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What to Expect During a Whole-Home Remodel in Scottsdale

What to Expect During a Whole-Home Remodel in Scottsdale

by | Mar 17, 2026 | Modern Interior Design Ideas, Scottsdale Interior Design Projects

What to Expect During a Whole-Home Remodel in Scottsdale (2026 Guide)

10 min read
March 2026
A whole-home remodel in Scottsdale takes 8 to 18 months from design to final installation and costs $300,000 to over $1 million depending on scope, finishes, and structural work. That range is wide because no two projects are the same, but those numbers reflect what Lauren Lerner and the Living with Lolo team consistently see across Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Arcadia, Silverleaf, and DC Ranch.
A whole-home remodel is the most complex residential project most people will ever undertake. It involves more decisions, more trades, more coordination, and more opportunities for things to go sideways than any single-room project. The clients who navigate it well share one characteristic: they understood what was coming before demolition started. Working with an experienced interior designer in Scottsdale who also runs the construction is the surest way to get that clarity early. That integrated model is exactly what a design-build firm in Scottsdale provides.
Lauren Lerner has managed hundreds of whole-home remodels in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and Arcadia under one roof at Living with Lolo, which holds both an interior design credential and Arizona General Contractor License ROC #347577. What follows is an honest account of what each phase looks like, where the common friction points are, and what you can do to minimize stress without micromanaging the process. If you are still evaluating a fixer-upper before you buy, get a renovation cost estimate before you make an offer.

Phase One: Discovery and Design Agreement

Before any design work begins, the right firm will spend time understanding what you actually want. Not just the aesthetic, the lifestyle. How do you use the kitchen? Do you entertain formally or informally? Do your kids do homework at the island? Does your primary bath need to function for two people on the same schedule every morning?
The answers to these questions drive design decisions that no amount of looking at inspiration images can substitute for. This phase should also produce a realistic budget conversation. On a whole-home remodel in Scottsdale at the luxury level, budgets typically range from $300,000 to over $1 million depending on scope, finishes, and structural changes.
A designer who will not give you a budget range at this stage is not serving you well. You need to know whether your number and their scope are aligned before either of you invests weeks in a design direction. At Living with Lolo, the discovery conversation happens before a contract is signed, so both sides go in with clear expectations.

Phase Two: Space Planning and Specification

This is where the design work happens: floor plans, material selections, finish specifications, furniture sourcing, and detailed drawings. Expect multiple presentations and revision rounds. Good design takes iteration, and firms that rush this phase produce work that looks rushed.
On a Living with Lolo project, the construction team reviews every specification during this phase. A tile that will require a custom substrate, a cabinet dimension that will conflict with a duct run, a structural wall that needs an engineer sign-off before it can come down: all of these are caught here rather than on site. That is one of the core structural advantages of working with a firm that holds both design and contractor credentials. If you are still working out your project structure, our guide on design-build or hire separately covers what each approach costs and delivers.
Space planning for a whole-home project typically takes 6 to 12 weeks depending on scope and revision rounds. Full specification for a home with multiple rooms, custom cabinetry, and imported materials can take another 4 to 8 weeks on top of that.

Phase Three: Procurement and Permitting

Procurement is one of the most underestimated phases of a Scottsdale remodel. Custom cabinetry takes 10 to 14 weeks from order to delivery. Stone slabs need to be selected from a yard or fabricator, then cut and templated. Specialty lighting can take 6 to 10 weeks. Imported tile and fixtures can run 12 to 16 weeks if they are coming from Europe.
All of this needs to be ordered before demolition begins. Firms that do not have a rigorous procurement process routinely hold up construction waiting for materials that should have been ordered months earlier. Living with Lolo uses a proprietary procurement system that tracks lead times and flags risks before they become delays.
Permitting in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley adds 4 to 8 weeks for plan review on a typical whole-home remodel. Structural changes, electrical service upgrades, or pool additions require additional review time. Because Living with Lolo holds an active Arizona general contractor license, we submit permit applications directly and manage all city and county coordination without involving you.

Phase Four: Construction

Demolition is the moment the project becomes real for most clients, and also the moment it temporarily looks its worst. The home will look like a disaster for weeks before it starts looking like a design. This is normal.
What is not normal is going weeks without a meaningful update from your project team, or arriving at an inspection to find work done differently than you approved. On a well-managed project, the construction phase runs in a predictable sequence: demolition and rough framing, mechanical rough-in (plumbing, electrical, HVAC), inspections, drywall, tile and flooring, cabinetry installation, finish carpentry, painting, and final fixtures.
Each of those phases has specific inspections tied to it. The general contractor is responsible for scheduling those inspections, having the right trades on-site to pass them, and keeping the project moving forward. On a Living with Lolo project, Lauren Lerner and the project manager communicate directly with the client at each phase milestone, not just when something goes wrong.
Construction on a whole-home remodel in Scottsdale typically runs 3 to 6 months. Projects involving significant structural changes, additions, or a full pool renovation can run longer. Weather rarely affects interior projects in the Phoenix metro, but summer heat can slow exterior and roofing work during July and August.

Phase Five: Final Installation and Styling

The final installation phase is where the project transforms from a construction site into a finished home. Furniture arrives, art is hung, bedding and accessories go in, and every detail that was specified in Phase Two gets placed exactly as designed. This is also where most firms stop, and where Living with Lolo goes further.
Lauren Lerner personally oversees the final styling on Living with Lolo projects. That means every pillow placement, every object on a shelf, every stem in a vessel is considered as part of the overall composition. The goal is that the home looks like it has always been this way, not like a showroom on installation day.
The punch list phase runs alongside final installation. Every item that did not meet the construction standard, every fixture that needs adjustment, and every touch-up identified during the final walkthrough is tracked and resolved before the project is considered complete. At Living with Lolo, recognized by Phoenix Magazine as Best Interior Design in 2024, 2025, and 2026, the project is not done until the client says it is done.

What the Data Shows About Whole-Home Remodel Costs and Timelines

National remodeling data consistently understates what Scottsdale luxury projects cost. According to the 2024 Houzz & Home Study, the top quartile of whole-home projects, those involving full renovations of homes over 3,000 square feet with high-end finishes, averaged $150,000 to $400,000 nationally. In Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and Arcadia, where home sizes, finish expectations, and trade labor costs all run above national averages, the actual range for a luxury whole-home remodel is $300,000 to over $1 million. For a detailed breakdown of what design fees look like at different budget levels, see our interior design cost guide for Phoenix and Scottsdale.
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reports that remodeling activity in the Southwest is consistently higher than national averages, driven by strong home values and continued in-migration to the Phoenix metro. That demand, combined with trade labor shortages, means timelines in 2026 are running longer than pre-pandemic norms. A project that might have been permitted in 4 weeks in 2019 now averages 6 to 8 weeks in most Scottsdale jurisdictions.
Living with Lolo works with a vetted roster of specialty trades built over years of project delivery in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Arcadia, Silverleaf, and DC Ranch. That roster is not open to the public. It is available only to clients of the firm, and it is one of the practical reasons why Living with Lolo projects move faster and encounter fewer surprises than projects managed by teams assembled project by project.

Ready to Talk Through Your Whole-Home Remodel?

Lauren Lerner and the Living with Lolo team work with clients across Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Arcadia, Silverleaf, and DC Ranch. Living with Lolo holds an active Arizona General Contractor license (ROC #347577) and an interior design credential, which means we manage your entire project under one roof.
If you are planning a remodel and want an honest conversation about scope, timeline, and budget before you commit to anything, reach out to start the conversation.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Whole-Home Remodels in Scottsdale

What is the typical timeline for a whole-home remodel in Scottsdale?
A whole-home remodel in Scottsdale typically takes 8 to 18 months from the first design meeting through final installation, depending on scope. The design and procurement phase takes 2 to 4 months, permitting adds 4 to 8 weeks in most Scottsdale and Paradise Valley jurisdictions, and construction runs 3 to 6 months for a full-home project. Projects with structural changes, additions, or extensive custom work run toward the longer end of that range. Living with Lolo provides a detailed project schedule at the start of every engagement so you know what to expect at each phase.
How much does a whole-home remodel cost in Scottsdale?
A luxury whole-home remodel in Scottsdale ranges from $300,000 to over $1 million depending on square footage, scope, and finish level. Paradise Valley estates and Silverleaf homes often exceed $1.5 million when structural work and full interior replacement are involved. The design and furniture budget typically runs 20 to 30 percent of the total construction budget. Living with Lolo provides budget frameworks during the discovery phase so clients can calibrate scope before design work begins.
Do I need a general contractor for a whole-home remodel in Scottsdale?
Yes. Any project involving structural changes, electrical work, plumbing, or mechanical systems requires a licensed general contractor who can pull permits and manage inspections. In Arizona, an interior designer without a contractor license cannot legally manage permitted construction. Living with Lolo holds Arizona General Contractor License ROC #347577, which means Lauren Lerner and her team can manage the full project from design through construction under one contract. Learn more about what that license covers.
Do I need to move out during a whole-home remodel?
For most whole-home remodels involving significant demolition or kitchen and primary bath work, living in the home during construction is not practical and is often not safe. Most Living with Lolo clients arrange alternate housing for the construction phase, which runs 3 to 6 months. For phased projects where only part of the home is under construction at a time, remaining in the home may be possible depending on scope. Lauren Lerner discusses relocation planning during the discovery phase of every project.
What is the difference between a whole-home remodel and a renovation?
In practice, the terms are used interchangeably in the Scottsdale market. A renovation typically refers to restoring or updating existing systems and finishes, while a remodel implies reconfiguring the space itself. A whole-home project usually involves both: updating finishes throughout while also changing floor plans, removing walls, or adding square footage. Living with Lolo handles both types of work under one contract, from cosmetic refreshes to full structural reconfiguration.
Is Living with Lolo a licensed general contractor in Arizona?
Yes. Living with Lolo holds Arizona General Contractor License ROC #347577, which allows Lauren Lerner and the team to pull permits, manage all licensed trade subcontractors, and take contractor-of-record responsibility for residential and commercial construction in Arizona. You can verify the license at roc.az.gov. Most interior design firms do not hold this credential. It is one of the primary reasons Living with Lolo clients do not need to hire a separate GC to execute design work.
Lauren Lerner, principal designer at Living with Lolo

Lauren Lerner

Principal Designer, Living with Lolo

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

Luxury Scottsdale Interior Design for Busy, High-Performing Professionals

Luxury Scottsdale Interior Design for Busy, High-Performing Professionals

by | Aug 29, 2025 | Modern Interior Design Ideas, Scottsdale Interior Design Projects

3 min readAugust 2025
Most of my clients in Paradise Valley and North Scottsdale are not sitting around waiting for design inspiration to strike. They are running companies, managing demanding careers, traveling constantly, and making decisions at a pace most people cannot keep up with. The last thing they need is a design project that becomes another full-time job. That is exactly why full-service design exists, and it is exactly what Living with Lolo, Scottsdale's full-service interior design firm, was built to deliver.
My work has been featured in House Beautiful, Architectural Digest, and Vogue, often specifically because of how it functions for high-performing people who need their home to work for them, not require work from them. That distinction matters. A beautiful home that demands constant coordination, tracking, and decision-making from its owner is not a successful project. It is a liability dressed up as an asset.

What "Full-Service" Actually Means for a Busy Client

The term gets used loosely, so let me be specific about what it means here. At Living with Lolo, full-service means you are not managing vendors, chasing schedules, or approving individual line items on a weekly basis. You give input at the right moments: the conceptual direction, the major material selections, and the final walkthrough. Everything in between is handled by us.
That includes sourcing, procurement, contractor coordination, permit tracking, site supervision, installation sequencing, and delivery logistics. If a tile shipment is delayed, we solve it. If a subcontractor needs to reschedule, we adjust. You do not get a call at 7 a.m. asking whether you want the grout line at 1/16 or 1/8 inch. Those decisions are made within the scope of the approved design, by the people you hired to make them.
For clients who have tried to manage a project themselves, or who have worked with designers who did not provide this level of infrastructure, the difference is significant. The project moves faster, the decisions are better, and the outcome is closer to what was intended from the start.

Designing for a Life That Moves Quickly

The homes I design for high-performing professionals have to hold up to real use. That means storage systems that are actually functional, not just beautiful on a shelf. It means lighting that transitions well from early mornings to late evenings. It means a primary suite that genuinely restores energy rather than just looking expensive. The aesthetic and the function are designed together, from the beginning.
Scottsdale and Paradise Valley attract a particular kind of client: financially successful, aesthetically aware, and completely unwilling to compromise on quality. What they are often less certain about is how to translate that into a home that reflects their life without requiring their constant attention to maintain it. That is the problem I solve on every project.
A home office that supports deep work. A kitchen that is actually set up for the way the family uses it, not the way a floor plan convention suggests it should be. Outdoor spaces that function across Arizona seasons, not just in October. These are not details, they are the whole point. If you want to understand how this comes together in practice, the full remodel process walkthrough goes deeper on what each phase involves.

Why the Design-Build Model Works for This Client Profile

High-performing clients do not want to manage two separate relationships, one with a designer and one with a contractor, and reconcile their disagreements on their own time. The design-build model eliminates that problem entirely. Design and construction are coordinated under one roof, which means decisions are made once, communicated clearly, and executed without the friction of competing priorities.
As a licensed general contractor in Arizona, I oversee both the design process and the construction phase. That is not common. Most interior designers hand off to a contractor and hope for the best. I stay involved through installation because that is where the design either holds together or falls apart. Material tolerances, site conditions, and unforeseen structural realities all require real-time design judgment. Having one firm responsible for both phases means those moments get handled correctly.
If you are weighing the options, the comparison of design-build versus hiring separately is worth reading before you make a decision.

What the Approval Process Looks Like in Practice

Clients who travel frequently or work long hours worry that a design project will require constant availability they do not have. In practice, the approval process is structured to respect your time. Major decisions, the overall concept, finish palette, furniture selections, and layout, happen in focused review sessions, not in a continuous stream of small choices that interrupt your day.
We use a documented approval process with clear turnaround windows so nothing stalls because of a scheduling conflict. If you are traveling internationally and need to review a proposal, that happens asynchronously, on your schedule, with enough context that you can make a confident decision without being on-site.
The goal is that your involvement is meaningful, not constant. You are making the decisions that shape the home. We are handling everything required to execute them.

The Result Is a Home That Reflects Who You Actually Are

There is a version of luxury design that produces homes that look impressive but feel generic. That is not what the clients I work with are after, and it is not what I am interested in building. The homes I design in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and Arcadia reflect the specific person who lives there: their taste, their habits, their aesthetic point of view, and the way they actually want to move through the space.
That kind of specificity requires a designer who asks the right questions early, listens carefully, and has the experience to translate a high-level vision into real architectural and material decisions. It also requires a client who trusts the process and is willing to invest in getting it right. When both sides of that equation are present, the outcome is a home that holds up for years, not just for the photoshoot.
If you are ready to talk through what a project for your home could look like, reach out here and we can start with a conversation about scope, timeline, and fit.

Many of my clients in Paradise Valley and North Scottsdale are running companies, managing demanding careers, or traveling regularly. They do not have time to manage a design project, and they should not have to. My work has been featured in House Beautiful, Architectural Digest, and Vogue, often specifically because of how it functions for high-performing people who need their home to work for them, not require work from them. — Lauren Lerner

Busy schedule, high standards?

That is exactly who we work best with. Let us handle everything.

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What a home designed for high performance actually looks like:

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hire an interior designer if I am not available to manage the project?

Yes. A full-service design-build firm like Living with Lolo is specifically designed for clients who cannot or do not want to manage the project themselves. We handle every decision, every vendor, and every phase. Your involvement is focused on key approvals at the right moments, not day-to-day project management.

What does hands-off interior design look like?

It means your designer handles all sourcing, scheduling, site coordination, and installation. You receive a clear brief at the start, give approval on the design direction, review a finalized concept, and show up to a completed home. The firm manages everything in between, including problem-solving during construction.

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

Before & After: From Chaos to Calm in a Paradise Valley Home

Before & After: From Chaos to Calm in a Paradise Valley Home

by | Aug 29, 2025 | Modern Interior Design Ideas, Scottsdale Interior Design Projects

3 min readAugust 2025
When this Paradise Valley family in the 85253 zip code reached out to our Scottsdale interior design team, they were not chasing Pinterest perfection. They were craving peace. Their luxury home had great bones, sweeping views of iconic Camelback Mountain, and plenty of square footage typical of homes in this exclusive Arizona community, but no flow, no identity, and no real sense of comfort.
Homeowners hiring an interior designer in Paradise Valley get full-service design and construction from one licensed team.
With three kids, a demanding career, and a space full of leftover furniture that did not match Paradise Valley's sophisticated standards, they needed more than a makeover. They needed a comprehensive design strategy that would work for their busy family lifestyle while reflecting the caliber expected in Paradise Valley's luxury real estate market.

The Challenges We Solved

Every project starts with an honest assessment of what is not working. In this home, the challenges were layered. The layout felt disjointed, with rooms that were visually and emotionally disconnected despite the home's premium location and Camelback Mountain views. Furniture from a past life was undersized, outdated, and lacking the intentional design that luxury homes demand. There was no clear design direction, even though the family knew they loved warm, transitional styles that complement Arizona's desert environment. And sensory overload from mismatched finishes, poor lighting that did not account for Arizona's intense sun, and a lack of softness made the home feel anything but calm.
They did not need more stuff. They needed a cohesive vision that honored their lifestyle, and a skilled Arizona design team to bring it to life while building long-term value in the 85253 luxury market.

The Living With Lolo Process

Step 1: Deep Listening and In-Home Discovery

We started with a comprehensive one-hour consultation at the home, walking the space with Camelback Mountain views in mind and listening carefully to understand how this family wanted to live. We aligned on their priorities: calm, livable luxury that matches Paradise Valley standards.

Step 2: Strategic Space Planning and Investment Clarity

We reimagined the floor plans with scale, flow, and function specifically designed for Paradise Valley's luxury lifestyle. Then we delivered a customized Minimum Furniture Investment Plan tailored to maximize ROI in the competitive 85253 luxury real estate market. For those curious about what full-service design investment looks like in this market, our guide to luxury interior design costs in Scottsdale is a helpful starting point.

Step 3: Layered, Intentional Design for Arizona Desert Living

Our team created a tonal, textural palette that softened the entire home while complementing the natural desert surroundings. Custom drapery designed to filter Arizona's intense sunlight while framing Camelback Mountain views brought visual calm throughout. Statement lighting replaced harsh glare with warm glow, perfectly suited to Paradise Valley's bright environment. Carefully selected furnishings brought sophisticated elegance without clutter, and hidden storage with multifunctional spaces honored this busy family's real life while maintaining the luxury aesthetic expected in Arizona's premier community.

Before and After Highlights

The Living Room

Before: An oversized sectional, clunky media console, and no clear personality despite the home's prime Paradise Valley location.
After: A sculptural sofa in performance fabric, custom cabinetry that conceals tech while showcasing the dramatic desert views, layered lighting designed for Paradise Valley's bright natural light, and warm styling that matches the sophistication expected in the 85253 area.

The Entryway

Before: Wasted space, mismatched pieces, and a layout that blocked the iconic Camelback Mountain view.
After: An airy, welcoming foyer anchored by statement lighting and refined furnishings that frame the dramatic Arizona desert sunset, creating an impressive first impression that matches Paradise Valley's luxury home standards.

The Dining Room

Before: A dark, cramped, and forgettable space that did not match the caliber expected in luxury homes with stunning views.
After: A stylish dual-purpose dining room featuring elegant grasscloth wallpaper, hidden storage, and sophisticated design that creates the perfect atmosphere for both dinner parties and after-school projects.
Transformations like this one are the reason we do what we do. If your home has the bones but not the feel, let's talk about what is possible. You can also explore our full range of design services to see how we approach projects of every scope.

This Paradise Valley project is a good example of what a well-calibrated redesign looks like: not a demolition, but a thoughtful rethinking of what the space was doing and what it could do instead. The clients needed a home that felt calmer and more intentional without losing its warmth. The work involved layout adjustments, a complete material refresh, and very deliberate choices about what to keep and what to replace. — Lauren Lerner

Interested in a redesign of your Paradise Valley or Scottsdale home?

A discovery call is the right first step to understand what your space needs and what the path forward looks like.

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From unresolved to intentional — what a redesign actually involves:

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a before and after redesign project look like with Living with Lolo?

A redesign project starts with a detailed assessment of what is working and what is not — layout, material palette, lighting, proportion. We identify what to keep, what to replace, and what to add. The design phase produces a clear concept before anything is ordered or installed. The result is a space that feels completely transformed without necessarily touching the structure.

Do you need to do a full renovation to transform a room in Paradise Valley?

Not always. Some of the most significant transformations come from re-specifying materials, adjusting the furniture layout, improving lighting, and introducing the right textiles. A skilled designer can make a room feel entirely different without breaking down walls.

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

Living With Lolo Named Best Interior Design Firm, One to Watch 2025 by Modern Luxury

Living With Lolo Named Best Interior Design Firm, One to Watch 2025 by Modern Luxury

by | Aug 29, 2025 | Modern Interior Design Ideas, Scottsdale Interior Design Projects

3 min readAugust 2025
Modern Luxury named Living with Lolo a Best Interior Design Firm and One to Watch for 2025, and I want to be honest about what that kind of recognition actually means in practice. Awards matter to me because they matter to my clients. When someone is investing $500,000 or $2 million in their home, they deserve to work with a firm that has been vetted by more than one source. Editorial and industry recognition is part of that vetting. But the recognition itself is not the point. The work is.
This is the third consecutive year Living with Lolo has been named Best Interior Design by Phoenix Magazine, making us the only firm to hold that distinction three years running in recent award history. Add the Modern Luxury recognition, and the consistent thread is the same: the projects hold up to scrutiny because the process behind them is rigorous.

What Consistent Recognition Actually Reflects

I have worked in the Scottsdale and Phoenix metro luxury market for over a decade. In that time, the level of design sophistication here has increased dramatically. Clients in Paradise Valley and Arcadia are not comparing their homes to national averages. They are comparing them to what they have seen in Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, and Vogue. That raises the bar for every firm operating in this market, including mine.
When a publication like Modern Luxury or Phoenix Magazine evaluates firms, they are looking at portfolio range, project scale, editorial placements, and client outcomes. Winning once is meaningful. Winning three consecutive years means the quality is not coming from one standout project. It is coming from a repeatable standard applied across every engagement.
My team works across a wide range of project types, from full custom builds in DC Ranch to condominium furnishing projects in Old Town Scottsdale. The standard we hold ourselves to does not shift based on budget. That consistency is what publications respond to, and it is what clients experience directly.

The Scottsdale Luxury Market and Why Standards Here Are High

Scottsdale and the broader Phoenix metro attract a specific kind of homeowner. Many have owned multiple properties in major markets, have existing relationships with designers in other cities, and bring real design literacy to the process. They are not starting from scratch. They know what they want and they know what a high-quality outcome looks like.
That environment pushes firms to operate at a genuinely competitive level. It is not enough to have good taste. You need rigorous project management, reliable contractor relationships, knowledge of local permitting and construction timelines, and the ability to deliver on time and on scope. The design is the visible result. The process underneath it is what makes the design possible.
Living with Lolo holds a general contractor license, which means we do not hand clients off to a third party when construction begins. We manage the full scope: design, permitting, construction, and installation. That integrated approach is part of why our projects photograph well and function well. Learn more about how permits and contractor work are handled in Arizona if you are planning a project and want to understand what to look for in a firm.

Press, Editorial, and What It Tells You About a Firm

Over the past several years, Living with Lolo has been featured in Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Vogue, Martha Stewart Living, The Wall Street Journal, and GQ. Each of those placements involves an editorial team making an independent judgment about whether the work is worth publishing. That is a meaningful filter.
When you are hiring a designer for a significant project, the press history is one signal among several. It tells you the work is visually strong enough to compete at a national level. Combined with award recognition, client referrals, and a transparent process, it gives you a fuller picture of what a firm is actually capable of delivering.
I am proud of every placement and every award. What I am more proud of is that the clients behind those projects have referred their neighbors, their friends, and their family members. That chain of referrals is the real measure.

What This Means for Prospective Clients

If you are in the early stages of planning a remodel or new build in the Scottsdale area, award recognition and press history are useful starting points for evaluating any firm, including ours. But I would encourage you to go further. Look at the range of projects, not just the most photogenic ones. Ask about the process, not just the outcome. Ask who will be in the room on your project and what their involvement looks like week to week.
We book several months in advance, so if you are targeting a 2025 or 2026 project start, the time to have an initial conversation is now. You can review our full services to understand the scope of what we handle, or reach out directly to start that conversation. And if budget planning is part of your process, our 2026 Scottsdale remodel cost guide is a useful reference for understanding what luxury-tier projects typically require in this market.
Three years of Best Interior Design recognition is something I am genuinely grateful for. The goal for the next three years is exactly the same as it has always been: do the work right, on every project, every time.

Being recognized three years in a row is not something I set out to plan. It is the result of doing the work right, every project. My team and I hold ourselves to the same standard on a condominium furnishing project as on a $2 million whole-home remodel. The recognition follows from that consistency more than from any single project. — Lauren Lerner

Work with the recognized leader in Scottsdale luxury interior design.

Three consecutive Phoenix Magazine awards. National press in Architectural Digest and House Beautiful. One discovery call to start.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Has Living with Lolo won awards for interior design?

Yes. Living with Lolo has been named Best Interior Design by Phoenix Magazine three consecutive years: 2024, 2025, and 2026. The firm has also been featured in Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Vogue, Martha Stewart Living, The Wall Street Journal, and GQ, and was named to the Inc. Regionals fastest-growing companies list.

What award did Living with Lolo win three years in a row?

Phoenix Magazine Best Interior Design. The award recognizes the top interior design firm in the greater Phoenix metro area and is based on reader and editorial recognition. Living with Lolo is the only firm to win three consecutive years in the most recent history of the award.

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

Living With Lolo Featured in Luxe Source “Next in Design” Emerging Talent Showcase

Living With Lolo Featured in Luxe Source “Next in Design” Emerging Talent Showcase

by | Aug 29, 2025 | Interior Design Tips, Modern Interior Design Ideas

2 min readAugust 2025
Being selected for Luxe Source's Next in Design showcase is the kind of recognition that carries real weight because it is editorial, not transactional. The Luxe Source team identifies designers whose work represents a meaningful direction in luxury residential design across North America. It is not a paid placement, a sponsored feature, or an award you apply for. Their editors looked at the work and decided it was worth putting in front of their readership. That means something.
For Living with Lolo, this feature joins a track record of editorial recognition that includes Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Vogue, Martha Stewart Living, The Wall Street Journal, and GQ, as well as three consecutive years named Best Interior Design by Phoenix Magazine (2024, 2025, and 2026). Each of those recognitions reflects work on actual client projects in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and Arcadia. The editorial teams found the work on its own merits.

What Luxe Source's Next in Design Feature Represents

Luxe Source is a luxury design publication focused on high-end residential work across North American markets. Its Next in Design designation is specifically reserved for designers the editorial team has identified as setting the direction for luxury design in their region. The emphasis is on designers whose aesthetic point of view is cohesive, whose execution is technically sound, and whose work reflects genuine innovation rather than trend-following.
The projects Luxe Source highlighted are representative of the design sensibility we bring to every engagement: grounded in the specifics of the Arizona landscape, attentive to how high-performing clients actually live, and built to last in both quality and relevance. The spaces they featured are not stage-sets. They are homes that function at a high level for the people who live in them.

The Projects That Caught Their Attention

The work featured in the Luxe Source showcase reflects several different client briefs, which is intentional. One of the things the editorial team noted was the range across projects: the ability to work in a warm desert modernist register for one client, in an organic wabi sabi-influenced palette for another, and in a more classical luxury vocabulary for a third, without any of them looking like they came from the same template.
That range is something I think about deliberately. The goal is not to have a signature aesthetic that clients fit themselves into. The goal is to have a process rigorous enough to produce excellent work across different stylistic directions. The Scottsdale and Paradise Valley luxury market is sophisticated. Clients here have traveled, they have seen a lot of design, and they know the difference between a designer with a genuine point of view and one who is just repeating a formula.
The indoor-outdoor projects in the showcase drew particular attention, which makes sense given how central that design challenge is to Arizona living. Getting indoor-outdoor right in a climate that reaches 115 degrees requires material knowledge, orientation strategy, and a willingness to work through the engineering before a single furniture piece is specified. It is one of the areas where Living with Lolo's combined design and construction expertise is most visible in the final result.

Why Editorial Recognition Matters for Clients

Recognition from publications like Luxe Source is not just a credential to list on a website. It is a signal about the caliber of work being produced and the level of scrutiny it has been held to. When editors at a serious luxury publication review your portfolio and decide to put it in front of their readers, they are making a professional judgment that the work meets a high standard.
For clients considering a significant design investment, that kind of third-party validation is worth paying attention to. It is different from awards programs where participation is the primary requirement. It is different from being listed in a regional directory. An editorial feature in a publication with a national readership and a clear editorial standard is a meaningful data point about the quality of the firm's output.
If you want to understand what the full design and construction process looks like from the client's perspective, the project process walkthrough is a good starting point. And if you are thinking about what a project for your home might involve, you can review our full range of services here.

What Comes Next

Features like this one arrive in the middle of ongoing work, not at the end of it. The projects that earned this recognition were completed for clients who trusted us with significant investments in their homes. The projects currently underway in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and the broader Phoenix metro are applying the same standard.
The recognition from Luxe Source is gratifying. The more important thing is that the clients whose homes were featured are living in spaces that function well, hold their value, and reflect who they actually are. That is the outcome we are optimizing for on every project, regardless of whether it ends up in a magazine.
If you are ready to talk about a project, or if you want to understand more about how Living with Lolo approaches luxury residential work in this market, start a conversation here.

Being selected for Luxe Source's Next in Design feature is an editorial designation, not a paid placement. It means the editorial team identified the firm as doing work that represents a meaningful direction in luxury design. The projects they highlighted reflect the design sensibility we bring to every client project in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. — Lauren Lerner

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Luxe Source magazine?

Luxe Source is a luxury design publication focused on high-end residential design across North America. Its Next in Design feature recognizes designers and firms the editorial team identifies as setting the direction for luxury design in their markets.

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

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Lauren Lerner, principal interior designer at Living with Lolo

Lauren Lerner

Principal Designer, Living with Lolo

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