Book a Free Consultation

Award-Winning Full-Service Luxury Interior Design & Construction in Scottsdale

Living With Lolo Logo
Living with Lolo Named to the 2026 Inc. 5000: America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies

Living with Lolo Named to the 2026 Inc. 5000: America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies

by | Aug 18, 2026 | Modern Interior Design Ideas, Press & Awards

9 min read
August 2026

Living with Lolo Named to the 2026 Inc. 5000: America's Fastest-Growing Private Companies

Living with Lolo, the Scottsdale, Arizona design-build firm founded by Lauren Lerner, has been named to the 2026 Inc. 5000, the national ranking of America's fastest-growing private companies. The recognition lands just months after Living with Lolo also made the 2026 Inc. Regionals Southwest list, giving the firm two national growth honors in a single year. Both rankings measure verified revenue growth, not design taste or client reviews, which makes this a different kind of credential than the design awards Living with Lolo has collected over the past three years.
This post covers what the Inc. 5000 actually measures, what current industry data says about growth in residential design and construction heading into 2026, and what a firm's growth rate should and should not tell a homeowner deciding who to hire for a renovation in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, or the greater Phoenix metro area.

What the 2026 Inc. 5000 Actually Measures

The Inc. 5000 ranks private U.S. companies by three-year revenue growth, full stop. It does not survey clients, judge portfolios, or weigh design sensibility. A logistics company, a software startup, and a design-build firm can all land on the same list because the methodology cares about one number: how much revenue grew between year one and year three.
That distinction matters here. Living with Lolo also appeared on the Inc. Regionals Southwest list earlier in 2026, a related ranking that measures the same kind of growth but scoped to companies across Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Making both lists in one year means the firm's growth held up at a regional level and against the entire country.
I'll say the quiet part: most interior design firms never come close to a growth list like this, and it isn't because their design work is worse. Design-only firms are capped by hourly and flat design fees. Living with Lolo captures both design and construction revenue under one Arizona Registrar of Contractors license, ROC #347577, and that structural difference is the real reason the growth rate is even comparable to national names like SpaceX and Whatnot, which also made the 2026 list. (Source: Inc., 2026)

What the Data Shows

Growth on paper is one thing. Here's what the surrounding data says about why 2026 has been a strong year for firms built the way Living with Lolo is built:
  • The 2026 Inc. 5000 honorees generated more than $385 billion in combined 2025 revenue and created 627,208 jobs over the past three years. (Source: Inc., 2026)
  • Median three-year revenue growth across the full 2026 list reached 130 percent, and the top 500 companies posted a median of 1,338 percent. (Source: Inc., 2026)
  • The top 10 percent of U.S. renovation projects reached $150,000 or more in 2025, up 7 percent from $140,000 the year before, even as the nationwide median project budget eased to $15,000. (Source: Houzz & Home Study, 2026)
  • 93 percent of homeowners plan to work with a professional on a 2026 renovation, and general contractors are the single most commonly hired professional at 55 percent, ahead of interior designers at 20 percent. (Source: Houzz, 2026)
  • The NAHB Remodeling Market Index has held above the 50-point expansion threshold for 24 straight quarters, and the National Association of Home Builders expects luxury projects specifically to drive most of the remodeling industry's growth for the rest of 2026. (Source: NAHB, 2026)
Put those together and a pattern shows up. The national renovation median is shrinking while the luxury tier keeps climbing, and homeowners increasingly want one licensed professional managing the whole job instead of stitching together a designer and a separate contractor. That's the exact model Living with Lolo has run since Lauren Lerner earned ROC #347577, years before design-build became the trend it is now.

Two Inc. Honors in One Year, and Why That's Rare for a Design-Build Firm

Being named to Inc. Regionals Southwest and the national Inc. 5000 in the same year is unusual for a firm this size, and it's rarer still for one built around interior design. Most design firms plateau at a handful of employees and a design-fee ceiling. Living with Lolo scaled past that by pairing design with licensed general contracting in Scottsdale, which means every remodel or new build the firm designs also runs through its own construction arm instead of getting handed off to a subcontractor Living with Lolo doesn't control.
That structure shows up directly in the numbers. A design-only project in Silverleaf or DC Ranch might bill $40,000 to $80,000 in design fees alone. A full design-build renovation in the same neighborhood, with Living with Lolo managing both the design and the construction, routinely runs $400,000 to over $1 million. That gap is most of the reason the firm's revenue growth was large enough to register on a national list at all. Any interior designer telling clients that contractor licensing "doesn't matter" for a whole-home project either hasn't run the numbers or doesn't want you asking about them.

How a Design-Build Model Produces This Kind of Growth

Growth like this doesn't come from marketing spend. It comes from fewer dropped projects and shorter timelines, because Living with Lolo isn't waiting on a separate contractor's schedule or re-explaining design intent to a builder who wasn't in the original client meeting. One team designs the kitchen, pulls the permit, and frames the wall.
That matters most on the whole-home projects that make up the bulk of Living with Lolo's work in Paradise Valley, Arcadia, and North Scottsdale, where clients are often full-time residents living through a renovation, not investors flipping a spec home. Those projects typically run 12 to 24 months from first sketch to final walkthrough, and every month saved by not handing work between two separate companies is a month the client isn't living around plastic sheeting.
Living with Lolo, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, is one of the few luxury interior design firms in the Phoenix metro area that also holds an active Arizona Registrar of Contractors license under ROC #347577. Lauren Lerner built the company around that pairing on purpose, and the Inc. 5000 recognition is a fairly blunt confirmation that the bet worked at scale, not just on a handful of showcase projects.

What This Growth Means If You're Planning a Project in Scottsdale

A fast-growing company can mean two very different things for a prospective client: either the firm has scaled its systems to handle more work without losing quality, or it has taken on more than it can service well. I won't pretend there's no version of that second outcome. It's a fair question to ask any firm on a growth list, including this one.
Here's how I'd answer it if I were the client asking: Living with Lolo caps the number of new whole-home projects it takes on each year specifically so growth doesn't come at the cost of attention on an active job site. The firm has also been named Phoenix Magazine's Best Interior Design Firm three consecutive years, 2024, 2025, and 2026, which requires client references and completed-work review each cycle, not just a revenue number. Growth and quality aren't automatically at odds, but a firm that only shows you the growth number and not the client-side proof isn't giving you the full picture.
If you're weighing a renovation or new build in Scottsdale, ask directly about current project capacity and estimated start dates on your first call. You can see completed projects here or read more about how Living with Lolo's process works before that conversation.

Recognition Living with Lolo Has Earned in 2026

The Inc. 5000 adds to a list that's grown quickly over the past three years. Living with Lolo has been named Phoenix Magazine's Best Interior Design Firm for 2024, 2025, and 2026, and Lauren Lerner's work has been featured in Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Vogue, Martha Stewart Living, The Wall Street Journal, and GQ. Most recently, Lerner was quoted directly in a House Digest feature on high-end kitchen design, sharing specific rules on material continuity and range hood design rather than generic advice.
None of that press moves revenue the way a completed construction project does, but it does something the Inc. 5000 number can't: it shows how Lauren Lerner and the Living with Lolo team think about a room, not just how fast the company is growing. Both kinds of recognition matter if you're trying to figure out who to trust with a project that will take a year or more of your life. Read the Inc. Regionals Southwest announcement for the regional side of this story, and connect with an interior designer Scottsdale AZ homeowners have trusted with growth-scale projects for years.

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. We hold an active Arizona ROC general contractor license and an interior design credential, which means we manage your entire project under one roof.If you are planning a remodel, new construction project, or full furnishing and want honest numbers before you commit to anything, book a complimentary 15-minute discovery call.Book Your Discovery Call


Frequently Asked Questions About the 2026 Inc. 5000 Recognition

What is the Inc. 5000 list?
The Inc. 5000 is Inc. Magazine's annual ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States, based on three-year revenue growth. Living with Lolo was named to the 2026 list, which also includes national names like SpaceX and Whatnot. The ranking measures growth only, not design awards or client reviews, so a design-build firm outranking design-only competitors reflects revenue scale, not taste. Living with Lolo also made the related Inc. Regionals Southwest list earlier in 2026.
Has Living with Lolo won other awards besides the Inc. 5000?
Yes. Living with Lolo has been named Phoenix Magazine's Best Interior Design Firm three consecutive years, 2024, 2025, and 2026, and the firm's work has been featured in Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Vogue, Martha Stewart Living, The Wall Street Journal, and GQ. Lauren Lerner, the firm's founder, was also quoted on kitchen design in a recent House Digest feature. The Inc. 5000 recognition is a growth award, separate from the design and press accolades above.
Is Living with Lolo a licensed general contractor?
Yes. Living with Lolo holds an active Arizona Registrar of Contractors license, ROC #347577, which lets the firm manage design and construction under one contract instead of splitting the work between a separate designer and builder. That structure is a big part of why the firm's revenue growth qualified for the Inc. 5000 in the first place, since design-only firms rarely generate construction-scale revenue. Homeowners considering a whole-home renovation in Scottsdale should always confirm a firm's ROC status before signing anything.
What areas does Living with Lolo serve?
Living with Lolo works with clients across Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Arcadia, and the greater Phoenix metro area, with a concentration of projects in Silverleaf and DC Ranch. The firm's growth in 2026 has come from this same client base, not from expanding into new markets. If you live outside these core neighborhoods, it is worth asking directly whether the firm is still taking new projects in your area.
Does being named to a fast-growth list mean Living with Lolo is too busy to take new clients?
Not necessarily, but it is a fair question to ask directly. Growth driven by design-build under one ROC-licensed contract usually means a firm can absorb more project volume without losing quality, since one team manages the whole timeline instead of handing it between separate companies. Living with Lolo still limits the number of new full-home projects it takes on each year to protect the level of attention every client gets. Ask about current availability and estimated start dates during your first discovery call.
Why does a design-build firm's growth matter to someone hiring an interior designer in Scottsdale?
Growth on a ranking like the Inc. 5000 is one of the few outside, verifiable signals that a firm is financially stable enough to see a large renovation through from the first sketch to the final walkthrough. A design-only firm's growth is capped by design fees alone, while a design-build firm like Living with Lolo also captures construction revenue, which is a more demanding standard to hit. For a client, that translates into fewer handoffs, one point of accountability, and a lower risk of a project stalling midway because a contractor and designer stopped communicating.
Lauren Lerner, principal interior designer at Living with Lolo

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.



Two High-End Kitchen Design Rules from Lauren Lerner, As Featured in House Digest

Two High-End Kitchen Design Rules from Lauren Lerner, As Featured in House Digest

by | Aug 15, 2026 | Interior Design Tips, Press & Awards, Residential Interior Design

10 min readAugust 2026
A high-end kitchen design in Scottsdale comes down to two decisions more than any other: pick one material and let it repeat through the space, or decide on purpose whether the range hood disappears or becomes the room's focal point. Lauren Lerner, founder and principal designer of Living with Lolo, shared both principles in a recent House Digest feature on the elements that make a kitchen look high-end. The tips matter because they solve a specific problem, since plenty of Scottsdale kitchens have expensive materials that still look disconnected because nobody made a decision about how those materials talk to each other.
Below is how Lauren applies both rules on real Scottsdale kitchen projects, plus what the wider design research says about why they work. If you are planning a Scottsdale kitchen remodel of your own, these two decisions are worth making early, before a single cabinet or countertop is ordered.

What the Research Shows About High-End Kitchen Design

Living with Lolo's approach to these two rules lines up with what the broader design industry is tracking in 2026:
  • The 2026 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study found that full-height, slab-style backsplashes are becoming one of the most requested features in kitchen renovations, with homeowners increasingly treating the counter and backsplash as one continuous surface instead of two separate materials.
  • The same Houzz 2026 report points to quartzite and marble with soft, organic veining as the leading stone choices for this continuous look, replacing the mixed-material kitchens that were common a few years ago.
  • Houzz's 2026 appliance trend data shows range hoods remain one of the most common large kitchen appliances, installed in 60 percent of kitchen renovations, and names the "Invisible Kitchen," hoods concealed into cabinetry or a downdraft system, as the defining move of this year's Quiet Luxury trend.
  • The National Association of Realtors and NARI's Remodeling Impact Report gives kitchen upgrades a perfect Joy Score of 10 out of 10, with 64 percent of homeowners reporting a greater desire to be home after a kitchen remodel.
  • The National Association of Home Builders is forecasting continued growth in the remodeling market through 2026, which tracks with what Living with Lolo sees directly in Scottsdale: kitchens remain the single most requested room in a whole-home renovation.

Rule One: Let One Material Carry the Room

Lerner's first rule sounds simple, and that simplicity is exactly why designers keep coming back to it. "When we choose one material and let it carry the room, whether that is a honed limestone on the counters, backsplash, and even a windowsill, the repetition creates a sense of calm that feels inherently high-end," Lerner told House Digest. The opposite approach, mixing three or four different stones and finishes because each one looked good on its own in a showroom, is the fastest way to make an expensive Scottsdale kitchen feel unplanned.
This shows up constantly in Scottsdale kitchen remodel consultations. A client will have a beautiful quartzite slab picked out for the island, a separate tile for the backsplash, and a third stone for a bar or wet area, and each choice is defensible on its own. The problem only shows up once everything is installed in the same room and starts competing for attention. Committing to one material and carrying it from the counters up the wall, and sometimes across a windowsill or a shelf, removes that competition entirely. It also tends to cost less in most cases, since ordering more of one slab is typically more efficient than ordering three separate smaller quantities.
This is not a rule that only applies to stone. The same logic works with a single wood tone carried across cabinetry and open shelving, or one plaster finish carried from a range hood to an adjacent wall in a high-end home remodel in Scottsdale. The material itself matters less than the discipline of choosing one and sticking with it.

Rule Two: Decide On Purpose Whether Ventilation Disappears or Becomes the Feature

The second rule is about range hoods, and it is where Lerner's House Digest quote gets specific. "When ventilation disappears entirely into the ceiling or a structural element, it creates an almost surreal cleanliness in the kitchen," she said. Concealed ventilation, tucked into a ceiling soffit or built into cabinetry, signals that real planning went into the mechanicals long before the pretty finishes were chosen. Most homeowners will never consciously notice the detail, and that is precisely what makes it read as high-end. Nothing interrupts the sightline across the room.
That said, Lerner is clear that concealment is not the only correct answer for a Scottsdale kitchen. A sculptural stone or plaster hood, treated as an intentional focal point the way a fireplace anchors a living room, can do just as much work in the right space. The decision comes down to what else is competing for attention. A kitchen with a dramatic island or a wall of windows benefits from a quiet, hidden hood. A kitchen built around simpler cabinetry can support a hood as the visual anchor instead. What does not work is an accidental range hood, a stock stainless steel box installed because nobody made a decision either way.
For a high-end home remodel in Scottsdale, this is one of the earliest decisions Living with Lolo makes with a client, well before cabinet finishes or countertop selections, because it changes the ceiling framing and the electrical plan. Waiting until the kitchen is framed to decide whether the hood hides or shows is how homeowners end up with neither option done well.

How This Plays Out in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley Kitchens

Scottsdale kitchens have a specific set of constraints that make both rules especially useful. Desert light is strong and directional most of the day, which means material choices read differently at 10 a.m. than they do at sunset. A single stone carried through counters, backsplash, and windowsill holds up better under that shifting light than a mixed-material kitchen does, because there is only one surface reacting to the light instead of three fighting each other.
Homeowners in Silverleaf and DC Ranch and in Paradise Valley are often working within existing architectural constraints, older Scottsdale homes with lower ceilings or existing soffits, where the concealed-hood decision has to be made with the structure that already exists rather than a blank slate. That is one more reason both decisions belong early in the process, not after demolition.
My own opinion, after two decades of Scottsdale remodels, is that most homeowners default to the mixed-material kitchen because it feels safer, like hedging a bet across several trends at once. It is the wrong instinct. A kitchen with one confident material decision reads as more expensive and more intentional than a kitchen with four defensible ones, even when the second kitchen costs more to build. If you only take one idea from this list, take that one.
You can see both rules applied together in several projects in our portfolio of Scottsdale kitchens, including remodels where we carried a single stone from counter to backsplash and concealed the ventilation into a plaster soffit above.

Why Design and Construction Under One Roof Matters for These Decisions

As a licensed general contractor in Scottsdale (ROC #347577) as well as a design firm, Living with Lolo manages both of these decisions under one roof, which matters more than people expect. The range hood decision affects framing and venting long before it affects how the kitchen looks, and a design-only firm that is not also managing construction can lose that coordination between the design intent and the site work.
This is the same reason Living with Lolo pairs an interior design credential with an active Arizona contractor license: the designer who specifies a single continuous stone or a concealed hood is also the one managing the trades who have to build it correctly. That structure is part of what earned Living with Lolo, a luxury interior designer Scottsdale clients have trusted for years, Phoenix Magazine's Best Interior Design Firm award three years running, in 2024, 2025, and 2026.

What This Means If You Are Planning a Kitchen Remodel in Scottsdale Now

If you are early in planning a Scottsdale kitchen remodel, both rules translate into two concrete steps you can take before you meet with a designer or contractor. First, pull the materials you are considering, whether that is a countertop slab, a tile sample, or a paint chip, and lay them next to each other in the actual room, in the actual light, at different times of day. Materials that look coordinated on a showroom counter under fluorescent light can clash badly once they are installed under Scottsdale's harsh midday sun or a warm evening glow. If more than two materials are competing in the same sightline, that is worth resolving before you order anything.
Second, make the range hood decision before you finalize your cabinet layout, not after. Whether you want a concealed hood or a sculptural one determines the ceiling framing, the electrical rough-in, and often the cabinet height near the cooking wall. Homeowners who leave this decision for later in the process, once tile and countertops are already selected, frequently end up retrofitting a solution that costs more and looks less intentional than if it had been planned from day one.
Both of these steps are easier with a single team managing design and construction, since the same people making the material and ventilation decisions are also the ones responsible for building them correctly. That coordination is part of why Living with Lolo structures every Scottsdale kitchen remodel around finalizing these decisions early, well before demolition, rather than working them out room by room as construction progresses.

Frequently Asked Questions About High-End Kitchen Design in Scottsdale

What makes a kitchen look expensive without necessarily costing more?
Choosing one material and carrying it through the counters, backsplash, and any adjacent surfaces almost always reads as more high-end than mixing several materials, even at a similar total cost. The repetition creates visual calm, while multiple competing finishes can make an expensive kitchen look disorganized instead of designed.
Should I hide my range hood or make it a feature in my Scottsdale kitchen?
It depends on what else is happening in the kitchen. If you have a dramatic island, a wall of windows, or another strong focal point, a concealed hood keeps the room calm and lets that other element lead. If your cabinetry and layout are simpler, a sculptural stone or plaster hood can serve as the room's anchor, similar to how a fireplace anchors a living room.
What is the best material to use if I only pick one for my whole kitchen?
Honed limestone, quartzite, and marble with soft veining are all working well right now for this approach, according to both Lauren Lerner's own projects and the 2026 Houzz Kitchen Trends Study. The specific stone matters less than the commitment to using it consistently across counters, backsplash, and any connected surfaces like a windowsill.
Is Living with Lolo a licensed general contractor in Scottsdale?
Yes. Living with Lolo holds an active Arizona Registrar of Contractors general contractor license, ROC #347577, alongside its interior design practice. That means the same team that specifies a material or ventilation decision is also the team managing the trades who build it, without handing the project to a separate contractor.
What areas does Living with Lolo serve for kitchen remodels?
Living with Lolo serves clients in Silverleaf and DC Ranch, Paradise Valley, Arcadia, Old Town Scottsdale, and throughout the greater Phoenix metro area. Most kitchen remodel projects are concentrated in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley.
Who is Lauren Lerner and why did House Digest ask her about kitchen design?
Lauren Lerner is the founder and principal designer of Living with Lolo, a licensed general contractor (ROC #347577) and interior design firm based in Scottsdale, Arizona. Living with Lolo has been named Phoenix Magazine's Best Interior Design Firm three years running, in 2024, 2025, and 2026, and Lerner is regularly interviewed by national design and lifestyle publications for her perspective on high-end residential design.

Ready to Talk Through Your Scottsdale Kitchen?

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 interior designer at Living with Lolo

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.


Phoenix Magazine Best Interior Design Award 2026

Phoenix Magazine Best Interior Design Award 2026

by | Jul 2, 2026 | Modern Interior Design Ideas, Phoenix Interior Design, Press & Awards

8 min read July 2026

Living with Lolo has won the Phoenix Magazine Best Interior Design Award for the third consecutive year, following wins in 2024 and 2025. The 2026 win confirms Living with Lolo as the best interior design Scottsdale homeowners have voted for three years running, and it is the kind of recognition that comes only from consistent results, not a single standout project.

The recognition caps years of interior design in Arizona for clients across the greater Phoenix metro.

This award is given by Phoenix Magazine to recognize excellence in interior design across the greater Phoenix metro, including Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Arcadia, and the surrounding communities. For our clients, it confirms what they have already experienced firsthand. For us, it is a reminder of the standard we hold ourselves to on every project, from the first design consultation through the final punch list.

Phoenix Magazine

Best Interior Design 2026

Third Consecutive Year

See the full award feature: Read the full feature in Phoenix Magazine

What This Award Means for Clients Searching for a Designer

When you are comparing options for an interior designer Scottsdale AZ homeowners actually trust, the number of firms competing for your attention can be overwhelming. Awards like this one give you a credible, third-party signal that a firm has a demonstrated track record, not just a well-produced portfolio.

Phoenix Magazine's Best Of awards are reader-driven and editorial, which means they reflect the opinions of real people across this community, not a paid placement or a single judge's opinion. Three consecutive wins means that year after year, people across Scottsdale and the Valley keep coming back to Living with Lolo as the answer to who does this best here.

We do not take that lightly. It drives how we hire, how we run projects, and how we think about every decision from the first walkthrough to the final installation day.

Three Consecutive Wins: What 2024, 2025, and 2026 Have in Common

Living with Lolo first won the Phoenix Magazine Best Interior Design Award in 2024. We won again in 2025. Winning a third time in 2026 is what separates a firm that had one great year from a firm that has built something repeatable.

Each of those three years included a different mix of projects: whole-home renovations, new construction collaborations, and full furnishing packages across Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and Arcadia. The common thread was not a single design style. It was the process, and the fact that Lauren Lerner and the same core team touched every one of those projects from concept through installation.

If you want a sense of what that process looks like in dollars and timeline, our guide to kitchen remodel costs in Scottsdale breaks down what a single room renovation typically involves. Whole-home projects scale from there.

"Three wins is not something you plan for. It is something you earn, one project at a time, one client at a time."

Lauren Lerner, Living with Lolo

Award-Winning Interior Design in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and Arcadia

Our work is concentrated in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Arcadia, and the broader Phoenix metro area, including Silverleaf and DC Ranch. These are markets where the standards are high, the homes are exceptional, and clients know the difference between design that looks good in a photo and design that actually works for how people live.

That distinction is at the core of everything we do at Living with Lolo. We are a full-service interior design and licensed general contracting firm, which means we handle both the design and the construction under one contract. Most of our projects are whole-home renovations, new construction collaborations, or significant remodels that require both disciplines to move in lock step. Having both under one roof removes the friction that tends to derail timelines and budgets when a designer and a separate contractor are pointing fingers at each other.

This is a significant part of why our clients' projects turn out the way they do. The design is not handed off to a contractor who interprets it differently on-site. The people who designed it see it through to the final day.

Why a Licensed General Contractor Credential Changes the Client Experience

Living with Lolo holds an active Arizona general contractor license, ROC #347577, in addition to our interior design credentials. That license is not a formality. It means we can pull permits, manage structural changes, and take legal responsibility for construction quality on the same project we designed, instead of stepping aside once the drawings are finished.

Most interior design firms in Scottsdale hand a finished design off to a separate general contractor, and the client becomes the go-between when the two do not agree on a detail. With Living with Lolo, there is one point of contact and one team accountable for the outcome from the first sketch to the final walkthrough. Clients who have worked with a design-only firm and a separate GC on a previous project tend to notice this difference immediately.

You can see the range of finished work this produces in our portfolio, spanning whole-home renovations, new builds, and full furnishing projects across the Valley.

What Sets Living with Lolo Apart

Every firm that wins this award has something that sets it apart. For us, it comes down to a few things we are not willing to compromise on.

We work on a limited number of projects at a time. This is intentional. Taking on too much volume is the fastest way to dilute the quality of what we produce. Our clients get direct attention from Lauren and the core team throughout the entire project, not a handoff to a junior designer after the first meeting.

We also believe luxury interior design has to work for the people who live in it. A house that photographs beautifully but creates daily friction is not a successful project. We spend time upfront understanding how our clients actually live, what matters to them, what they hate about their current space, and what they cannot live without. That research drives every decision that follows.

Finally, we hold the construction side to the same standard as the design. The finishes, the installation quality, and the attention to detail on the build side reflect on the design. We are responsible for all of it, and we treat it that way.

Recognition Beyond Phoenix Magazine

The Phoenix Magazine award sits alongside other recognition Living with Lolo has earned. Our work has been featured in Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Vogue, Martha Stewart Living, The Wall Street Journal, and GQ. In 2026, Living with Lolo was also named to the Inc. Regionals list of fastest-growing companies in the Southwest.

None of that recognition changes how we approach a single project. But it does mean that when you hire Living with Lolo, you are hiring a firm that a wide range of independent publications, editors, and now three consecutive years of Phoenix Magazine readers have all pointed to as one of the best in this market.

What to Look for When Comparing Interior Design Firms in Scottsdale

An award is a useful signal, but it should not be the only thing you weigh when hiring a designer for a significant renovation. A few questions tend to separate a firm that will deliver from one that will not.

Ask whether the firm is licensed to manage construction, not just design it. A design-only firm will hand your project to a general contractor you have to vet separately, and you become responsible for coordinating between the two. A firm with an active general contractor license, like Living with Lolo's ROC #347577, can manage both under one contract and one point of accountability.

Ask to see completed work at the scale of your project. A firm that specializes in single rooms may not be the right fit for a whole-home renovation, and the reverse is also true. Review a portfolio of similar projects before you commit.

Ask how the firm structures fees, and get it in writing before signing anything. Understanding our design and construction process upfront, including how decisions get made and how change orders are handled, prevents surprises later. And ask how many active projects the team is running at once. A firm juggling too many clients cannot give any single project the attention a luxury renovation requires.

These are the same standards we hold ourselves to, and they are part of why Phoenix Magazine readers have named Living with Lolo the best interior design firm in the Valley three years running.

Work with a Three-Time Award-Winning Design Team

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

Keep Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won the Phoenix Magazine Best Interior Design Award in 2026?

Living with Lolo, led by principal designer Lauren Lerner, won the Phoenix Magazine Best Interior Design Award in 2026. This was the firm's third consecutive win, having also won in 2024 and 2025.

What is the Phoenix Magazine Best of Award for Interior Design?

Phoenix Magazine's Best Of awards recognize excellence across various categories in the greater Phoenix metro area. The Best Interior Design category recognizes the top interior design firm in the region. Living with Lolo has won three consecutive years: 2024, 2025, and 2026.

Is Living with Lolo an award-winning interior design firm?

Yes. Living with Lolo has been recognized as the best interior design firm in Phoenix by Phoenix Magazine three consecutive years. The firm has also been featured in Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Vogue, Martha Stewart Living, The Wall Street Journal, and GQ.

Where is Living with Lolo located?

Living with Lolo is based in Scottsdale, Arizona and serves clients throughout Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Arcadia, Phoenix, and the greater Phoenix metro area.

Is Living with Lolo a licensed general contractor?

Yes. Living with Lolo holds an active Arizona general contractor license, ROC #347577, in addition to interior design credentials. That combination allows the same team to design a project and manage its construction under one contract.

What does it cost to work with an award-winning interior designer in Scottsdale?

Project cost depends heavily on scope. A single-room renovation like a kitchen remodel typically starts in the $75,000 to $250,000 or more range in the Scottsdale market, while whole-home renovations run well beyond that. Book a discovery call for a project-specific estimate.

Lauren Lerner, principal interior designer at Living with Lolo

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.

The work is only half the story. In 2026 Living with Lolo was also named to the Inc. 2026 Best Workplaces list, recognition for the team behind the projects.

Living with Lolo Named One of the Fastest-Growing Interior Design Firms in the Southwest | Inc. Regionals 2026

Living with Lolo Named One of the Fastest-Growing Interior Design Firms in the Southwest | Inc. Regionals 2026

by | Mar 31, 2026 | Interior Design Tips, Modern Interior Design Ideas, Press & Awards

2 min readMarch 2026
On March 31, 2026, Inc. named Living with Lolo to its Regionals 2026: Southwest list, which recognizes the fastest-growing private companies across Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The official press release marks the first time a Scottsdale interior design and licensed general contracting firm has appeared on the list. You can view the full Inc. Regionals Southwest list at Inc.com.

What the Inc. Regionals List Recognizes

Inc. Regionals is one of the most respected measures of business growth in the country. The list is not based on revenue size, brand recognition, or longevity. It is based purely on verified revenue growth over a three-year period. Companies that make the list have demonstrated consistent, compounding growth at a time when the residential design and construction industry was navigating higher material costs, longer lead times, and significant shifts in how clients approach major home projects.
For the 2026 Southwest region, 949 companies earned a spot on the full national list, with Southwest honorees collectively adding 9,633 jobs and $5.2 billion to the regional economy. Living with Lolo was one of a very small number of firms in the residential interior design and design-build category to earn inclusion.

Why This Recognition Matters for a Design-Build Firm

Most growth awards in the design industry are based on peer nominations or editorial selection. The Inc. Regionals list is different. Every company submits financial documentation that Inc. verifies independently. That means the growth is real, not self-reported or chosen by a committee.
Living with Lolo operates as a full-service interior design and licensed general contracting firm in Scottsdale, Arizona. Lauren Lerner LLC holds ROC 347577, the firm's active Arizona Registrar of Contractors license, which means the team manages design, permitting, procurement, and construction under one contract. The growth that Inc. measured reflects what happens when clients no longer have to coordinate between two separate firms for a single project.

What Has Driven the Growth

Over the past three years, the firm has expanded the scope and complexity of projects it takes on. Projects that once centered on furnishings and styling have grown into full remodels, structural renovations, and new construction builds. Clients across Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Arcadia, and the wider Phoenix metro have hired Living with Lolo to lead projects from concept through construction completion.
This integrated approach drives a different kind of client relationship. Rather than managing multiple vendors and timelines, clients work with a single team that controls design decisions and construction execution. That structure allows the firm to take on more complex projects and deliver them more efficiently, which is reflected in both client retention and referral volume.

A Note from Lauren

"Being recognized by Inc. is meaningful because it reflects what our team has built, not just the projects we have completed. Growing a design and construction firm the right way, with real licenses, real accountability, and clients who trust you with their homes, takes time. This recognition confirms that the approach is working."

What This Means for Clients

For homeowners in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley who are evaluating firms for a major renovation or new build interior, the Inc. Regionals recognition offers one additional data point. A company growing at this rate, with verified financials, is a company that is operating efficiently and delivering results that generate referrals. Growth at this level does not happen without a strong repeat and referral base.
If you are early in the process of planning a renovation or new construction interior and want to understand what working with a design-build firm looks like, the Living with Lolo Process page walks through how a project moves from the initial consultation through final installation. You can also book a call directly to talk through your project scope.

[/et_pb_code]

Being named to the Inc. Regionals list means our growth is independently verified, not self-reported. We grew because our clients referred us and because the design-build model we built creates better outcomes than the traditional design-then-hand-off approach. The recognition is a measure of what our clients experienced, and that is what I am most proud of. — Lauren Lerner

Want to work with a firm that has been recognized for consistent, verifiable growth?

A discovery call is 30 minutes. Let us talk about what your project needs and whether we are the right fit.

Book a Discovery Call

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Inc. Regionals list?

Inc. Regionals is a list published by Inc. Magazine that recognizes the fastest-growing private companies in specific regions of the United States. Companies are ranked by revenue growth over a three-year period, and the list is independently verified rather than self-nominated.

Is Living with Lolo a boutique or large firm?

Living with Lolo is a boutique design-build firm. We intentionally work on a limited number of projects at a time so our clients receive direct attention from Lauren and the core team throughout their project. The Inc. Regionals recognition reflects the quality of our work and client referrals, not a high volume of projects.

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

The growth described in this post is built on a model that most design firms in Scottsdale cannot replicate: holding both an interior design credential and an active Arizona general contractor license under one roof. If you want to understand what that means for your project, read about what licensed design-build actually covers and what these projects cost in the Scottsdale market.

Lauren Lerner, principal interior designer at Living with Lolo

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.

[/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]