A Second Home Shines With Primary Appeal

Known for its luxury golf courses, shopping, restaurants, and—of course—abundance of sunshine, it’s no wonder a retired South Dakota couple found their perfect vacation home in Paradise Valley, Ariz.

Living With Lolo interior designer Lauren Lerner gives Jaipur Living‘s Free Verse Light pride of place in this Paradise Valley entryway. Photography by LifeCreated

Paradise Found

With their children grown and out of the house, the couple needed a retreat where they—along with dog Stevie—could soak up the sunshine and enjoy a round (or many) of golf. They found the perfect place in a light-filled four-bedroom, five-bathroom manse in Paradise Valley.

To bring their retirement retreat to life and create a modern, comfortable oasis conducive to houseguests and entertaining, the couple turned to Arizona-based interior designer Lauren Lerner of Living with Lolo.

“They wanted a modern space that didn’t feel like a second home—where they could walk in when they’re on vacation and feel like they’re home,” says Lerner. “They have people coming to visit them all the time, so really just a place that’s comfortable for their guests and them.”

Lerner anchored the home’s main living spaces in neutral colors and plenty of texture with hand-knotted rugs from Jaipur Living and leather and wood accents throughout. “It’s a really big, open-concept space,” notes Lerner. “It’s all designed for all the spaces to flow together in the main living space.”

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The hand-knotted Chaos Theory rug anchors the living room. Photography by LifeCreated

House Rules

With the living room at the front of the house, Lerner took special care to ensure the space felt both welcoming and functional. Anchoring the room with Jaipur Living’s handmade Chaos Theory rug, the designer commissioned a custom sofa to up the comfort factor, positioning the furniture to take advantage of the surrounding views and emphasize indoor-outdoor living.

Likewise, to take advantage of the front entry’s lofty ceilings and striking millwork, Lerner painted the ceiling a deep charcoal and installed a showstopping chandelier overhead, grounding the space with the wool-and-silk Free Verse Light rug from Jaipur Living.

“For the entryway, the rug was a star player, so we could be a bit bolder and set the tone for the rest of the space,” Lerner says. To accommodate the clients’ daily dog walks, Lerner also installed a charcoal sideboard to provide practical—but pretty—storage for leashes and accessories. “There’s just a good balance that made it really functional for the way they live,” she adds.

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This guest room is infused with femininity thanks to the light pink accent wall and Kindred rug. Photography by LifeCreated

Private Oasis

While the main living area is a study in neutral hues and earthy textures, the home’s bedrooms are all about fun. Among the clients’ specific requests were a golf-themed guest room—which Lerner painted a hunter green and decorated with handsome leather and cane details—and, by contrast, a guest room with pink accents.

For this more feminine space, Lerner anchored the room with a pale pink accent wall, layering in additional pink elements like Jaipur Living’s Kindred rug and a soft pink throw. Meanwhile, wood and metal accents add balance to the room’s otherwise delicate feel.

“It was really important for her to have a room that was very feminine,” Lerner says. “We added in the great rug and a couple of other pops of pink, but really just kept everything else neutral. The metal kind of gives that edgier vibe for balance.”

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Jaipur Living‘s Cambridge rug provides an intriguing neutral in the bold primary bedroom. Photography by LifeCreated

Main Attraction

An accent wall also serves as the centerpiece in the main bedroom, where a bold, graphic wallcovering makes a statement behind the four-poster bed. “We knew the client wanted blues in that space, and we knew she wanted a four-poster bed, so those were kind of the main jumping-off points,” Lerner explains. “The wallpaper was definitely the focal point of that room,” she says. “Because it is so bold, we wanted to keep all the other furniture and rugs super neutral.”

To tie in the wallcovering’s patterned and color scheme, Lerner painted the ceiling’s architectural molding a deep navy, while Jaipur Living’s wool Cambridge rug adds subtle dimension thanks to an understated pattern that “reads like a solid and works really well with the wallpaper,” the designer notes. Cream drapery and white nightstands also complement the bedroom’s punchy blues.

Like the home itself, the result is a fresh, functional interpretation of the clients’ personalities. “They just had a lot of trust in the process and trusted us to think outside the box and be creative,” says Lerner. “ That’s why the project turned out so great.”