((L-R) Jenn Adams, Jane Wirth and Lorina Gravat | Photos courtesy of Element Design Collective)
In the ever-evolving world of residential design, where trends can change as quickly as the seasons, it’s rare to find a team that blends experience, vision and approachability quite like Element Design Collective. Founded by longtime interior designer Jane Wirth, and today co-led by her design collaborator Jenn Adams, the Bend-based studio has carved out a distinctive niche: a place where thoughtful material curation meets down-to-earth expertise.
Wirth’s path to opening Element Design Collective wasn’t a straight line. She began her career in 2003 at Cascade Design, learning interior design through what she describes as “real-life trial and error.” By 2008, she’d stepped into the world of custom homebuilding, co-founding Holly Contracting with her brother, Dave Hall, who is now a partner of his own custom home and remodeling company here in Bend, DH Builders. That experience — bridging construction timelines, trade coordination and finish selection — became the backbone of her design approach. “Being a builder for five years gave me a whole different outlook on how this process goes,” she says. “I understand why builders get frustrated with designers, and vice versa. That perspective helps me guide clients in a realistic way.”
After wrapping up Holly Contracting’s final projects in 2012, Wirth returned to her first love: interior design. By 2021, she’d opened Element Design Collective — a showroom designed not only to serve architects, builders and homeowners but to empower other independent designers with access to resources and industry support. “We don’t believe designers need to be employees,” Wirth explains. “We wanted a space where everyone could work on their own terms.”
For Adams, the journey into design was equally hands-on. After studying ceramics and printmaking, she spent two decades in the tile world — first making it, then specifying it for clients at Baptista Tile and Austin Tile. Though Wirth and Adams knew each other for years as industry peers, they didn’t team up until 2022. “We were friends from way back,” Adams recalls. “It was one of those connections where you know you’d work well together.”
That hunch proved right. Today, the two share design responsibilities, blending their strengths seamlessly. Adams often leads initial client meetings and product selections, while Wirth manages estimating, pricing and the business side of the process. “It’s a great balance,” Adams says. “We each get to focus on what we love most.” The arrangement not only benefits clients but also helps maintain a nimble studio culture where creative collaboration is the rule, not the exception.
While Wirth and Adams are the design leads, their work is supported behind the scenes by purchasing agent Lorina Gravat. Gravat coordinates orders, manages vendor relationships and ensures that everything from custom tile to engineered flooring arrives on time and as specified. Just as important, Element Design Collective functions as a true collective — on any given day, several independent designers can be found working alongside Wirth and Adams, using the showroom as a hub to source materials, meet with clients and develop projects on their own schedules. “You don’t have to work with us directly to be part of Element,” Wirth notes. “The whole point was to create an environment where designers could feel supported, whether they’re collaborating with us or running their own studios.”
That flexibility extends beyond project styles to how the space operates. Unlike traditional showrooms with fixed hours and retail counters, Element is open by appointment, with designers booking times that work best for them and their clients — including evenings and weekends. “We love that our space is accessible without being bound to nine-to-five,” Adams says. “It means the showroom stays focused and intentional.”
Despite their combined decades of experience, neither Wirth nor Adams are interested in pushing a signature look. “We don’t have an Element Design Collective aesthetic,” Wirth notes. “It’s about reading the client, understanding the space and advising appropriately — even if they can’t quite put words to what they want.” That adaptability is especially important in Central Oregon, where projects range from sleek modern builds to legacy remodels. Whether it’s reimagining a kitchen to feel more contemporary or preserving the character of a mid-century fireplace, the studio’s approach is rooted in listening first.
This commitment to flexibility also extends to their vendor partnerships. With longstanding relationships across the industry, the team is able to source both the staples and the statement pieces that make a project feel personal — not just for their own clients but for any designer using the showroom. “When we’re not working on our own design projects, we’re supporting the independent designers who use this space for their sourcing needs,” Adams explains. “That’s really the heart of what makes it a collective.”
That ethos will be on display later this year when Element Design Collective hosts an exclusive event with Clayhaus Tile, a Portland-based studio known for its handcrafted, highly customizable tile. “Clayhaus has such a beautiful range — colorful, textural and made right here in Oregon,” Adams says. “We’re thrilled to be their exclusive partner in Bend.” The event will showcase new collections and offer designers and homeowners a first look at custom options. “It’s one of the ways we’re trying to separate ourselves,” Wirth adds. “We want to bring in materials you won’t find everywhere else.”
As women in the traditionally male-dominated field of home building and remodeling, Wirth and Adams have both seen the landscape change over time. “When I started, there was this old-guard mentality — an assumption you didn’t really know what you were doing,” Adams says. “Over the years, that’s shifted. There’s a lot more respect now, and clients value experience over stereotypes.” Wirth agrees, adding that the practical realities of building and remodeling often level the playing field. “At the end of the day, everyone just wants their project done well.”
Asked what advice they’d offer other women looking to build their own businesses, Wirth doesn’t hesitate. “Go for it,” she says with a smile. “Nothing worth doing is easy, but it’s worth it.” Adams nods in agreement. “Trust your gut and surround yourself with people you respect. That makes all the difference.”
Element Design Collective is located just off American Lane at 20700 Carmen Loop.
