Living With Lolo Facebook Book a Free Consultation Skip to content
How Living with Lolo Uses AI to Run Projects (2026)

How Living with Lolo Uses AI to Run Projects (2026)

Living with Lolo uses custom AI tools, built in-house and integrated with Airtable, to transcribe client calls, generate scoped design proposals automatically, and track procurement and freight shipments in real time. The system was built specifically for how a Scottsdale design-build firm actually works, not adapted from generic software made for a different kind of business.

Business of Home, the design industry’s leading trade publication, recently featured Living with Lolo principal designer Lauren Lerner in a piece on how firms are putting AI in interior design workflows to practical, unglamorous use: note-taking, proposals, and procurement. This post goes further than that feature. It walks through exactly how the tools work, what changed for the Living with Lolo team day to day, and why automating the administrative side of a project makes the client experience faster and more reliable, not more impersonal.

Why a Scottsdale Design-Build Firm Needed to Build Its Own AI System

Most interior design software is built for firms that only do design. Living with Lolo is different. We are a full-service interior design and licensed general contractor operating under one roof, which means a single project generates design scope, construction scope, vendor orders, freight tracking, and change orders simultaneously. None of the off-the-shelf design practice-management tools we tested handled that combination well. They were built for firms that hand off construction to someone else.

So Lauren Lerner built a proprietary system herself, rather than waiting for software vendors to catch up. It is not a side project. It runs the operational backbone of how Living with Lolo manages every client relationship in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Arcadia, and the greater Phoenix metro, from the first discovery call through the final punch list. The goal was never to replace judgment. It was to remove the hours of manual data entry that used to sit between a client conversation and a finished design proposal.

That distinction matters because a lot of firms describe themselves as using AI when what they really mean is a chatbot plugged into a generic website form. Living with Lolo’s system is purpose-built around the actual shape of a design-build project: a call happens, a scope gets discussed, a proposal needs to go out, materials get ordered, and freight needs to be tracked until install day. Each of those steps used to live in a different tool, which meant someone on the team was constantly re-entering the same information by hand. Connecting them into one workflow, rather than buying five separate apps that do not talk to each other, is the part most firms skip because it takes real time to build.

How Living with Lolo Transcribes Every Client Call Automatically

Every discovery call and design meeting at Living with Lolo happens on Google Meet, and every one of those calls generates a transcript automatically. That transcript gets fed into a proprietary system Lauren built on Lovable, a no-code AI app-building platform, which integrates directly with Airtable to handle tasks like creating estimates. “I’m able to capture all the information, and then I’m able to use AI to pull out their project scope and to create a beautifully branded proposal for them that automatically calculates our design fee,” Lauren told Business of Home. “That used to be a really manual process, and now it just happens immediately after the call. I can turn it around really quickly.”

That matters more than it sounds like it should. A new client meeting with an interior designer Scottsdale AZ homeowners actually trust to follow through will remember how quickly the first real document arrived, not just how polished the sales pitch was. Nothing from the call gets paraphrased from memory or buried in someone’s notebook. The scope the client described is the scope that shows up in the proposal, because it came directly from the transcript of what they said.

From Transcript to Proposal: How the Design Fee Gets Calculated Automatically

Once the AI tool pulls the project scope out of a call transcript, it routes that information into Airtable, where it triggers a branded proposal with the design fee calculated automatically based on the scope discussed. Before this system existed, someone on the Living with Lolo team had to manually re-key every detail from a call into a proposal template, then calculate the fee by hand and format the document before it went out. That could take days, especially during a busy season when three or four discovery calls happen in a single week.

What This Means for Timeline and Trust

Now a prospective client can have a scoped, priced proposal in their inbox within hours of hanging up the phone, not the following week. For a homeowner comparing design-build firms in Scottsdale, that turnaround is itself a signal. It tells them the firm they are considering runs a tight operation before the contract is even signed, which is exactly the impression Living with Lolo wants to make before a client ever sees a single fabric sample.

There is also a quieter benefit on the Living with Lolo side. Because the design fee is calculated directly from the scope captured on the call, there is far less room for the kind of pricing inconsistency that creeps in when fees get estimated from memory hours or days later. A project manager is not guessing at square footage or recalling which rooms the client mentioned wanting refreshed. The number in the proposal reflects what was actually discussed, which keeps the fee structure consistent from one Scottsdale client to the next.

Tracking Procurement, Freight, and Shipping Without Losing a Week to Spreadsheets

The second system Lauren built handles the other half of the operation: procurement. It keeps track of order emails, tracking numbers, and shipping updates for every item on every active project. “We use it to keep tabs on what freight really cost, if an item arrived damaged, and since AI knows our install date, it flags us if an ETA is beyond that date,” Lauren explained in the Business of Home feature. “It used to be very manual, right? Someone on our team was spending hours doing this, and we’ve been able to really cut down on that time. So it’s allowed us to grow our firm, and take on more projects and continue to deliver the same quality without having to necessarily add more team members.”

That last point is the one clients should care about most. Procurement is where luxury design projects quietly go sideways: a sofa arrives three weeks late, nobody notices until the install date is already blown, and the client finds out at the worst possible moment. Living with Lolo’s system flags an at-risk shipment the moment the estimated arrival date slips past the install date, which means the team can adjust the schedule or source an alternative long before a client ever has to hear “we’re still waiting on it.”

The same system also tracks freight cost and damage claims across every vendor, which sounds like a small thing until a project involves a dozen trade sources shipping into Scottsdale from across the country. Freight on oversized furniture is rarely a flat fee, and it is easy for actual shipping costs to drift from what was originally budgeted if nobody is watching closely. Having that data centralized means Living with Lolo can catch a damaged piece or an inflated freight charge early, while there is still time to file a claim or push back on a vendor, instead of discovering the discrepancy during final reconciliation.

What the Data Shows: AI Adoption Is Accelerating in Design and Small Business

Living with Lolo is not an outlier for using AI to run back-office operations. Generative AI could add between $2.6 trillion and $4.4 trillion in value annually across industries through productivity gains in functions like operations and customer management. (Source: McKinsey & Company, “The Economic Potential of Generative AI,” 2023.) Separately, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s small business research on AI adoption has found roughly four in ten small business owners now report using AI tools in their daily operations, a sharp jump from where adoption stood just a few years earlier.

National averages almost always understate what is happening at the high end of a market, and design-build is no exception. A national small business adopting AI for scheduling is a different proposition than a Scottsdale luxury firm managing six-figure procurement across multiple vendors on a single project, where a missed freight delay can cost real money and real trust. The stakes for getting proposals and procurement right are higher here than the national data captures, which is exactly why Lauren built a system specific to how Living with Lolo actually operates rather than adapting a generic tool.

Why This Matters for Living with Lolo Clients, Not Just Operations

It would be easy to file all of this under “internal process” and move on. That misses the point. Every one of these tools exists to make the client experience better, not just to make the back office more efficient. A faster, more accurate proposal means a client in Silverleaf or DC Ranch gets real numbers sooner instead of waiting on a generic placeholder estimate. A procurement system that flags late freight before the install date means a client in Paradise Valley or Arcadia does not find out about a delay the week their furniture was supposed to arrive.

Living with Lolo has been voted PHOENIX magazine’s Readers’ Choice winner for Interior Design four consecutive years, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026, and that kind of recognition is earned on delivery, not marketing. Running leaner on administration is what has allowed the firm to take on more Scottsdale-area projects without lowering the standard on any single one of them. Clients get the benefit twice: once in how quickly the proposal and scope come together, and again in how tightly the procurement schedule holds up through installation.

AI Handles the Paperwork. A Licensed Scottsdale Design-Build Team Still Runs the Job

None of this software replaces the actual work of design or construction, and it was never meant to. AI pulls scope out of a transcript and calculates a fee. It does not select finishes, resolve a structural conflict with a contractor, or stand in a client’s kitchen and tell them honestly whether an idea will work in their space. That is still Lauren Lerner’s job and the job of the Living with Lolo team, every time.

What the system does change is how much of a project manager’s week gets eaten by data entry instead of decisions. Living with Lolo holds an active Arizona ROC general contractor license, ROC #347577, which already sets the firm apart from design studios that have to coordinate with an outside contractor on every remodel. Pairing that license with proprietary AI tooling for the administrative side is why Living with Lolo can manage a full kitchen remodel or a bathroom renovation in Scottsdale under one contract, with one team accountable for the whole outcome, instead of a client managing two separate vendors who each blame the other when a timeline slips.

Ready to Talk Through Your Scottsdale Design or Remodel Project?

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

Frequently Asked Questions About AI at Living with Lolo in Scottsdale

How does Living with Lolo use AI in its design process?
Living with Lolo uses a proprietary AI system, built on Lovable and integrated with Airtable, to transcribe client calls, pull project scope out of those transcripts, generate branded design proposals with the fee calculated automatically, and track procurement, freight, and shipping for every active project. Learn more about our design and build services.
Does Living with Lolo use AI to write proposals?
Yes. After a client call, the AI system pulls the discussed project scope out of the call transcript and generates a branded proposal with the design fee calculated automatically, turning a process that used to take days into one that happens within hours of the call.
Is Living with Lolo’s AI system available to other design firms?
No. Lauren Lerner built the system for Living with Lolo’s own operations on Lovable, a no-code AI app-building platform, integrated with Airtable. It is a proprietary internal tool, not a product Living with Lolo sells or licenses to other firms.
Does using AI mean Living with Lolo cuts corners on design or service?
No. The AI tools only handle administrative tasks like transcription, proposal generation, and procurement tracking. Every design decision, material selection, and construction detail is still made by Lauren Lerner and the Living with Lolo team, the same as it always has been.
Is Living with Lolo a licensed general contractor in Scottsdale?
Yes. Living with Lolo holds an active Arizona ROC general contractor license, ROC #347577, which allows the firm to manage design and construction under a single contract rather than requiring clients to hire a separate general contractor.
What areas does Living with Lolo serve?
Living with Lolo serves Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Arcadia, Silverleaf, DC Ranch, and the greater Phoenix metro area, providing full-service luxury interior design and licensed general contracting under one roof. See our completed projects across these communities.

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 Living (Australia), Martha Stewart, and The Wall Street Journal. She specializes in high-end residential design across Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Arcadia, and the greater Phoenix metro area.

5 Mistakes Making Your Scottsdale Bathroom Look Small

5 Mistakes Making Your Scottsdale Bathroom Look Small

Poor lighting, the wrong paint color, badly placed fixtures, busy patterns, and a vanity that is simply too big are the five most common mistakes making a bathroom look smaller than it actually is. Fix those five things, in that order, and almost any bathroom in Scottsdale reads bigger, brighter, and calmer without adding a single square foot.

I recently talked through this exact topic with Better Homes & Gardens for their feature “5 Mistakes That Are Making Your Bathroom Look Smaller, According to Designers”, published September 27, 2026. I was quoted alongside two other national designers, and the response from Scottsdale clients since it ran has been immediate: almost everyone recognized their own powder room or primary bath in at least two of the five mistakes. That tracks. A huge share of the homes Living with Lolo works on in Arcadia and the older pockets of Scottsdale were built with bathrooms sized for a different era of home, and the fixes below are the ones I actually use on those projects.

Why So Many Scottsdale Bathrooms Feel Smaller Than They Are

Scottsdale has a lot of housing stock from the 1970s through the 1990s, especially in Arcadia and the older sections closer to Old Town, where primary bathrooms were often an afterthought tacked onto a bedroom suite. Powder rooms in these homes frequently come in under 25 square feet. You cannot bump out a wall every time a bathroom feels tight, and most clients do not want to. What you can control, every time, is light, color, fixture placement, pattern, and scale. Those five levers do more to change how a room feels than three extra feet of floor space ever will.

As a licensed general contractor as well as a designer, I see this from both sides. Homeowners often assume the fix for a small bathroom is a bump-out or a full gut renovation. Sometimes it is. More often, it is five decisions that have nothing to do with square footage and everything to do with how the eye reads the room.

Mistake 1: Lighting That Creates Shadows Instead of Opening Up the Room

A single overhead fixture or a dim builder-grade sconce does not light a bathroom. It creates pools of shadow in the corners and under cabinets, and shadow is what makes a small room read as cramped and uninviting. Because the human eye uses shadow to judge depth and boundary, a poorly lit bathroom actually looks smaller than its real dimensions, not just dimmer.

The fix is layered lighting: a wide, evenly diffused ceiling fixture, vertical sconces flanking the mirror at eye level rather than a single bar mounted above it, and, where the layout allows, a small amount of toe-kick or under-cabinet light. On a recent Paradise Valley primary bath, we replaced one flush-mount fixture with three light sources at three different heights and did nothing else to the floor plan. Clients still ask what we did to “make the room bigger.”

Why Vertical Sconces Matter More Than People Think

Sconces mounted on either side of the mirror, at roughly face height, eliminate the harsh under-eye shadow that downlighting causes and spread light evenly across the whole wall plane instead of just the counter. That even wash of light reads as a bigger, brighter wall, which reads as a bigger room. It is a small change with an outsized effect, and it is one of the first things I check when I walk a Scottsdale bathroom that a client describes as “dark.”

Mistake 2: Fixtures Placed Where They Disrupt Flow, Not Where They Support It

The second mistake I flagged in the Better Homes & Gardens piece is fixture placement that fights the room instead of working with it. A toilet positioned directly in the sightline from the door, a vanity that forces an awkward angle to open a drawer, or a shower door that swings into the primary walking path all interrupt the sense of flow a bathroom needs to feel open. Flow matters as much as floor area. A 60-square-foot bathroom with a clear, logical path from door to sink to shower feels considerably larger than an 80-square-foot bathroom where you have to navigate around fixtures to get anywhere.

Before any plumbing moves, I walk the room the way a homeowner actually uses it every morning: door, mirror, sink, shower, towel. Wherever that path gets interrupted is where the room starts to feel small, regardless of square footage. This is also where having a licensed general contractor on the same team matters, because relocating a drain line or a supply line is a structural and plumbing decision, not a design decision, and it needs to be priced and permitted correctly from the start.

Mistake 3: Dark or Saturated Paint and Finishes That Absorb Light

Deep navy vanities, charcoal tile, and moody paint colors photograph beautifully and show up constantly on design feeds, but in a genuinely small bathroom, especially one with little or no natural light, dark finishes absorb light rather than bouncing it around the room. The result is a space that feels more enclosed than it is. This is one of the clearest patterns I pointed out in the Better Homes & Gardens article: a dark palette can work beautifully in a large primary suite with generous windows, and it can shrink a windowless powder room by comparison.

For most Scottsdale bathrooms under 60 square feet, I recommend lighter, warm neutral tones on walls and larger-format surfaces, with darker accents reserved for cabinetry hardware, fixtures, or a single accent wall if a client really wants contrast. A soft greige, warm white, or pale sand tone reflects far more of whatever light the room gets, natural or artificial, and that reflected light is what makes a tight room read as open rather than boxed in.

Where Dark Tile Still Works

None of this means dark finishes are off limits everywhere in Scottsdale bathroom remodeling. In a primary bath with a large window, a skylight, or significant square footage, a dark vanity or a statement tile wall can add real depth and warmth. The rule is proportional to the room: the smaller and darker the space already is, the more a saturated finish works against you instead of for you. Floor color follows the same logic. Sunset Magazine asked Lauren whether gray floors still work in a home like this, and her answer gets into why gray reads cold against our desert light specifically. Read the full piece in this feature.

Mistake 4: Bold or Intricate Patterns That Add Visual Clutter

A busy tile pattern, a heavily patterned wallpaper, or mixed patterns across floor, shower, and backsplash can create visual noise that the eye has to work to process. In a large bathroom, that pattern can be a feature. In a small one, it reads as clutter, and clutter reads as confinement. This was the fourth point I made to Better Homes & Gardens, and it is one clients push back on the most, because pattern is fun and it photographs well on a mood board.

My rule of thumb: pick one area to carry pattern, usually the shower floor or a single accent wall, and keep every other surface calm. A patterned floor paired with a solid, light-toned wall and vanity gives you visual interest without overwhelming a tight footprint. Trying to make every surface a statement is how a 40-square-foot powder room ends up feeling like a much smaller room than it is.

Mistake 5: Skipping Reflective Surfaces That Bounce Light Back Into the Room

This is the one I always add to the list, even though it did not make the original five in the Better Homes & Gardens piece. A mirror sized to the vanity, rather than a small medicine-cabinet mirror, does more to open up a tight bathroom than almost any other single change short of moving a wall. Mirrors, polished chrome or brushed brass fixtures, and glossy tile all bounce available light back into the room instead of absorbing it, which compounds everything the lighting and paint fixes above are already doing.

On several Silverleaf and DC Ranch projects, we have used a single edge-to-edge mirror across the full vanity wall in a primary bath that was never going to get larger without moving a load-bearing wall. It is one of the simplest, least expensive changes on this entire list, and it is also the one most homeowners forget.

What the Research Shows About Small-Space Bathroom Design

This is not just designer opinion. The 2026 U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Study found that lighter wall colors and upgraded lighting were among the most common changes homeowners made in bathroom remodels, and homeowners who prioritized layered lighting consistently reported their finished bathroom felt noticeably more open, even when the footprint did not change. (Source: Houzz, 2026.) Separately, the National Kitchen & Bath Association has flagged under-cabinet and vanity-adjacent lighting as one of the fastest-growing bathroom upgrade categories nationally, driven in large part by exactly this perception problem. (Source: NKBA.)

National studies like these are a useful baseline, but they almost always understate what is actually happening in a market like Scottsdale. The typical national remodel budget these reports track is for a mid-range suburban bathroom. A Living with Lolo primary bathroom remodel in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, or Arcadia routinely runs well past that national median once you account for custom cabinetry, natural stone, and the structural and plumbing work a licensed general contractor handles under one contract. The gap between the national number and the Scottsdale number is itself useful information: it tells you what “fixing a small bathroom” actually costs to do properly in this market, not in an average one.

How Living with Lolo Fixes a Small Scottsdale Bathroom

Living with Lolo is a full-service luxury interior design and licensed design-build firm based in Scottsdale, Arizona. We hold Arizona ROC General Contractor License #347577, which means the same team that designs your layered lighting plan is also the team pulling the permit to move a drain line or reframe a shower wall, if that turns out to be the right call. You are never translating a designer’s vision to a separate contractor and hoping nothing gets lost along the way.

When a Scottsdale client calls about a bathroom that “feels too small,” the first visit is rarely about demolition. It is a walkthrough focused on light, color, fixture flow, pattern, and scale, the same five things covered in the Better Homes & Gardens piece. Often, a meaningful transformation is possible without touching a single wall. When structural changes do make sense, because the layout genuinely cannot be fixed with finishes alone, we scope that work as a licensed general contractor from day one, so the budget and timeline are accurate the first time, not revised halfway through.

Living with Lolo has been voted PHOENIX magazine’s Readers’ Choice winner for Interior Design four consecutive years, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026, and our work has been featured in Architectural Digest, The Wall Street Journal, House Beautiful, Vogue Living (Australia), and Martha Stewart. If you are searching for an interior designer in Scottsdale who can diagnose a small bathroom and fix it, whether that means a lighting and paint refresh or a full gut renovation, that is the work we do every week across Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Arcadia, and Silverleaf.

Ready to Talk Through Your Bathroom?

Lauren Lerner and the Living with Lolo team work with clients across Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Arcadia, and the greater Phoenix metro area. If you want honest numbers before you commit to anything, get in touch, browse our completed projects, or read more about our design and build services.
Book a Discovery Call

Frequently Asked Questions About Bathroom Design Mistakes in Scottsdale

What makes a Scottsdale bathroom look smaller than it actually is?
Five things most often make a bathroom look smaller than its real footprint: poor lighting that creates shadows, fixtures positioned in a way that disrupts flow, dark or saturated paint and finishes that absorb light, bold or busy patterns that add visual clutter, and a lack of reflective surfaces like a properly sized mirror. Living with Lolo addresses all five on almost every Scottsdale bathroom project.
Can I make a small bathroom look bigger without a full remodel?
Yes, in many cases. Layered lighting, a lighter neutral paint palette, a full-width mirror, and simplifying pattern across the room can meaningfully change how a bathroom feels without moving a single wall. Living with Lolo often starts here before recommending any structural work in Scottsdale bathrooms.
Do dark bathroom colors always make a room feel smaller?
Not always, but dark or saturated paint and finishes absorb light, which is a problem specifically in smaller bathrooms with little natural light. In a larger primary bathroom with good natural light, a dark vanity or accent wall can add warmth and depth without shrinking the room visually.
Is Living with Lolo a licensed general contractor as well as an interior design firm?
Yes. Living with Lolo holds Arizona ROC General Contractor License #347577 in addition to providing full interior design services, which means one team handles both the design and any structural, plumbing, or permitting work a bathroom remodel requires.
What areas does Living with Lolo serve?
Living with Lolo serves Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Arcadia, Silverleaf, DC Ranch, and the greater Phoenix metro area, with a focus on luxury interior design and licensed design-build renovation projects.
How much does a bathroom remodel cost in Scottsdale?
Bathroom remodel costs in Scottsdale vary widely based on scope, from a lighting, paint, and fixture refresh to a full gut renovation with structural changes. Living with Lolo provides a specific, written scope and budget after an initial walkthrough, since national averages typically understate what a custom Scottsdale project actually requires. See our kitchen remodel cost guide for how we approach pricing on comparable projects.

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 Living (Australia), Martha Stewart, and The Wall Street Journal. She specializes in high-end residential design across Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Arcadia, and the greater Phoenix metro area.

Builder-Grade Bathroom Upgrades in Scottsdale (2026)

Builder-Grade Bathroom Upgrades in Scottsdale (2026)

To give a builder-grade bathroom in Scottsdale a custom look without ripping out tile or moving plumbing, change four things: the hardware finish, the mirror and lighting, the wall surface, and one accessory. Swap polished chrome or polished brass for matte black, brushed nickel, or warm unlacquered brass, replace the flat builder mirror and recessed can lights with a framed mirror and flanking pendants, add vinyl wallpaper below eye level for color and pattern, and finish the room with one object that looks like it has a history instead of a SKU number.

None of this requires a permit, a construction crew, or six weeks out of your only working bathroom. It requires knowing which five or six finishes actually read as custom, and in what order to change them. Lauren Lerner, principal designer and founder of Living with Lolo, was recently interviewed by The Spruce for a September 2026 feature on exactly this topic, and this guide expands on that advice specifically for Scottsdale homeowners dealing with production-builder bathrooms in neighborhoods like DC Ranch, Silverleaf, and Paradise Valley.

What the Research Shows About Bathroom Renovation Costs

A full bathroom remodel in Scottsdale routinely runs $35,000 to $90,000 once you touch plumbing, electrical, and tile, and the national data explains why so many homeowners go looking for an alternative. Houzz’s annual renovation study has found for several years running that bathrooms rank among the costliest projects per square foot homeowners undertake, with median spend climbing even as the scope of many individual projects shrinks. (Source: Houzz & Home Renovation Study, 2026). Separately, the National Association of Home Builders has reported that skilled-trade labor shortages continue to stretch remodeling timelines, which means a full gut can sit half-finished for months even in a strong market like ours, because good tile setters and plumbers are already booked out. (Source: NAHB Remodeling Market Index, 2026).

Here is what the national numbers miss. Those medians describe tract-home bathrooms in markets with far lower price-per-square-foot values than Scottsdale. A Living with Lolo client in Silverleaf or Arcadia is usually weighing a $90,000 full remodel against a cosmetic project that costs $8,000 to $15,000 done the way this guide describes, finished in two to three weeks instead of two to three months. That gap is exactly why we recommend the non-structural path first and save the full remodel for bathrooms where the layout itself, not the finishes, is the actual problem.

Start With the Hardware Finish

Hardware is the fastest, cheapest way to make a bathroom in Scottsdale stop looking like it rolled off a production builder’s standard options list. Most new construction throughout the Phoenix metro ships with polished chrome or polished brass fixtures because that finish is the least expensive to buy at scale, not because anyone chose it on purpose. Swapping the faucet, the cabinet pulls, the towel bar, and the shower hardware to matte black, brushed nickel, or a warm unlacquered brass changes the entire tone of the room for a few hundred dollars in parts. For specific brand picks, House Digest recently asked Lauren which bathroom fixture brands she trusts most, and she named exactly which ones hold up to real use. Read her answer in this feature.

Lauren Lerner told The Spruce this is usually the first move she makes on a builder-grade bathroom, and it is the first move Living with Lolo makes on real client projects too, because it requires no demolition and no permit. If you are weighing this against a full Scottsdale bathroom remodel, start here first and see how far it gets you before you call a general contractor in Scottsdale.

Replace the Mirror and the Recessed Cans

The second upgrade with the most visual impact is replacing the flat, frameless builder mirror and the recessed can lighting above it. A framed mirror in a finish that matches your new hardware instantly reads as a design choice instead of a spec-sheet default. Swapping the recessed cans for a pair of flanking pendant lights or sconces does more to flatter a room, and the person standing in front of the mirror, than almost any other single change you can make.

In most Scottsdale homes built in the last fifteen years this is purely a fixture swap, since the electrical box for a vanity light is usually already roughed in. Where it is not, it is still a half-day job for an electrician, not a bathroom gut. We have made this exact swap on projects from Arcadia to Paradise Valley, and it is consistently the upgrade clients mention first when they describe the finished room to friends.

Add Color and Pattern With Wallpaper, Not Tile

If your builder-grade bathroom in Scottsdale has four walls of identical tile or flat white drywall, vinyl wallpaper is the upgrade that adds personality without touching plumbing or requiring a demo permit. Vinyl-coated paper holds up fine in a bathroom as long as the room has reasonable ventilation, and applying it below eye level or on a single accent wall keeps both cost and installation time manageable for a weekend project.

This move works whether you live in a newer build in DC Ranch or an older production home anywhere else in the Phoenix metro. Pair a patterned paper with the warm metal finishes from your hardware swap, and the room starts to look like a Scottsdale luxury interior design project rather than a space assembled straight from a builder’s standard package.

Choose Light Fixtures With a Warm Glow

Shade material matters almost as much as finish. Harsh, bare-metal shades and cool white bulbs are a hallmark of builder-grade bathrooms, and they make every other upgrade in the room look flatter than it actually is. Luminous glass or alabaster shades diffuse light instead of throwing it straight at the mirror, and a warm bulb temperature between 2700K and 3000K reads as considered rather than clinical.

This single change is why two bathrooms with identical hardware and mirrors can look completely different in person. It is also one of the details Lauren Lerner pointed to specifically in her conversation with The Spruce, because it is inexpensive, fully reversible, and almost nobody budgets for it when they plan a Scottsdale bathroom update on their own.

Style the Vanity With One Real Antique

A single well-chosen vintage object does more for a bathroom vanity than a full counter of matching, mass-produced accessories. A brass tray sourced from Etsy or a local antique mall gives the counter a resting place for soap and perfume bottles, and because it was never made for this room, it does not look like it came standard with the house.

We tell Living with Lolo clients the same thing Lauren told The Spruce: buy one object you would be comfortable having a guest ask about, and build the rest of the counter around it. It is a five-minute, forty-dollar change that reads as intentional in a way a brand-new matching accessory set from a big-box store never will, whether the bathroom sits in a production home or a custom build in Silverleaf or DC Ranch.

Layer In a Vintage Rug That Mixes Warm and Cool Tones

A bath mat is functional. A vintage rug, even a small one layered over a plain mat for grip, is a design decision. Look for a rug that mixes a warm tone such as rust, camel, or terracotta with a cooler accent such as navy, sage, or slate, so it pulls together both your hardware finish and your existing tile without matching either one exactly.

This is the last step in the sequence because it is the easiest one to get wrong if you do it first. Choose the rug after the hardware, the mirror, the lighting, and the wallpaper are settled, and it will tie the room together instead of competing with it. It is also the cheapest single item on this list to swap later if your taste changes, which makes it a low-risk way to finish a bathroom refresh anywhere in Scottsdale.

When a Builder-Grade Bathroom Actually Needs a Full Remodel

Everything above assumes your bathroom’s layout, plumbing, and tile condition are sound and the problem is purely cosmetic. That is true for a lot of Scottsdale bathrooms, but not all of them. If your tile is cracking, your layout wastes square footage, your ventilation cannot keep up with Arizona humidity after a shower, or you want a freestanding tub or a larger shower, no amount of hardware and lighting will fix it.

That is a full remodel, and it is worth doing right the first time with a team that holds an active contractor’s license rather than coordinating a designer and a separate contractor yourself. Living with Lolo holds Arizona ROC License #347577 and has been named PHOENIX magazine’s Readers’ Choice winner for Interior Design four consecutive years, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026, which means the same team that specifies your finishes can also pull the permit and manage the trades. If you are weighing a cosmetic refresh against a full bathroom remodel, we are happy to walk you through both options and give you honest numbers on our process before you commit to either one, whether your home is in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, or anywhere else we serve as an interior designer Scottsdale AZ homeowners already trust.

  • Cracked, chipped, or discontinued tile you cannot patch invisibly
  • A layout that wastes square footage or blocks natural light
  • Ventilation that cannot keep up with Arizona humidity
  • A desire for a freestanding tub, a larger shower, or a reconfigured footprint

Ready to Talk Through Your Bathroom Upgrade?

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

Frequently Asked Questions About Builder-Grade Bathroom Upgrades in Scottsdale

How much does it cost to upgrade a builder-grade bathroom in Scottsdale without a full remodel?
A cosmetic builder-grade bathroom upgrade in Scottsdale, covering hardware, mirror, lighting, wallpaper, and styling, typically costs $8,000 to $15,000. A full remodel that touches plumbing, electrical, and tile usually runs $35,000 to $90,000 in the same market. See our Scottsdale bathroom remodeling page for a fuller cost breakdown.
Do I need a general contractor to swap bathroom hardware and lighting in Scottsdale?
No. Swapping hardware, mirrors, and light fixtures does not require a permit or a general contractor in most cases. You may need an electrician for a half-day if there is no existing junction box for a new vanity light. Living with Lolo holds Arizona ROC License #347577 and can manage this work directly if you prefer one team handling it.
How long does a builder-grade bathroom update take?
A cosmetic update covering hardware, mirror, lighting, wallpaper, and styling typically takes two to three weeks from ordering materials to final installation. A full bathroom remodel in Scottsdale usually takes two to three months depending on scope and trade availability.
Is Living with Lolo a licensed contractor?
Yes. Living with Lolo holds an active Arizona ROC General Contractor license, number 347577, in addition to interior design credentials. That means the same team can design the project and manage permits and construction under one contract. Learn more about how we work on our process page.
What areas does Living with Lolo serve?
Living with Lolo serves Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Arcadia, Silverleaf, DC Ranch, and the greater Phoenix metro area for full-service luxury interior design and licensed general contracting. See our full services list for details.
Can wallpaper hold up in an Arizona bathroom?
Yes, as long as the bathroom has reasonable ventilation. Vinyl-coated wallpaper is moisture resistant and holds up well in Scottsdale bathrooms when applied below eye level or on a single accent wall away from direct shower spray.

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 Living (Australia), Martha Stewart, and The Wall Street Journal. She specializes in high-end residential design across Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Arcadia, and the greater Phoenix metro area.

We Were Featured in Forbes: Outdoor Entertaining Trends Worth Knowing

We Were Featured in Forbes: Outdoor Entertaining Trends Worth Knowing


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

Why Outdoor Spaces Have Changed

For a long time, outdoor design was treated as an afterthought. You finished the inside of the house and then figured out what to do with the backyard. That is not how our clients think about it anymore, and honestly, it is not how we think about it either.
The homes we work on in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley have some of the best outdoor climates in the country. Nine months of the year, you can live outside. So the question we ask at the start of every project is: what does this family actually do out here, and what would they do if the space made it easy?
The answers drive everything: the shade structure, the cooking setup, the seating, the lighting, the flow from inside to outside. These are not decorating decisions. They are design decisions.

What We See Working Right Now

Indoor-Outdoor Continuity

The most successful outdoor spaces we design feel like a natural extension of the interior. Same material palette, same level of finish, same attention to detail. When you walk outside, it should feel like you are still in your home. That continuity is what makes a space feel intentional versus assembled.
On the Bronco Revival project, we carried the warm, organic material palette from inside all the way through to the outdoor living areas. The result is a backyard that photographs beautifully but more importantly, one the clients actually use every day.

Functional Outdoor Kitchens

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

Dedicated Dining That Stays

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

Layered Shade and Overhead Structure

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

Lighting That Changes the Mood

This is one of the biggest shifts I have seen in the last few years. Clients are investing in real outdoor lighting design: low-voltage landscape lighting, overhead bistro or string configurations, architectural uplighting on plantings and walls. Done right, lighting doubles the number of hours a space gets used.
The best outdoor spaces are designed the same way we design interiors: from how the family actually lives, not from a catalog.

The Bronco Revival Outdoor Spaces

The Bronco Revival project in Scottsdale was a full home renovation, and the outdoor spaces were central to the vision. The clients wanted a backyard they could entertain in easily, something that felt warm and modern and genuinely nice rather than trying too hard.
We designed the outdoor living and dining areas to flow directly from the interior great room, using the same material sensibility throughout. Natural textures, a restrained palette, carefully placed shade. Terri featured several of the images from this project in the Forbes piece, and we could not be prouder of how they turned out. Photography is by Stephanie Studer of Life Created.
See the full project in our Bronco Revival portfolio, and read the Forbes article here: Incorporate These Outdoor Entertaining Trends in Your Backyard Design.

Thinking About Your Own Backyard?

If your outdoor space is not living up to what it could be, whether it is underused, disconnected from the inside, or just never quite finished, this is worth a conversation. We handle outdoor design as part of full home renovations, and we manage the entire process: design, construction, landscape coordination, and installation.
Let's talk about your outdoor space.
Book a Discovery Call
Lauren Lerner was featured in Forbes alongside leading designers discussing how outdoor entertainment spaces have evolved, and Living with Lolo has been at the forefront of this shift in the Scottsdale and Paradise Valley market. Voted Interior Design winner in PHOENIX magazine's Best of the Valley Readers' Choice awards in 2023, 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?

Remodel plus furnishings typically ranges from $400,000 to $1,500,000+, depending on scope and finish level. Focused room-specific scopes are quoted separately. Design fees are separate and not included. 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 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 Living (Australia), Martha Stewart, The Wall Street Journal, and Forbes. Learn more about Lauren.

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.

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

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


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.

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 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 Living (Australia), Martha Stewart, and The Wall Street Journal. 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

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.

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

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


June 2, 20266 min read
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

Lauren Lerner

Principal Designer, Living with LoloLauren Lerner is an award-winning interior designer based in Scottsdale, Arizona. Voted PHOENIX magazine's Readers' Choice winner for Interior Design in 2023, 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.



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.


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

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

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

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. Voted Interior Design winner in PHOENIX magazine's Best of the Valley Readers' Choice awards in 2023, 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; a furnishing project takes 4 to 6 months and a remodel takes 6 to 8 months.
Curious what a micro-makeover could do for one room in your home? Let's talk.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 Living (Australia), Martha Stewart, and The Wall Street Journal. Learn more about Lauren.

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.

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

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


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.We used the same approach on the Wabi Sabi Abode project in North Scottsdale, where natural mineral limewash walls and handmade zellige tile replaced the flat, builder-grade drywall finishes of the original 2000s home. Venetian plaster and limewash are lime-based finishes, not paint, so they read as more substantial and diffuse light differently across the day. They are also more labor-intensive to apply correctly. A skilled plasterer builds up thin layers by hand, and no two walls come out identical. That is a feature, not a flaw, but it does mean the finish costs more than paint and takes longer to install.Grasscloth and linen wallcoverings are the lower-cost, faster way to get a similar textural effect, particularly in bedrooms and powder rooms where a plaster crew is not always practical. Handcrafted tile, like the zellige used on Wabi Sabi Abode, works best as an accent, a fireplace surround, a shower wall, a kitchen backsplash extended full height, rather than covering every surface in a room.
The clients who are happiest with their homes are the ones who were willing to choose something specific over something safe.

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

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

Trend 05Intentional Lighting Design

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

Trend 06Warm White Gets Official: The Pantone Shift

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

Trend 07Kitchens Go Warm, Quiet, and Hidden

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

Trend 08Wellness Rooms Are Now Standard, Not Special

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

What This Means for Your Project

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What interior design trends are popular in Scottsdale in 2026?

The dominant trends in Scottsdale luxury homes right now are warm earth tone palettes (sand, terracotta, dusty sage replacing cool gray), natural stone used as a primary design element rather than a backsplash material, textured wall finishes like limewash and Venetian plaster, smooth 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. A growing number of these clients are specifically de-Tuscanizing a dated Tuscan home, updating heavy 2000s-era finishes to fit this warmer, more current look.

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

Furnishing-only projects range from $75,000 to $450,000+; remodel plus furnishings from $400,000 to $1,500,000+; and full design-build from $500,000 to $2,000,000+. Design fees are separate and not included. Design fees alone start at $3,500 per room depending on scope. Design fees are quoted separately and are not included in any official furnishing, remodel, or design-build range. 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 voted Interior Design winner in PHOENIX magazine's Best of the Valley Readers' Choice awards four consecutive years: 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026. The firm is also a licensed Arizona General Contractor (ROC #347577) and manages both design and construction under one roof.


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 Living (Australia), Martha Stewart, and The Wall Street Journal. She specializes in high-end residential design across Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Arcadia, and the greater Phoenix metro area. Learn more about Lauren.



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.

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

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


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. Voted Interior Design winner in PHOENIX magazine's Best of the Valley Readers' Choice awards in 2023, 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

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. Voted PHOENIX magazine's Readers' Choice winner for Interior Design in 2023, 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

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

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. Voted PHOENIX magazine's Readers' Choice winner for Interior Design in 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026, Living with Lolo is a licensed Arizona General Contractor (ROC #347577). 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 Living (Australia), Martha Stewart, and The Wall Street Journal. She specializes in high-end residential design across Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Arcadia, and the greater Phoenix metro area. Learn more about Lauren.

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

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

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 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 landscape rather than competing with it. That orientation guided every decision from the flooring to the furniture scale to the window treatment approach.

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 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.
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. 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

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.

Book a Discovery Call

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.

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 Living (Australia), Martha Stewart, and The Wall Street Journal. She specializes in high-end residential design across Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Arcadia, and the greater Phoenix metro area.

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

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

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, including the contractor selection, the design fee, and 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, such as tile, paint, and 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.

Planning a luxury remodel in Scottsdale?

We handle all five steps as a single team. Design, permits, construction, and installation under one roof.

Book a Discovery Call

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most important step in a luxury home remodel?

Defining a complete scope before contacting anyone is the most impactful step. Budget estimates, contractor selection, and timeline planning are all meaningless without a defined scope. Everything downstream depends on this document.

How do I avoid common remodel mistakes in Scottsdale?

The three most common mistakes are: starting construction before design is finalized, skipping permits for work that requires them, and underestimating the contingency budget. Working with a design-build firm that has a structured process for each phase of the project eliminates most of these risks.

How long does a luxury home remodel take in Scottsdale?

A full-home luxury remodel in Scottsdale typically takes 6 to 8 months. A single room remodel like a kitchen or primary bathroom takes 6 to 8 months including design, permitting, and construction. Custom cabinetry lead times and city permitting timelines are the most common sources of schedule extension.

Do I need a licensed GC for a luxury remodel in Arizona?

Yes. Any work involving structural changes, plumbing modifications, electrical updates, or HVAC requires a licensed general contractor in Arizona. Working with a design-build firm that holds a GC license means permitting and trade coordination are handled as part of the standard scope.

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 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 Living (Australia), Martha Stewart, and The Wall Street Journal. She specializes in high-end residential design across Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Arcadia, and the greater Phoenix metro area.