Elemental is Elizabeth Dowd
When you’re the ninth of eleven children, home is noisy, adults are busy, life is crazy—and it takes some imagination to figure out how you fit in all of it. That’s probably why I sought refuge in the woods behind my home.
Nature was my escape from a hectic childhood. It gave me peace, allowed my imagination to grow, and inspired my interest in architecture and design. I loved the woods, the sky, and the lakes. The light at sunset, the smell of fall, and the reflections in the pond by my home were inspiring. This is when I first discovered the power of place. Living in a large family also uncovered a love for cooking and gatherings.
From these passions, I realized that it’s not only what you create in the place that makes it special but the form, function, and design of a space are equally important. It communicates to people what you care about and how you care about them.
I’ve worked on retail stores, restaurants, coffee shops, campgrounds, grocery stores, and office buildings and it doesn’t change. If you want people to have a relevant and impactful experience, the creation has to come from within, and from the community in which you temporarily occupy.
Through my culinary school education, interior design training, and all the work and travel experience in between, I’ve come to realize that those who understand the human condition and are focused on creating experiences that lift us up, inspire us, and show us a better way to be, to a more fulfilling life, are the future. They see an altruistic world, they know what they care about, and making money while a necessity is not the ultimate goal. These are the people I want to partner with, helping them achieve their ambitions for a kinder, more real, more connected, and more fulfilling world ahead.
How we work
Throughout the process, we push for ideas that go deep and executions that hold up. We keep a steady eye on the big picture, even while fussing over the godly details. And while we’re happy to jump in wherever you need us, we do our best work when we’re at your side from start to finish. Our process is flexible depending on your needs but can include:
1 Immersion
We deep dive to learn all we can about your brand’s elemental purpose and its customers’ and communities’ elemental needs.
2 Design
We envision ways to connect brand, people, and place, and we translate that into a customer journey, experience, and design principles.
3 Build
We work closely with your artists, architects, contractors, and builders to bring our shared vision to life. Let’s work together
“Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day. It’s about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves be seen.”