewash. Venetian plaster. Woven grasscloth and linen wallcovering. Handcrafted tile used as a feature wall, not just a kitchen backsplash.What these finishes have in common is that they change with the light. A limewash wall looks completely different at noon than it does at 7pm. That kind of depth is what separates a finished room from a designed one.On Desert Oasis, we used a warm limewash in the primary bedroom and a hand-applied plaster finish in the entry. Both were intentionally imperfect. That is the point. The slight variation in tone and texture is what makes the space feel handcrafted rather than assembled.

The clients who are happiest with their homes are the ones who were willing to choose something specific over something safe.

Trend 04Indoor-Outdoor Continuity as a Design Priority, Not an Afterthought

Arizona gives us nine months of genuinely livable outdoor weather. The homes we work on in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley should take full advantage of that. And yet, in a surprising number of renovation projects we see, the outdoor spaces are treated as a leftover, something to figure out after the inside is done.The trend we are seeing is the opposite. Clients are asking us to design the indoor and outdoor spaces together from the beginning, using the same materials, the same level of finish, and the same standard of comfort. When you walk outside, it should feel like you are still in your home.On Desert Oasis, the covered outdoor living area was designed simultaneously with the interior great room. Same stone floors. Same ceiling height relationship. Same warm palette. The pocket doors disappear into the wall when open, and the distinction between inside and outside essentially vanishes. That was the goal from day one.We handle outdoor design as part of full home renovations. If you are planning a renovation and thinking about the backyard as a separate phase, I would encourage you to reconsider that sequencing. It is much harder to integrate the two after the fact.

Trend 05Intentional Lighting Design

This is the trend I think is most underappreciated. Most homeowners do not realize how much their lighting plan is limiting their space until they are standing in a room with a proper layered lighting design for the first time.What we mean by layered: ambient light (recessed, cove, or indirect), task light (pendants over islands, sconces at reading chairs, vanity lighting), accent light (picture lights, shelf uplighting, architectural details), and landscape or exterior lighting that makes the property feel finished after dark.Every layer should be independently dimmable. That single change, the ability to dial back overhead light and let accent and task lighting do the work, makes a room feel entirely different at 8pm than it does at noon. It is the difference between a space that has one mood and a space that has several.On Desert Oasis, we worked with the lighting plan from the very beginning of the design process, not as a late-stage selection. The result is a home where every room transitions beautifully from daytime to evening. The clients mentioned it specifically when they walked through for the first time.

Trend 06Warm White Gets Official: The Pantone Shift

Pantone named Cloud Dancer, a soft warm white, its 2026 Color of the Year, the first white in the program's history. The broader palette forecast follows the same direction: wheat, caramel, greige, and warm taupe. Stark cool whites are aging fast. If your walls read blue-gray at sunset, they are dating your house.Here is the local wrinkle the national coverage misses. Scottsdale light is intense and warm, especially on west-facing rooms, and a white that looks creamy on a sample card can go orange by late afternoon on a west wall in DC Ranch. We test every white on at least two exposures before committing. Buy the sample quarts and live with them for a week; it is the cheapest insurance in the entire project. Bolder color is showing up in controlled doses too, with deep plum, moss, and jade landing on upholstery and powder baths, and one move we genuinely like: the saturated tone on the ceiling instead of the walls, which makes a tall dining room feel intimate without shrinking it.

Trend 07Kitchens Go Warm, Quiet, and Hidden

The all-white kitchen had a very long run. It is over. Cabinetry is landing in cashmere, clay, mushroom, and taupe, with braver clients going to deep green or oxblood on an island or a butler's pantry. Plaster range hoods have become the focal point of choice, sculptural and soft where stainless used to shout.The other half of the story is concealment. Paneled refrigerators, appliance garages, and full back kitchens keep the main space serene while the mess lives behind a pocket door. For clients who entertain the way people entertain here, with twenty people drifting between the kitchen and the patio from October through April, a back kitchen is the single best square footage investment you can make. We will die on that hill.

Trend 08Wellness Rooms Are Now Standard, Not Special

Five years ago a home gym was the wellness amenity. In 2026 luxury homes, we are designing cold plunges, infrared saunas, meditation rooms, and lighting systems that track circadian rhythms. Air quality systems are becoming standard requests too, which makes particular sense in the Valley, where dust season is real and the pollen off mature olive trees in older Arcadia lots is no joke.The smart version of this trend is flexible: a guest suite that converts to a recovery room, an office with blackout shades and a meditation corner. You do not need a 900-square-foot spa wing to live well at home, and we would rather see clients spend on one excellent sauna they use daily than on four wellness gadgets that become expensive towel racks.

What This Means for Your Project

If you are planning a renovation in 2026, the common thread across all five of these trends is specificity. Warmer colors that connect to a particular place. Stone chosen for a particular slab. Finishes that respond to the light in a particular room. Lighting designed for how a particular family actually lives.Generic renovation decisions produce generic results. The clients who are happiest with their homes are the ones who were willing to choose something specific over something safe.If you want to see how these trends come together in a real project, take a look at the Desert Oasis project or browse our full portfolio. And if you are thinking about a renovation and want to talk through what is possible, we would love to hear about it.

Ready to start planning your 2026 renovation? Book a Discovery Call

Frequently Asked Questions

What interior design trends are popular in Scottsdale in 2026?

The dominant trends in Scottsdale luxury homes right now are warm earth tone palettes (sand, terracotta, dusty sage replacing cool gray), natural stone used as a primary design element rather than a backsplash material, textured wall finishes like limewash and Venetian plaster, seamless indoor-outdoor continuity, and intentional layered lighting design. These trends reflect the desert landscape and the Arizona lifestyle rather than generic national trends.

What design style is most popular in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley?

In Scottsdale and Paradise Valley, the most requested styles are Modern Southwest, Modern Mediterranean, and Transitional -- all of which lean into natural materials, warm tones, and strong indoor-outdoor connection. Clients are moving away from the cool-toned modern aesthetic that dominated the 2010s toward something warmer, more organic, and more specific to the desert setting.

How much does a luxury home renovation cost in Scottsdale in 2026?

Full-service luxury interior design and design-build projects in Scottsdale typically range from $350,000 to $1 million across design fees, construction, and furnishings. Design fees alone typically range from $21,000 to $53,000 depending on scope. Living with Lolo manages the full process -- design, construction, procurement, and installation -- under one contract as a licensed Arizona General Contractor (ROC #347577).

Who is the best interior designer in Scottsdale?

Lauren Lerner of Living with Lolo has been named Best Interior Design by Phoenix Magazine three consecutive years: 2024, 2025, and 2026. The firm is also a licensed Arizona General Contractor (ROC #347577), making it one of the only luxury design firms in the Scottsdale market that manages both design and construction under one roof.

Related Resources

Lauren Lerner

Principal Designer, Living with Lolo

About Living with Lolo

Lauren Lerner

livingwithlolo.com/

What It Actually Takes to Design an Estate in Paradise Valley

by Lauren Lerner | Jun 1, 2026 | Modern Interior Design Ideas, Scottsdale Interior Design Projects

5 min read
May 2026

Paradise Valley is a different kind of project. Not just in budget or square footage, though those are different too. It's different in what's expected from day one, what the homes demand structurally, and what happens when the design and construction teams aren't in sync.We've worked on estates in Paradise Valley long enough to know that the homeowners who have the smoothest renovations are the ones who stopped treating design and construction as separate decisions. Here's what we've learned about what these projects actually require.

The land itself shapes the design

Paradise Valley lots don't have setback drama the way dense Scottsdale neighborhoods do, but they have their own constraints: views to preserve, mountain sightlines, solar orientation on acre-plus parcels, outdoor living spaces that need to function as a second home within the home. A designer who hasn't thought about how the interior relates to an outdoor kitchen, a resort pool, and a guest casita all on the same property will make decisions that look great on a mood board and feel disconnected in real life.Our process on Paradise Valley projects starts with the site. We walk the property before we open a design app. Where does the light come from in the morning? What view do you want from the primary bedroom? Is the pool where it should be? These questions shape everything that comes after.

Construction isn't a handoff, it's part of the design

Most interior designers working in Paradise Valley will hand you off to a contractor after the design phase. That contractor then interprets the drawings, makes substitutions when lead times shift, and coordinates with you directly when conflicts come up. You are now managing two vendors, absorbing the cost of every miscommunication, and hoping the contractor's trade relationships match the quality of the design.Living with Lolo, Scottsdale's luxury interior design and design-build firm, holds an Arizona General Contractor license (ROC #347577) alongside our design practice. On a Paradise Valley project, that means the same team that designed the wine room is the one pulling the permit and managing the build. The same person who selected the limestone floor finish is on-site when it's being installed. Nothing gets lost in translation because there's no translation happening.This matters more in Paradise Valley than almost anywhere else we work. The level of finish these homes require, the custom millwork, the stone sourcing, the mechanical systems hidden behind perfect walls, these are not things you want two separate teams coordinating over email.

What discretion actually means

Paradise Valley clients don't want to see their home mid-renovation on our Instagram. They don't want to discuss project details with people they haven't approved. They want a firm that treats their project the way they'd expect any professional service to be handled: with complete confidentiality.We don't post in-progress work without explicit permission. We don't share client names. The portfolio projects we do show, like the Desert Escape and the Camelback Country Estates renovation, are shared only with client approval, and they represent the caliber of work we do throughout Paradise Valley.

The timeline is long and the process matters

A whole-home renovation or new construction interior fit-out in Paradise Valley runs 14 to 28 months. That's not a problem, it's a reality of doing this level of work correctly. What matters is having a process that keeps you informed without requiring your constant attention. Our clients are executives, founders, and athletes who don't have time to manage a renovation. They don't need to. We handle every decision that falls within our scope and bring only the meaningful ones to them.If you're planning a Paradise Valley estate renovation or working with an architect on a new build and looking for a design-build firm that can manage both sides under one contract, the right place to start is a conversation. Our Paradise Valley interior design page has more on how we work and what these projects typically involve.If you are planning a Paradise Valley estate project and want to understand what the investment looks like, our guide to what luxury interior design and construction costs in Scottsdale covers real project numbers from this market. You can also read more about what it means for a firm to hold an active Arizona general contractor license and why that matters on a project of this scale, and which construction projects in Arizona require a licensed GC to pull permits. When you are ready to talk through your project, our Paradise Valley interior design page has more on how we work and what these projects typically involve.Living with Lolo is an award-winning interior designer serving Paradise Valley and Scottsdale, Arizona. Named Phoenix Magazine Best Interior Design 2024, 2025, and 2026. Licensed Arizona General Contractor ROC #347577.

Ready to Talk Through Your Estate Project?

Lauren Lerner and the Living with Lolo team work with homeowners in Paradise Valley, Scottsdale, and the greater Phoenix area on estate-level design and construction projects. If you are planning a renovation or new build, we would love to hear about it.Start a Conversation

Lauren Lerner

Principal Designer, Living with Lolo

Frequently Asked Questions

What does it take to design an estate in Paradise Valley?: Scale, coordination across multiple living zones and exterior environments, and close work with architects, landscape designers, and custom fabricators over a multi-year timeline.
How much does it cost to design a luxury estate in Paradise Valley?: Design fees typically start at $50,000, with total project budgets often exceeding $500,000 to $1 million or more when furniture, custom millwork, finishes, and construction are included.
How long does a luxury estate design project take in Paradise Valley?: Most estate-level projects take 6 to 12 months from initial concept to final installation, depending on permit complexity and custom fabrication lead times.
Who is Lauren Lerner and what makes Living with Lolo different for estate projects in Paradise Valley?: Lauren Lerner is the founder and principal designer of Living with Lolo, a Scottsdale-based luxury interior design and licensed general contracting firm. Living with Lolo manages both design and construction under one contract, which is especially valuable on estate projects where coordination between trades is critical.

Related Resources

About Living with Lolo

Lauren Lerner

livingwithlolo.com/

What a Real Arcadia Renovation Actually Involves

by Lauren Lerner | Jun 1, 2026 | Modern Interior Design Ideas, Scottsdale Interior Design Projects

5 min read
May 2026

Arcadia is the most active gut renovation market in the Phoenix metro, and it's been that way for years. Buyers acquire 1960s and 70s ranch homes on large lots, sometimes under Camelback Mountain, and they don't intend to live in what they bought. They intend to build something else using what's already there: the lot, the location, and the bones.We've completed multiple whole-home renovations in Arcadia. Here's what we've learned about what makes them work and what makes them fall apart.

Arcadia renovations are construction projects first

The word "renovation" undersells what most Arcadia projects actually involve. Walls move. Kitchens get relocated. Bathrooms are rebuilt from the studs. Sometimes the footprint expands. Outdoor kitchens, resort-style pools, and covered patios get designed as part of the same project. If you approach this as a decorating job, you'll end up with a beautifully furnished home that still has a 1970s floor plan underneath.This is why the firm you hire matters so much. Interior designers who don't hold a general contractor license will take you through a design phase and then hand you off to a contractor for execution. You are now managing two relationships, translating between two visions, and absorbing every miscommunication as a budget overrun or a timeline delay.Living with Lolo is Scottsdale's full-service interior design and design-build firm and licensed Arizona General Contractor (ROC #347577). On an Arcadia project, we pull the permits with the City of Phoenix, manage the licensed trades, and oversee the structural work, all with the same team that designed it. The vision doesn't get lost because there's no handoff.

The neighborhood has its own character and it's worth respecting

Arcadia has a look. Canopy streets, mature landscaping, and homes that sit back from the road with generous setbacks. The best Arcadia renovations we've done feel like they belong there, even when the interior is completely transformed. That means thinking about how the indoor and outdoor spaces relate, how natural light moves through the home across the citrus grove in the backyard, and how the architecture reads from the street.Clients who move to Arcadia usually moved there intentionally. They like the neighborhood, the walkability, the proximity to Old Town Scottsdale and the Biltmore corridor. A renovation that ignores the context of where the home sits misses the point of buying there in the first place.

What our Arcadia projects look like

Our Home Plate Hideaway and One Hundred Hills projects show the range of what we do in this neighborhood: full gut renovations with structural reconfigurations, custom kitchens, reimagined outdoor spaces, and white-glove furnishings and installation all managed under one contract.Both projects are on the Arcadia page with more detail on scope and approach.

How to start

If you've bought a home in Arcadia and you know it needs a serious renovation, the most important decision you'll make is who manages it. Not who designs it and who builds it separately, but who does both. That's what we do. Our Arcadia interior design and renovation page has more on the process, typical project scope, and what these renovations cost.Arcadia renovations almost always trigger permit requirements because walls move, plumbing relocates, and electrical work is involved. Read our guide to which projects in Arizona require a licensed general contractor to pull permits and why an interior designer without a GC license cannot legally manage that scope. For context on what a full Arcadia renovation typically costs, our luxury interior design cost breakdown includes real project numbers from this market. You can also explore our Arcadia interior design and renovation page to learn more about how we approach these projects.If your project is in the broader Phoenix metro outside of Arcadia, visit our Phoenix interior design page to learn more about how we work across the valley.Living with Lolo is an award-winning luxury interior design and construction firm serving Arcadia, Scottsdale, and Paradise Valley, Arizona. Named Best Interior Design by Phoenix Magazine three consecutive years. Licensed Arizona General Contractor ROC #347577.

Lauren Lerner and the Living with Lolo team bring licensed general contracting and luxury interior design under one roof for Arcadia renovations. Lauren Lerner's design-build approach is what Living with Lolo clients in Arcadia, Scottsdale, and Paradise Valley rely on to complete complex renovations on time and on budget. Living with Lolo has been named Best Interior Design by Phoenix Magazine in 2024, 2025, and 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does an Arcadia renovation typically involve?

Most Arcadia renovations include structural reconfiguration, new plumbing and electrical, custom kitchens and bathrooms, and full interior design and furnishings. Because these homes were built decades ago, almost every project requires permits pulled by a licensed Arizona general contractor.

How much does an Arcadia renovation cost?

A full gut renovation in Arcadia typically ranges from $300 to $600 per square foot depending on scope, finishes, and structural changes. Our kitchen remodel cost guide gives more detail on individual scopes within a renovation.

Do I need both a contractor and an interior designer for an Arcadia renovation?

Not if your firm holds both licenses. Living with Lolo is a licensed Arizona general contractor (ROC #347577) and a full-service interior design firm, so you have one team managing design, permits, construction, and installation under one contract.

How long does an Arcadia renovation take?

Most full Arcadia gut renovations take 9 to 14 months from design kick-off through white-glove installation. Permit timelines and material lead times are the most common variables. Working with a firm that manages both design and construction reduces delays caused by miscommunication between separate teams.

Ready to renovate your Arcadia home?

Living with Lolo handles design, permitting, construction, and installation for Arcadia renovations. One firm, one contract, no handoffs.Start a Conversation

Lauren Lerner

Principal Designer, Living with Lolo

About Living with Lolo

Living with Lolo is a Scottsdale, Arizona-based luxury interior design and construction firm. The company specializes in full-service interior design, design-build remodeling, and construction-led renovations for high-end residential homes in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Arcadia, and the greater Phoenix metro. Living with Lolo manages both interior design and licensed general contracting under one roof, guiding projects from concept through construction and white-glove installation.

Lauren Lerner

livingwithlolo.com/

What Is a Micro-Makeover? The Interior Design Strategy That Actually Works

by Lauren Lerner | Jun 1, 2026 | Interior Design Tips, Modern Interior Design Ideas, Uncategorized

4 min readJune 2026

June 1, 20265 min read

When House Beautiful reached out about a story on micro-makeovers, I knew the concept was going to land. It comes up constantly with my clients: people who love their home on some level but feel like something is off, and they want a change that does not require six figures or a construction crew.A micro-makeover is a focused, intentional refresh of a space without a full renovation. Same bones. Same square footage. But with the right changes, the room feels entirely different.I was quoted in the piece alongside client Alyssa Rotunno, whose bedroom transformation is a perfect example of what this actually looks like. No new floors. No moved walls. Just deliberate edits that completely shifted how the room felt.

What Goes Into a Micro-Makeover?

Every room is different, but the highest-impact changes tend to fall into a few categories.

Lighting

This is almost always the single fastest way to elevate a space. Swapping a builder-grade ceiling fixture for something intentional, like a sculptural pendant or a pair of wall sconces flanking the bed, changes the entire atmosphere of a room. Most people underestimate how much bad lighting is quietly working against their space.

Textiles

Pillows, throws, window treatments, a new area rug. These add warmth, color, and texture without any permanence. They are also the easiest things to refresh as your taste evolves. If a room feels flat or cold, textiles are usually the fastest fix.

Furniture Arrangement

Most rooms are arranged incorrectly. The default setup, with everything pushed against the walls, rarely creates the best flow or conversation. A thoughtful rearrangement can make a room feel twice as large without buying a single new thing.

One New Anchor Piece

Sometimes all a room needs is one piece that pulls the whole story together. A new bed frame. A statement chair. A properly scaled side table that finally makes the lamp stop looking like it belongs somewhere else. One well-chosen piece can do more than a dozen small ones.

Art and Accessories

This is where personality lives. Edited, intentional, and layered rather than a collection of things accumulated over the years that have never been reconsidered. A micro-makeover is often an opportunity to clear out what is not working and be intentional about what stays.

Why Micro-Makeovers Work

The honest truth is that most people do not need a renovation. They need a designer to look at the space with fresh eyes and identify what is working, what is not, and what one or two changes would move the needle most.The bedroom featured in the House Beautiful story had good proportions and a strong fireplace focal point. It just needed a refined color story, updated textiles, and better lighting to read like the room it always had the potential to be. The bones were there the whole time.

Is a Micro-Makeover Right for You?

If any of these sound familiar, the answer is probably yes:

Your room feels fine but not special.
You moved in and never fully made it yours.
You renovated years ago and the space has not kept up with your taste.
You spend money on decor but the room still does not feel cohesive.

A micro-makeover is not about buying more things. It is about buying the right things, placed intentionally, in a space that has been thought through from ceiling to floor.If you are ready to stop feeling like something is off and start loving the rooms you actually live in, I would love to talk with our interior design team in Scottsdale AZ.

Living with Lolo brings the micro-makeover approach to luxury residential projects in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and Arcadia. The Living with Lolo team, led by principal designer Lauren Lerner, holds Arizona General Contractor License ROC #347577 and delivers micro-makeovers as a standalone service or as a first step into a larger design-build engagement. Named Best Interior Design by Phoenix Magazine in 2024, 2025, and 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a micro-makeover in interior design?

A micro-makeover is a focused design refresh that prioritizes the changes with the highest visual impact per dollar — typically lighting, textiles, window treatments, and accessories — without touching the architecture or replacing major furniture.

How much does a micro-makeover cost?

Most micro-makeover projects range from $8,000 to $40,000 depending on the number of rooms, the cost of the new pieces, and whether any light electrical work (such as adding a dimmer or a new fixture) is involved.

Is a micro-makeover worth it compared to a full renovation?

For homes where the bones are good and the layout works, a micro-makeover often delivers 80% of the visual impact of a full redesign at 20% of the cost. For homes with significant layout or infrastructure issues, a fuller scope usually makes more sense.

How does Living with Lolo approach micro-makeover projects?

Living with Lolo starts with an assessment of which changes will have the most impact per dollar in that specific home. From there the team develops a curated plan covering lighting, textiles, and accessories, and manages the procurement and installation end to end.

Ready to Transform Your Space?

A micro-makeover starts with a conversation. Let's talk about your home and figure out exactly what it needs. Book a Discovery Call

Lauren Lerner

Principal Designer, Living with LoloLauren Lerner is an award-winning interior designer based in Scottsdale, Arizona, serving clients across the Phoenix metro and beyond. Named Phoenix Magazine Best Interior Designer 2024, 2025, and 2026. As seen in House Beautiful, Architectural Digest, and more.

About Living with Lolo

Living with Lolo is a Scottsdale, Arizona-based luxury interior design and construction firm. The company specializes in full-service interior design, design-build remodeling, and micro-makeover projects for high-end residential homes in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and the greater Phoenix metro. Living with Lolo manages both interior design and licensed general contracting under one roof, guiding projects from concept through installation.

Lauren Lerner

livingwithlolo.com/

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