A conversation with
Lauren Lerner
Lauren Lerner is the Founder, Principal Designer, and licensed general contractor behind Living with Lolo, a full-service luxury interior design and design-build firm based in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Founded in 2017, Living with Lolo serves entrepreneurs, athletes, and executives across Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and the greater Phoenix metro area on projects that start at $150K.
Inspiration – Designer Spotlight – Lauren Lerner
How did you get started in design?
My path to design was anything but traditional. I spent my early career in business and sales before taking a leap of faith in my thirties and founding Living with Lolo in 2017. That unconventional background shapes how I run our firm and how we design for clients. We don’t follow design textbook rules. We ask better questions.
What makes Living with Lolo genuinely different in the Scottsdale and Phoenix market is the combination of two credentials most firms don’t hold at once: I’m a licensed Arizona general contractor and a principal interior designer. Our clients get full creative vision and full construction oversight under one roof, with one accountable team. That’s rare in luxury residential design-build, and it matters when you’re renovating a 4,000-square-foot home.
“I begin by identifying a central element I’m passionate about and letting that inspiration guide the rest of the space. Good design should make you feel like your bravest, boldest self.”
Studio Shelving in Polished Brass
Life Created Photography
How do you approach problem-solving in design?
We kick off our creative process with an in-depth conversation with our clients to get an understanding of their lifestyle, how they envision their ideal life and the impact our design will have on it. By working through these details, we craft a space that perfectly aligns with their wants and needs, tackling any underlying problems they experience in their home.
Studio Shelving in Polished Brass
Life Created Photography
What aspects of Palmer products complement your brand?
“My design style is heavily influenced by the things I love, as opposed to conforming to a certain design style. Typically, I begin my design process by identifying a central element that I’m passionate about and allowing that inspiration to guide the rest of the space.”
Palmer’s shelving has become a go-to in our luxury residential projects because the customization options match how we think about design. Nothing should feel off-the-shelf.
In our Desert Oasis project, a high-end Scottsdale renovation, we incorporated Palmer shelving into the bar area. The result was a custom-feeling built environment that didn’t read as a kit product, which is exactly what our clients expect at this level.
In our Bronco Revival kitchen renovation, Palmer shelving anchored the entire kitchen aesthetic. Open shelving at this scale only works when the hardware and structure can carry the visual weight of the space, and Palmer delivered that without us having to compromise on the design intent.
The collaboration process matters as much as the product. Working with a brand that understands the pace and precision of a high-end renovation makes a real difference for our lean, nine-person team.
Studio Shelving in Polished Brass
Life Created Photography
How do you ensure the design meets clients’ expectations?
We present design concepts in a formal design presentation before anything moves into construction. Clients see the full vision, finish by finish, before a single decision is locked. We intentionally limit revisions to protect the integrity of the design, because the best results come from trust, not endless iteration.
And because we’re also the builder, we stay accountable through every phase. Clients aren’t handed off to a separate contractor after the design is done. Our team manages the build the same way we managed the design, with the same standards and the same point of contact.
Will you tell us about your unique process working with trade partners and vendors?
Most interior design firms and general contractors operate separately. One designs, the other builds, and somewhere in between, the original vision gets compromised. At Living with Lolo, that gap doesn’t exist. Because I hold both an active Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) general contractor license and serve as principal designer, every product we specify gets evaluated through two lenses at once: how it looks and how it builds.
That changes how we approach trade partnerships entirely.
When we bring a vendor into our ecosystem, we’re not just selecting a finish. We’re selecting a product that our construction team will install, our design team will photograph, and our clients will live with for decades. The bar is high because our clients expect it to be, and because we’re accountable for the full result, not just the concept boards.
What we look for in a trade partner is straightforward: customization that holds up at the luxury level, a collaboration process that respects the pace of a high-end renovation, and a product that photographs as well as it performs. Palmer Industry checks all three. That’s why their shelving has made it into multiple Living with Lolo projects, from the bar in our Desert Oasis renovation to the kitchen in our Bronco Revival project, and why we keep coming back.
We also run our firm differently than most. Living with Lolo operates on a proprietary business system we built internally that manages procurement, project timelines, and vendor specifications in one place. When a trade partner is easy to work with and consistent in their product quality, they get specified again. That’s not loyalty for its own sake. It’s efficiency, and at the luxury level, efficiency protects the design.
If you’re a designer looking for a shelving solution that can carry the weight of a high-end residential project, both visually and structurally, Palmer Industry is worth a serious look.
Work with Lauren
Living with Lolo is a full-service luxury interior design and licensed design-build firm based in Scottsdale, Arizona. To learn more or start your project, visit www.livingwithlolo.com.
Recognition
Recently Featured in:
Living with Lolo has been featured in and recognized by Veranda, Architectural Digest, Martha Stewart, Modern Luxury Interiors, Luxe Interiors + Design, Arizona Foothills Magazine, Phoenix Magazine, and Inc. 2026 Regionals Southwest.