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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

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 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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

Glass Front Doors: A Designer’s Honest Take on When They Work and When They Don’t

by Lauren Lerner | May 27, 2026 | Interior Design Tips, Modern Interior Design Ideas, Uncategorized

5 min read
May 2026

I will be honest with you: I still specify glass front doors for clients. I have installed them, I have loved the way they look, and in the right home they make a real statement. But I have also lived with one myself, and that experience changed how I think about them. Not because they are always wrong, but because context matters enormously, and most people do not think through the full picture before they fall in love with the look.When House Beautiful asked me about design decisions I have reconsidered, my glass front door came up immediately. My own home had a front entry that sat very close to the street. We have two dogs. And a glass front door, it turned out, meant they had a full view of every person, dog, and squirrel that walked by all day long. The barking was constant. That is my specific situation, and it is not yours. But it is a useful lens for thinking through whether a glass front door actually fits the way you live.

When Your Entry Is Close to the Street, a Glass Door Changes Everything

My house is the clearest example I have. The front door is set close to the street, with no long driveway, no courtyard, no buffer between the sidewalk and the entry. A glass front door in that situation means you are essentially living in a fishbowl. Everyone walking by can see directly into your entry hall. Delivery drivers can see whether anyone is home. And if you have dogs who pick up on movement outside, you are setting yourself up for a very noisy house.Our two dogs made the problem impossible to ignore. The moment anyone walked within twenty feet of the front door, they could see movement through the glass and they responded accordingly. It was not the door's fault, exactly. It was the combination of the door and how our house sits on the lot. A different house would have been a different experience entirely.This is the first question I now ask clients when they bring up glass front doors: how close is your entry to the street, and how is it oriented? If the answer is that the entry sits far back, angled away from foot traffic, or protected by a courtyard or deep porch, a glass front door can be beautiful and completely livable. If the entry faces directly onto a busy sidewalk, think hard before you commit.

Privacy Considerations Really Do Depend on Your Specific Home

The privacy issue is not universal. I have clients in gated communities where the front entry is a long drive from any public street, or where the door faces a private motor court. In those situations, a glass front door gives you a beautiful, light-filled entry with very little real-world privacy impact. Nobody is walking past that door at any point in the day.In a more urban or close-to-street setting, it is a different calculation. Even frosted or reeded glass gives away more than people expect. Light and movement read through it. The sense that someone can see in, even if they cannot see clearly, creates a different feeling in the home than a solid door does.Frosted glass, privacy film, and textured panels all help. But they also change the look, and you are still starting from a position of less privacy and adding back some of it, rather than starting from a position of full privacy and choosing when to let light in. My advice has always been to design for how you actually live, not for how the door looks in a listing photo.

"The right door for your home depends entirely on how your house sits on the lot. Context always beats trends." Lauren Lerner, Living with Lolo

Heat and Energy Are Genuine Concerns in Arizona

In a climate like ours, a glass front door is a direct line for solar heat gain. West and south-facing entries in particular can become uncomfortably warm in the afternoon, and the heat transfers directly into your entry hall. Even high-performance glazing has limitations when the sun is bearing down on it for six or more hours a day.Beyond comfort, there is the energy cost. Your HVAC system works harder to compensate for the heat load that comes through that glass. Over the years of owning a home, that adds up in real dollars on real utility bills. I have had clients retrofit their entries after a single summer because the heat was genuinely unbearable standing at the door.If natural light in the entry is important to you, and it often is, there are smarter ways to get it. I will cover those at the end of this post.

The Maintenance Reality Nobody Talks About

Glass front doors show everything. Fingerprints from every person who has touched the door. Smudges from pets and children. Dust and pollen that settles on the exterior glass, which is especially persistent in a dusty climate like ours in Arizona. Keeping a glass front door looking clean requires consistent effort, and the entry is one of the first things guests see when they arrive.This sounds like a minor thing, but over years of ownership it adds up. I have seen clients grow genuinely resentful of a door they once loved simply because of the upkeep. A solid door, by contrast, is forgiving. A well-chosen paint color or stain holds up beautifully and requires far less attention to look good day to day.If you love the look of glass in your entry, I would much rather see you invest in beautiful hardware on a solid door and get your light through other means.

When a Glass Front Door Actually Works Well

Here is the part people do not expect me to say: I think glass front doors can be a genuinely great choice. In the right home, with the right site conditions, they deliver something a solid door simply cannot.If your entry is set well back from the street, if you have a long approach, a gated drive, a courtyard, or a deep covered porch, the privacy concern essentially disappears. You get the natural light, the visual connection to the exterior, and the drama of an entry that feels open and welcoming. In a home where the front door is not visible from a public sidewalk, a glass door is not a fishbowl. It is just beautiful design.Similarly, if your home faces north or northeast and is protected from the worst of the afternoon sun, the heat gain concern is much less significant. High-performance glazing in a well-oriented entry can actually be a smart choice that brings light without the energy penalty.No dogs that react to street movement also helps significantly, as my own house made very clear.

A solid entry door with thoughtful interior design creates an arrival moment that is just as dramatic as any glass door. Living with Lolo project, Scottsdale, AZ.

Alternatives Worth Considering

The good news is that there are beautiful alternatives that give you the light, the drama, and the curb appeal you want without the tradeoffs, regardless of your site conditions.Sidelights are my first suggestion. Flanking your door with narrow glass panels on one or both sides gives you natural light in the entry without compromising the door itself. You get the bright, welcoming look of a glass entry with a solid door at the center. The sidelights can be frosted, reeded, or textured so you get light diffusion without visibility from the street.Transom windows above the door are another excellent option. They let in daylight at a high angle, which means less direct heat gain and virtually no privacy concerns. Combined with a striking solid door, a well-designed transom can give your entry more presence than most glass doors achieve.Finally, do not underestimate what a bold paint color, exceptional hardware, or architectural detailing can do for a solid door. Some of the most memorable front entries I have designed have no glass at all. The best entries create a sense of arrival through proportion, material, and detail, not transparency. If you are working with us at Living with Lolo, Scottsdale's interior design firm, on a full-service project in the Phoenix area, your entry is always a conversation we have early in the process.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are glass front doors a good idea?

It depends on your home's site conditions. If your front entry sits well back from the street, faces away from foot traffic, or is protected by a courtyard or covered porch, a glass front door can be a beautiful and practical choice. If your entry is close to a public sidewalk and you have dogs or value privacy, a solid door with sidelights or transom windows often works better.

What are the pros and cons of a glass front door?

Pros include natural light in the entry, strong curb appeal, and a welcoming, open feel. Cons include reduced privacy if the entry faces a public sidewalk, increased heat gain in hot climates, higher maintenance due to fingerprints and smudging, and potential security vulnerability. Whether the pros outweigh the cons depends heavily on your specific home and site.

What is a good alternative to a glass front door?

The best alternatives are sidelights (narrow glass panels flanking a solid door), transom windows above the door, or a beautifully finished solid door with exceptional hardware and architectural detailing. Sidelights and transoms deliver natural light and visual openness in the entry while keeping the door itself solid for privacy and security.

Do glass front doors make a home hotter in Arizona?

They can, particularly on west or south-facing entries. The sun's direct exposure through glass transfers heat into the entry and forces the HVAC system to work harder. North or northeast-facing entries with high-performance glazing are much less affected. Homeowners in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and the greater Phoenix area should consider their entry's orientation carefully before choosing a glass front door.

Ready to Design an Entry That Works for How You Live?

Lauren Lerner and the Living with Lolo team work with clients across Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Arcadia, and the greater Phoenix metro area. Named Phoenix Magazine Best Interior Design 2024, 2025, and 2026, Living with Lolo is a licensed Arizona General Contractor (ROC #347577). Book a Discovery Call

Lauren Lerner

Principal Designer, Living with Lolo

About Living with Lolo

Stunning Desert Modern Home Tour: Interior Designer Lauren Lerner’s Scottsdale Oasis

by Lauren Lerner | Aug 20, 2025 | Interior Design Project Reveal, Modern Interior Design Ideas, Scottsdale Interior Design Projects, Uncategorized

3 min readAugust 2025

Desert modern is one of those design styles that looks simple from the outside and turns out to be one of the most technically demanding aesthetics to execute well. The restraint required is real. Every material, every finish, every piece of furniture has to earn its place, because in a space defined by warm neutrals and natural texture, there is nowhere to hide a bad decision. This home tour is a walk through one of the projects our Scottsdale interior design firm has delivered, not because it is the largest we have done, but because every element is exactly where it should be.

The home sits in North Scottsdale, positioned to capture views of the desert preserve to the east and the McDowell Mountains to the north. The architecture was already strong when we came on board. Our job was to build an interior that responded to the Sonoran Desert landscape rather than competing with it. That orientation guided every decision from the flooring to the furniture scale to the window treatment approach. Scottsdale's particular quality of light, the way it moves from warm morning gold to a flatter afternoon diffusion, is not something most out-of-market designers plan around. We do.

The Foundation: Material Palette and Why It Matters

We started, as we always do, with the material palette. Desert modern lives or dies on this decision. The palette here was built on three anchors: a warm limestone-look large-format porcelain for the floors, a riven natural stone for the kitchen island and primary bath, and whitewashed white oak for the cabinetry and custom millwork. Everything else, the soft goods, the lighting, the hardware, was selected to support those three elements rather than introduce new visual variables.

The porcelain runs continuously from the entry through the main living areas and into the primary suite, with only a threshold shift to mark the bedroom boundary. That continuity does a lot of work spatially. It keeps the eye moving and makes the square footage read larger than it is. More importantly, it responds to how the Arizona light moves through the house across the day. In the morning, the eastern exposure warms the stone tones. By afternoon, the diffused western light flattens everything into something quieter. Both readings are beautiful, and they were both considered during selection.

The white oak cabinetry was milled with a tight linear grain and finished in a wire-brushed whitewash that gives it texture without heaviness. I specified it flat-front with integrated hardware pulls, which keeps the surface clean and lets the material speak for itself. This is the kind of detail that separates a well-executed desert modern kitchen in Scottsdale from one that reads as a generic contemporary renovation.

Furniture Scale and the Desert Modern Living Room

One of the most common mistakes I see in attempts at this style is furniture that is either too small for the architecture or too busy in its forms. Desert modern architecture in the Scottsdale and Paradise Valley area tends toward generous ceiling heights and open volumes. Furniture needs to be proportional to that scale. In this living room, we worked with a large sectional in a bouclé fabric the color of dried desert grass, anchored by a custom concrete-top coffee table and flanked by two linen-upholstered accent chairs.

The sectional is large enough to fill the room without crowding it. The concrete table has weight and permanence without visual heaviness. The chairs introduce a secondary texture that plays against the bouclé. None of it is precious or fragile, which matters in a home that is actually lived in. Desert modern in Arizona should feel grounded and comfortable, not like a furniture showroom.

Lighting in this space is a combination of a custom woven pendant over the dining table, recessed lighting on a dimmer system, and a series of sculptural ceramic table lamps. The woven pendant is the one piece with real visual presence. Everything else stays quiet. That hierarchy is intentional. In a room with strong natural light and strong views across the Scottsdale desert, you do not want the artificial lighting competing for attention.

The Primary Suite: Where the Style Lands Best

The primary suite is where this aesthetic has its fullest expression. The bedroom has floor-to-ceiling windows on two walls, which means the North Scottsdale desert preserve is always present. The material palette carries through from the main living areas, with the same oak millwork on a custom built-in wardrobe wall and the same stone on the fireplace surround. The bed is a low-profile platform design in natural linen with a solid headboard, no tufting, no nailheads, just form and fabric.

The primary bath is a full gut renovation. We opened the shower to curbless entry, installed a floating double vanity in the same wire-brushed oak, and used a book-matched slab of natural travertine on the shower walls and floor. Travertine is a material that performs particularly well in the Arizona climate: it handles temperature variation, reads warm under the desert light, and gets better looking with age. The result reads completely differently from the sleek surfaces you find in a conventional luxury bath, and that difference is the point. If you are thinking through a similar renovation in Scottsdale or Paradise Valley, our guide on what to expect during a Scottsdale remodel walks through the full process in detail.

What This Project Demonstrates About Desert Modern Done Right

The homes I see that attempt desert modern and fall short tend to share a few characteristics. The material palette is too varied. The furniture scale is inconsistent. The connection to the Sonoran Desert landscape is an afterthought rather than the organizing principle. Getting the style right in a Scottsdale home requires making those decisions in sequence and holding them consistently across every room.

This project worked because the architecture gave us a strong starting point and the clients were aligned on the vision from the first conversation. They understood that restraint was the point, that the home would get its richness from material quality and spatial clarity rather than from layering in more elements. That alignment made every decision easier and the result more coherent.

If you are interested in what this kind of project involves from a design and construction standpoint, our services page outlines how we approach full-scope residential projects in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and the broader Phoenix metro. And if budget is part of your planning process, our 2026 remodel cost guide gives a realistic picture of what luxury-tier work in the Scottsdale market requires. I am happy to talk through any of it directly. Reach out here to start a conversation.

Desert modern is one of those design styles that looks simple from the outside and turns out to be one of the most technically demanding aesthetics to execute well. The restraint required is real. Every material, every finish, every piece of furniture has to earn its place, because in a space defined by warm neutrals and natural texture, there is nowhere to hide a bad decision. This home tour is a walk through one of the projects I am most proud of, not because it is the largest we have done, but because every element is exactly where it should be.

The Foundation: Material Palette and Why It Matters

The porcelain runs continuously from the entry through the main living areas and into the primary suite, with only a threshold shift to mark the bedroom boundary. That continuity does a lot of work spatially. It keeps the eye moving and makes the square footage read larger than it is. More importantly, it responds to how the light moves through the house across the day. In the morning, the eastern exposure warms the stone tones. By afternoon, the diffused western light flattens everything into something quieter. Both readings are beautiful, and they were both considered during selection.

The white oak cabinetry was milled with a tight linear grain and finished in a wire-brushed whitewash that gives it texture without heaviness. I specified it flat-front with integrated hardware pulls, which keeps the surface clean and lets the material speak for itself. This is the kind of detail that separates a well-executed desert modern kitchen from one that reads as a generic contemporary renovation.

Furniture Scale and the Desert Modern Living Room

One of the most common mistakes I see in attempts at this style is furniture that is either too small for the architecture or too busy in its forms. Desert modern architecture tends toward generous ceiling heights and open volumes. Furniture needs to be proportional to that scale. In this living room, we worked with a large sectional in a bouclé fabric the color of dried desert grass, anchored by a custom concrete-top coffee table and flanked by two linen-upholstered accent chairs.

The sectional is large enough to fill the room without crowding it. The concrete table has weight and permanence without visual heaviness. The chairs introduce a secondary texture that plays against the bouclé. None of it is precious or fragile, which matters in a home that is actually lived in. Desert modern should feel grounded and comfortable, not like a furniture showroom.

Lighting in this space is a combination of a custom woven pendant over the dining table, recessed lighting on a dimmer system, and a series of sculptural ceramic table lamps. The woven pendant is the one piece with real visual presence. Everything else stays quiet. That hierarchy is intentional. In a room with strong natural light and strong views, you do not want the artificial lighting competing for attention.

The Primary Suite: Where the Style Lands Best

The primary suite is where this aesthetic has its fullest expression. The bedroom has floor-to-ceiling windows on two walls, which means the desert is always present. The material palette carries through from the main living areas, with the same oak millwork on a custom built-in wardrobe wall and the same stone on the fireplace surround. The bed is a low-profile platform design in natural linen with a solid headboard, no tufting, no nailheads, just form and fabric.

The primary bath is a full gut renovation. We opened the shower to curbless entry, installed a floating double vanity in the same wire-brushed oak, and used a book-matched slab of natural travertine on the shower walls and floor. The travertine is warm and imperfect in the way that only natural stone can be. It reads completely differently from the sleek surfaces you find in a conventional luxury bath, and that difference is the point. If you are thinking through a similar renovation, our guide on what to expect during a Scottsdale remodel walks through the full process in detail.

What This Project Demonstrates About Desert Modern Done Right

The homes I see that attempt desert modern and fall short tend to share a few characteristics. The material palette is too varied. The furniture scale is inconsistent. The connection to the landscape is an afterthought rather than the organizing principle. Getting the style right requires making those decisions in sequence and holding them consistently across every room.

If you are interested in what this kind of project involves from a design and construction standpoint, our services page outlines how we approach full-scope residential projects. And if budget is part of your planning process, our 2026 remodel cost guide gives a realistic picture of what luxury-tier work in the Scottsdale market requires. I am happy to talk through any of it directly. Reach out here to start a conversation.

This project is one of the clearest examples I have of what happens when desert architecture and organic modern design sensibility come together in the right way. Every material choice was driven by how it would interact with the Arizona light and the desert landscape visible from every room. The result is a home that reads differently at 7am than it does at 7pm, which is exactly what this style is capable of when it is done well. — Lauren Lerner

Related Resources

Designing a Scottsdale or Paradise Valley home in the desert modern aesthetic?

This is a style we work in constantly in this market. Let us talk about your project.

What a primary suite designed as a genuine retreat looks like:

Frequently Asked Questions

What is desert modern interior design?

Desert modern is an aesthetic that combines the warm, natural material palette of the desert — stone, wood, clay, organic textiles — with clean contemporary architecture and minimal ornamentation. It is not the same as mid-century modern, which is more geometric. Desert modern is specifically rooted in the landscape, climate, and light conditions of the Sonoran Desert.

What makes a home feel desert modern vs. generic modern?

The difference is in the material palette and the relationship to the landscape. Desert modern uses warm neutrals rather than cool grays, natural textures rather than polished surfaces, and organic forms rather than hard angles. The design responds to the specific light, heat, and visual character of the desert rather than following a generic contemporary template.

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.

Lauren Lerner

Principal Designer, Living with Lolo

Luxury Home Remodel Tips: 5 Steps for a Flawless Start in Scottsdale & Paradise Valley

by Lauren Lerner | Aug 18, 2025 | Interior Design Tips, Modern Interior Design Ideas, Scottsdale Interior Design Projects, Uncategorized

5 min readAugust 2025

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I have run luxury remodels across Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and Arcadia for over a decade. The five steps in this post are not theoretical — they are the pattern that separates the projects that go smoothly from the ones that do not. Every one of the common problems I have seen in this market traces back to skipping one of these steps or getting the order wrong. — Lauren Lerner, Living with Lolo

What Each Step Actually Requires in Practice

Step 1: Define a Complete Scope Before You Call Anyone

The most common mistake in luxury remodels is starting with a budget conversation before having a complete scope. Budget ranges mean nothing without scope. A kitchen renovation can cost $80,000 or $250,000 depending entirely on what is changing. Define first whether you are changing the layout, the cabinetry, the appliances, the flooring, the adjacent spaces, or all of the above. Write it down. Everything that comes next — the contractor selection, the design fee, the timeline — is downstream of that document.

In Scottsdale and Paradise Valley, the luxury market has a specific expectation set. Buyers at the $2M+ price point expect kitchens and primary bathrooms that need nothing. If your scope does not meet that standard, the gap will show up in the listing photos whether you plan for it or not.

Step 2: Understand What Requires Permits Before You Start

In Arizona, any work that changes the structure, moves plumbing, modifies electrical systems, or affects HVAC requires permits. Cosmetic updates — tile, paint, cabinet refacing — generally do not. The distinction matters because unpermitted work that is later discovered creates title issues and sometimes requires demolition to remediate.

A licensed general contractor will identify what requires permits during the scoping phase. This is one of the strongest arguments for working with a design-build firm that holds a GC license: permitting is handled as a standard part of the process, not an afterthought.

Step 3: Design to a Fixed Concept Before Ordering Anything

The most expensive mistake in luxury remodels is changing your mind after materials are ordered. Custom cabinetry, tile, and stone have lead times of 8 to 16 weeks and are typically non-refundable. The design phase exists specifically to make decisions before they become irreversible commitments. A well-run design process includes a signed design approval before any procurement begins.

At Living with Lolo, nothing is ordered without client approval on the complete design. This is not just a best practice — it is the line that separates smooth projects from expensive ones.

Step 4: Build a Budget With a 15 Percent Contingency

Every remodel discovers something unexpected behind the walls or under the floors. In older Scottsdale construction, this is particularly common — outdated wiring, undersized plumbing, subfloor damage under tile. These discoveries are not failures of planning; they are inherent to the process. A 15 percent contingency is the professional standard for good reason. Projects without one run into genuine stress the first time something turns up.

See our 2026 Scottsdale remodel cost guide for realistic ranges by room and project type.

Step 5: Choose a Team That Is Accountable End-to-End

The structure of your project team determines how problems get solved. When the designer and the contractor are different companies, accountability for problems often falls between the two. When they are the same team, one point of contact owns the outcome regardless of where the problem originated. For high-stakes luxury remodels, this distinction affects both the process and the results.

At Living with Lolo, our clients have one team managing everything from the first design concept through the final installation day. That is how a full-service design-build firm is supposed to work.

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.

Lauren Lerner

Principal Designer, Living with Lolo

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Incorporating Mental Health Awareness Colors Into Home Design

by Lauren Lerner | Apr 15, 2025 | Interior Design Tips, Modern Interior Design Ideas, Uncategorized

5 min readApril 2025

Color impacts our mood and emotional state to a great extent. For design enthusiasts and interior designers in Phoenix, AZ, integrating mental health awareness colors into their designs can help transform a room into a peaceful, positive, and inspirational room. This short guide explains how these colors can transform your room into a beautiful and peaceful space and help you find emotional happiness.

Stone fireplace with woven wall hanging decor

Understanding Mental Health Awareness Colors

Each of these colors contains a distinct energy and psychological influence, and for that reason alone, it makes an excellent plan to consider mental health color education.

Modern room with wooden table and black vase

Balance and growth is green, blue is peace, orange is optimism and warmth, and purple is consciousness and imagination. Conscious application of these shades in your home decor allows you to tap their therapeutic benefit and incorporate them in your life.

Bathroom with patterned blue tile floor and shower

1. Applying Green to Balance and Harmonize

Green is nature and harmony, soothing to the mind and stress reducer. Bring the green into your space by painting walls pale hues of sage or moss to introduce stability into the room. Or, introduce a burst of green in the form of houseplants such as ferns, succulents, or even a showy fiddle-leaf fig. Whatever its form, be it a stylish emerald-colored sofa or simple green cushions, these introduce a touch of calm and restorative atmosphere.

Bedroom with green wall and black nightstand

2. Using Blue for Serenity and Peace

Blue, the most commonly used color in relation to peace, is the ideal color to employ when designing serene settings. Bedrooms are the ideal room to add blue as a color because blue helps us to calm down and sleep better. Light blue walls with a touch of navy blue will be able to create the calm sleeping oasis you need. In the bathroom, add blue tiles or accessories to attract the sense of peace you would get by the pool. The result is a peace-filled, calming oasis in your own home.

Modern office with curved desk and armchair

3. The Energy of Orange for Positivity

If you must energize and animate your living areas, orange is your color. Orange, as bright as it is overwhelming in quantity, as an accent, provides a sense of welcoming warmth to the shared spaces of the house, such as a living room or dining room. Introduce orange to the bedroom via items such as throw pillows, rugs, or artwork. Even an orange chair becomes the focal point that spreads the message of happiness across the room.

Bright bedroom corner with plant and chair

4. Including Purple for Awareness and Creativity

Purple, previously associated with decadence and mysticism, enhances awareness and creativity. It is to be included in bedrooms that are intended for relaxation or inspiration. In meditation spaces, utilize the application of purple-colored pillowcases or tapestries to help achieve focus and contemplation. Similarly, creativity spaces are enhanced when the application of lavender or plum colors is integrated through furniture, curtains, or paints.

What color represents mental health awareness? Purple often stands out for its connection to focus and imagination. The beauty of purple lies in that it yields energy and calm depending on the usage.

Cozy bedroom with textured wall and plant

Bring Meaning into Your House with Purposeful Colors

Mental well-being is a core part of our general health, and the world outside and within your home can contribute significantly towards the development of a healthy mentality. Using colors for mental health awareness, you can develop the home environment that can bring harmony, peace, and creativity. Play around with colors and learn how they may not only make your home better but your life as well.

Explore More: Interior Design & Mental Health: 5 Ways Home Can Boost Happiness

What Are the Top Kitchen Renovation Trends?

by Lauren Lerner | Mar 10, 2025 | Living Room Ideas, Modern Interior Design Ideas, Uncategorized

5 min readMarch 2025

Renovating your kitchen is not just about looks, but an investment in home functionality, beauty, and value. As a homeowner, an important issue is how to stay current with fashions and designs. What are the top kitchen renovation trends? By understanding, you can create a space that’s both timeless and trendy. 2025 kitchen trends revolve around marrying smart functionality, design, and sustainability. Take a closer look at the latest top kitchen renovation trends you simply cannot afford to miss below.

Before we even offer any suggestions, though, keep in mind that your house is your house. It’s much wiser to pursue your dream and the fashions that you adore rather than one that you don’t simply because it’s popular. Make the room that You adore.

Smart Kitchens

Smart technology is making cooking, cleaning, and living with our kitchens smarter and more efficient. From voice-controlled faucets to fridges that track expiration dates, kitchens have never been smarter. Homeowners now possess devices that can be synchronized with their phones, enabling them to switch lights on and off, adjust temperatures, and even control grocery lists remotely.

Smart ovens with recipe suggestions and cooking time scheduling are entering the mainstream, making cooking and the process itself more convenient. Low- or high-tech, a smart kitchen places your home at the forefront without compromising everyday functionality. For those seeking kitchen renovation services, incorporating smart appliances can transform your space into a modern, high-tech hub.

Green Materials

With increasing greener consciousness, homeowners are now more and more thinking about green materials while remodeling homes. Wood cabinetry made of recycled and reclaimed natural material or composite stone countertops such as quartz not only add beauty to the home but reduce the environmental impact of renovations too.

Bamboo is a popular green product for backsplashes and floors. Products with low chemicals and low VOC emissions are also popular. Designing an ecologically-designed kitchen is not only cool; it provides a healthier indoor environment by reducing indoor air pollutants. By choosing sustainable features, you can align your remodel with kitchen renovation design trends that focus on both style and eco-friendliness.

Bold Colors

While neutrals are staying around, bold colors are being put into the spotlight for 2025 kitchens. Bold jewel tones of emerald green, cobalt blue, and burgundy are used to paint cabinetry, islands, and even appliances to provide a bold splash. Terracotta and yellow mustard are trending for a nostalgic, warm color scheme. Coupled with a sharp contrasting metallic finish like brushed brass or matte black hardware, such bold color pairing creates very unique and dynamic settings.

For others who are not ready to commit to heavy cabinets, colored tiles in a backsplash or star-of-the-show accessories give a kick without overloading the space. Bold color choices are a versatile way to embrace kitchen renovation trends while adding a distinct personality to your home.

Creating Your Dream Kitchen

Homeowners can take inspiration from these trends and not take them literally as a recipe. The key is to achieve that right balance between functionality and customization that suits your needs and style. With a pinch of some sustainability, technology, and bold design, you can create a kitchen that enriches your life, and the value of your home.

Modern kitchen with black and gray cabinets

From smart appliances to experimenting with green materials, to bringing bold colors, these trends ensure that your kitchen remains new and vibrant for years to come. What are the top kitchen renovation trends? Remember that a well-thought-out remodel will elevate both your culinary experience and your home’s value.

Explore More: In What Ways Can a Kitchen Renovation Maximize Your Space?

Interior Design & Mental Health: 5 Ways Home Can Boost Happiness

by Lauren Lerner | Jan 9, 2025 | Interior Design Tips, Modern Interior Design Ideas, Uncategorized

6 min readJanuary 2025

Spaces we reside in are more than just walls and fixtures; they profoundly shape our emotions. As such, the role of interior design and mental health is becoming more recognized. Mindfully curated home decor can engender feelings of relaxation, creativity, and joy.

Cozy living room with fireplace and white chairs

Mental Health and its Design Connection

Your surroundings significantly influence your mental state. Research proves that natural light alleviates stress, a mess leads to anxiety, and balanced design enhances mood and concentration. By being mindful of your home decor, you foster a space that not only supports your mental health but also your emotional well-being. Even minor tweaks have a huge impact.

Elegant office with black ceiling and chandelier

Instilling Peace with Mindful Design Choices

In a bid to create a tranquil home, focus on gentle, neutral colors like whites, beige, and subdued blues or greens. These colors relax the mind and create a feeling of restfulness. Equally, lighting has a crucial role. Opt for warm, dimmable light that imitates the natural daylight, which aids in reducing strain.

What’s more, getting rid of clutter is pivotal. Messy spaces cause a messy mind, so it’s crucial to prioritize organization and storage solutions to maintain a clean home. Keep in mind that your home should not be a showroom, but instead a tranquil refuge that represents a manageable and inviting space. Bringing in mental health designs can help integrate these principles seamlessly.

Living room with blue ceiling and green plant

Spaces That Stimulate Creativity and Motivation

Everyone needs a space that sparks inspiration. It could be a home office, crafting zone, or reading alcove. Allocating a section of your home for creative activities can significantly boost your productivity and mental health. Seek to design a setup filled with natural light, body-friendly furniture, and elements that echo your personality, like meaningful artworks or decor.

Also contemplate the arrangement of your furniture. Position your desk or workspace facing a window to inspire your mind, while tactically planned layouts can instigate motivation to accomplish your tasks. Many homeowners trust a general contractor in Paradise Valley, AZ, to bring these creative designs to life.

Modern living room with black ceiling and cactus plant

Promoting Well-Being via Comfort Spaces

Comfort is vital to well-being, and cozy environments can turn your home into an ultimate haven. Smooth textures—like fluffy mats, oversized cushions, and warm throws—contribute to sensory comfort and help you unwind. Warm, earthy hues like terracotta, olive green, and muted browns evoke a sense of safety and stability.

Investing in superior furniture that boosts relaxation is also worth considering. A cushy sofa, a well-placed armchair, or a comfy mattress can greatly boost your overall wellness. These elements make your home a place you eagerly return to, after dealing with real-world challenges. Think about mental health in interior design, and you’ll truly elevate your space.

Modern bedroom with black headboard and patterned rug

The Influence of Nature in Home Decor

Nature serves as a strong stress-reliever, and incorporating it into your home can greatly uplift your spirits. Incorporate houseplants to clean the air and liven up your spaces. If tending to plants seems daunting, start with low-care options like succulents or snake plants.

Natural materials like wooden furniture, stony surfaces, or woven fabrics instill an organic warmth and balance. If possible, design areas that merge the indoors with the outdoors, like a bedroom leading to a terrace or a window seat with a garden view. These elements align beautifully with principles of mental health design while adding a breath of fresh air to your living spaces.

Bright bathroom with freestanding tub and black vanity

Minimalism and Mental Health

Embracing minimalism doesn’t involve stripping your space to the bone, rather, it’s about establishing equilibrium and removing surplus for a clearer mind. Minimalist spaces emphasize usefulness and spaciousness, reducing visual stress and promoting tranquility. Maintain only the elements that truly make you happy, and discard the redundant clutter.

Minimalism further deepens your attachment to the most vital parts of your home. By genuinely appreciating everything you keep, you foster an ambiance that feels deliberate and uniquely yours. This approach supports mental health in interior design, creating a calming and functional environment.

Modern office with black desk and white chair

Revamping Your Home for a Better You

Your home serves as more than just your living space—it’s your comfort zone, your source of creativity, and your tranquil escape. By concentrating on thoughtful decor elements like calming shades, comfortable furniture, and natural constituents, you can create an environment that enhances your joy and mental health. Begin with small alterations, try out different changes, and in time, your home could become the sanctuary you’ve always wanted.

Learn More: 7 Interior Designing Tips for Better Mental Health & Wellbeing