Book a Free Consultation

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

Living With Lolo Logo

What Questions Should You Ask a Luxury Interior Designer Before You Hire Them?

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

Freestanding tub, black door, large mirror, side tables, wood-look floor, and sliding glass doors to an outdoor patio—Living with Lolo.
3 min readMarch 2026
The clients who end up with the best projects are usually the ones who asked the most direct questions before signing anything. Not because asking hard questions makes the process adversarial , it does the opposite. It establishes that you are a thoughtful client and gets both parties aligned on expectations before the work begins. After more than a decade running projects in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley, these are the questions I would want prospective clients to ask me.

Questions About Credentials and Accountability

Are you a licensed general contractor, or do you work with one? The answer tells you who is legally accountable for the construction portion of your project. If the designer works with a contractor they recommend, those are two separate businesses. When something goes wrong during the build, you need to know exactly who owns the problem. Ask for the ROC license number and verify it at roc.az.gov.
Who pulls the permits on my project? Permits are pulled by the licensed contractor, not by an unlicensed designer. If the answer is "our contractor partner" rather than "we do," you have two firms sharing your project. That creates coordination gaps that cost you money.
Who will be on site during construction? A designer whose involvement ends at the drawing stage is not managing your build. The designer should be present during construction to make real-time decisions that protect the design intent as field conditions arise.

Questions About Process and Communication

How do you handle change orders? Every renovation encounters the unexpected. How a firm responds to that reality reveals more about how the project will run than any other question. A clear, fair, well-documented change order process is a sign of a professionally run firm. Vagueness here is a warning.
What is my primary point of contact and how are decisions communicated? Understand who you will actually be talking to throughout the project, how often you should expect updates, and what the process is for decisions that need a quick turnaround. Communication failures are the most common source of client dissatisfaction on renovation projects , not the design itself.
How do you manage the design process when I have competing preferences with my partner? If two people with different aesthetics are living in the home, a good designer will have a process for working through those differences rather than picking sides or defaulting to whoever is in the room. Ask about this directly.

Questions About the Work Itself

Can I see completed projects , not renderings or in-progress work? Finished homes, professionally photographed, at a comparable scope and finish level to what you are planning. Ask specifically whether the projects shown were ones the firm designed AND built, or only designed. There is a meaningful difference.
What is a realistic budget range for my scope? A designer who will not give you a budget range before signing is not doing you a service. You need to know whether your budget and their project minimums are aligned before either of you invests time in a design direction. We give clients a realistic range on the first call.
What do you see as the primary design challenge or opportunity in my home? The answer tells you whether the designer has thought specifically about your project or is giving you a generic pitch. A designer who has walked your space and can speak to its specific constraints and potential is someone who has been paying attention.

Questions About Fees and Contract Structure

What is included in your design fee and what triggers additional charges? Understand how revisions are handled, whether additional design meetings cost extra, and what happens if the scope changes after the contract is signed. Clarity on this upfront prevents friction later.
Do you mark up materials and furniture, and how does that work? Most design firms mark up trade-priced items. The question is not whether this happens but how transparent the firm is about it. A firm that is clear about their markup structure is easier to budget around than one that is vague.

I have been answering these questions from prospective clients for over a decade. The ones who ask the right questions upfront end up with better projects. The ones who skip due diligence and choose based on portfolio photos alone often regret it. These are the questions I would want you to ask me, and I am prepared to answer every one of them. , Lauren Lerner, Living with Lolo

Ready to ask us these questions directly?

A discovery call is 30 minutes and completely free. We will answer everything on this list and give you a realistic read on your project.

Book a Discovery Call

What a real design walkthrough with our clients looks like:

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the first question I should ask a luxury interior designer?

Ask to see projects that are similar in scope and style to what you want, and ask how the designer handled specific challenges on those projects. A portfolio with beautiful photos is expected. What separates good firms is how they talk about problems and how they solved them.

How do I know if a luxury interior designer is right for me?

Beyond portfolio fit, look for clear communication about process, honest answers on budget and timeline, and evidence that they have done projects like yours before. A firm that listens more than it pitches in the first meeting is typically a better long-term working relationship.

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

A designer handles the aesthetic planning and specification but passes construction to a separate general contractor. A design-build firm, like Living with Lolo, handles both under one roof. This matters when accuracy of execution is as important as the design concept itself.

Should I interview multiple interior designers?

Yes, especially for whole-home or significant renovation projects. Most firms offer a free or low-cost discovery call. Talking to two or three firms gives you a basis for comparison on both working style and fee structure.

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

Two of the most important questions on this list relate directly to licensing. Read our full breakdown of what an Arizona general contractor license covers and which construction projects legally require a licensed GC to pull permits. If you are also trying to understand what the right firm will cost before your first conversation, our luxury interior design cost guide gives you real numbers from completed Scottsdale and Paradise Valley projects. When you are ready to start that conversation, you can book a complimentary discovery call with our team.

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.

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.