Inside Look | Willow & Wade — Heather Hall Photography

As many of you know, I've been working with and featuring a lot more local businesses and it has been so satisfying to partner with different companies to help them in their visual storytelling.

Today, I am so excited to share an inside look at Willow & Wade!

I have had the extreme pleasure of calling this husband and wife team my dear friends for the last year and life is infinitely better with them in it. Derek & Elena Ogle - Co-Creatives, Co-Founders, & Co-Lifers - are passionate about life and helping others succeed. Derek is this down-to-earth dreamer who not only has great ideas (and a beard - observe and admire, folks) but he implements them in the most creative ways you can imagine. Elena is a strong designer but more than that, she knocks you over with her incredibly in-depth research and analytics. Both are so genuine and intensely interested in the people around them that you can't help but be drawn to them. They're the kind of couple who will dominate whatever they do, not by force, but by wining you over :)

Derek & Elena's latest venture? Willow & Wade. Willow & Wade is an an environmental design and research company that "creates places out of spaces." (Isn't that so catchy?!) They come alongside small businesses to help retrofit their current space by creating environmental design concepts that focus on user experience. Translated: they make your space awesome to better meet your needs.

Enjoy an enlightening little snippet between us...

Q&A

How did Willow & Wade come about?

Willow & Wade came about because we saw a need for it in the design community. We found that it was really intimidating for small business owners to approach architects with their initial design needs. We decided to become middle men between the client and the architect by creating the initial design concept for them and then connecting them to an architect who can make their vision a reality.

What services do you offer?

Right now we offer three main services : Environmental Design, spacial planning and case work design.

What do you love most about design?

We love how design can be used to connect people. Design has no language barrier. It can be appreciated by all.

What is your favorite thing to design?

Environments are probably our favorite. We really love helping small business retrofit their spaces. Our aims is to turn them into a place that people come experience and dwell in.

What is your favorite design trend?

So many to choose from! We'd have to say metal is our favorite trend. Whether it's copper, brass or steel - we love it.

As a married team, how do you work together?

When we began to work together we quickly learned how important it is to delegate. Whenever a project comes in we decide who will be the design lead. The design lead is the one who is in charge of keeping the project on time and on budget. We focus on delegating tasks based on our core strengths. Even though we both share the same degree we vary in our skills and compliment each other well.

How do you enjoy your downtime?

We have a hard time not working. Ha! However, when we aren't bouncing ideas off each other or exploring new ventures, we're probably watching a Netflix show! Our all-time favorite is White Collar.

What do you want people to know about Willow & Wade?

We are two people who care deeply about others. Our heart's desire is to hear your vision and help you make it a reality.

Where do you go for inspiration?

We gather a good amount of our inspiration from our travels. We try to plan trips through the year so that we can escape from the chaos of everyday life. It helps us see life outside our little bubble we call home and experience other cultures and scenery. We take part of our travels home with us which broaden our perspective and are channeled into our designs.

What's your favorite pick-me-up?

COFFEE! We will both do almost anything for a hand-crafted latte from a local coffee shop.

What's a funny thing we don't know about you?

Oh man... anything funny we have is way to embarrassing to share online! Ask us in person and we can give you all the funny stories you'd like.

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Derek & Elena, THANK YOU for sharing your beautiful business with us!

Enjoy some photos I got to take of them over the last few months...