Designing in Phoenix — The Evolution of Our City’s Homes, Businesses, and Community

Since 2011, Mackenzie Collier Interiors has been proud to call downtown Phoenix home. Over the years, we’ve watched this city transform from a tight-knit creative hub into one of the fastest-growing metros in the country. Along the way, we’ve designed everything from historic bungalows to bustling corporate headquarters, and we’ve seen firsthand how the real estate market, construction costs, and community have shaped what it means to design here.

DeSoto Central Market in downtown Phoenix’s Roosevelt Row, was a multi-year collaboration that showcased the heart of the city. Though it has since closed, it remains a proud part of our history and a defining moment for MCI and downtown Phoenix.

One of our earliest landmark projects was DeSoto Central Market, completed in 2014. At the time, it became a prominent downtown community hub, a place that celebrated food, design, and local culture. While it has since closed, the project captured the grassroots creative energy that made Phoenix so special in that era.

As MCI designed this space, we were careful to preserve as much character as possible from the original building, which was once a DeSoto car dealership and mechanic shop.

Designed by MCI, The McKinley Club in Phoenix’s Grand Ave district is an established community hub for local activists, creatives, and entrepreneurs. MCI has called this space home since 2019.

As the city grew, so did our portfolio of community-centered projects. We designed The McKinley Club, a coworking space that embodied the collaborative spirit of Phoenix’s entrepreneurs, and in 2019 we partnered with Greenwood Brewing in Roosevelt Row, helping create a space that combined craft beer, local culture, and community connection.

At Greenwood Brewing in Roosevelt Row, we designed these custom arc pendant lights and partnered with a local artist to bring them to life — a perfect reflection of the community spirit behind the space.

By 2017–2019, the commercial design scene in Phoenix was electric with startup energy. We designed Equality Health’s headquarters in the Warehouse District, a project that connected deeply to the local community. We also partnered with Lemonade Insurance in Old Town Scottsdale, where we created a bold, youthful environment that reflected the company’s culture. What stood out during this era was the ethos of collaboration. So many startups embraced our commitment to hiring local artists and fabricators to bring their spaces to life.

The break area at Lemonade Insurance HQ in Old Town Scottsdale features a custom artwork by Dani Hacche, commissioned as part of MCI’s design to infuse the space with color, creativity, and local artistry.

Today, in 2025, the commercial landscape has shifted. We’re seeing fewer scrappy startups and more established companies opening satellite offices here. The work is still exciting, but it is different. We are often designing within brand guidelines and pre-set palettes, which can mean less room for experimentation. It reflects Phoenix’s growth. A city once defined by entrepreneurs is now attracting larger corporate players.

Residential design in Phoenix has changed dramatically since we first opened our doors. A decade ago, homes here were far more affordable. According to housing data, Arizona home values have more than doubled over the past ten years, with Phoenix following that same trajectory. For homeowners, that often means spending more upfront to purchase a property and having less cash left for improvements.

This 2022 North Scottsdale remodel was designed as a second home for a California-based entertainer, blending modern comfort with desert-inspired style for the perfect retreat.

Construction costs have also risen steeply, climbing year after year. Industry indices show Phoenix has seen increases of around 4 to 5 percent annually, and in some sectors costs have nearly doubled since 2020. This puts pressure on remodel budgets, but it also means homeowners often have significantly more equity to leverage. Many of our clients tap into that equity to make meaningful upgrades and remodels that align with the value of their homes today.

We have also seen a major rise in second-home owners choosing Phoenix for their getaway property, as well as a surge in investment properties designed for short-term rentals. These projects call for highly functional, stylish interiors that can withstand frequent use while still delivering that wow factor on day one.

For this North Scottsdale second home, we designed a custom patio mural and installed sliding glass doors that open the living space directly to the pool — creating a seamless indoor-outdoor retreat.

Phoenix has always been a city of contrasts. When we first opened in 2011, the design community felt grassroots, collaborative, and deeply tied to local creatives. Covid and the years that followed shook that foundation. Many Phoenix-based artists and entrepreneurs left the city as housing costs soared, and what’s left often feels more corporate than creative.

Yet, even as the city grows and changes, pockets of that original community spirit remain, and we are committed to keeping it alive in our work. Whether it is through partnering with local makers, sourcing sustainably, or designing spaces that reflect the personalities of the people who live and work in them, we believe interior design in Phoenix should feel like it belongs to the community, not just the market.

Sunset at Greenwood Brewing on Roosevelt Row — a community-driven project we were proud to design, right in the heart of Phoenix’s arts district.

Phoenix is a place where sunshine, history, growth, and grit collide. Designing here since 2011 has given us a unique perspective on the city’s evolution, from community hubs like DeSoto Central Market, The McKinley Club, and Greenwood Brewing, to the startup boom of the late 2010s, to today’s more corporate landscape, and from affordable family homes to high-value properties and second residences.

If you are looking for a Phoenix interior design firm that understands both the opportunities and the challenges of this market, and knows how to design spaces that balance beauty, functionality, and community, Mackenzie Collier Interiors is here for you. Based in downtown Phoenix, we bring local expertise and nationwide experience to every project.