Mastering and Maximizing Trade Vendors with Melissa Oholendt

Episode 2 May 09, 2025 01:08:58
Mastering and Maximizing Trade Vendors with Melissa Oholendt
The Interior Collective
Mastering and Maximizing Trade Vendors with Melissa Oholendt

May 09 2025 | 01:08:58

/

Show Notes

Season 6 of The Interior Collective is brought to you by Materio.

An operating system built specifically for design projects—from start to finish. That’s what Materio is.
From concept to handoff, client billing to procurement—it’s one connected workflow. Try it for free.
It’s intuitive. It’s fast. The Interior Collective listeners get 50% off their first month. Just head to getmaterio.com to claim the offer.

Mastering the art of working with trade vendors is one of the biggest challenges interior designers face. From wholesale vendors to custom furniture workrooms, strong vendor relationships are key to a seamless design process. But how do you find the right vendors, create lasting partnerships, and ensure every project runs smoothly while maximizing profitability?

Today, we’re joined by Melissa Oholendt, founder of Oho Interiors, whose path to design was anything but traditional. After beginning her interior design studies in 2001, Melissa spent over 15 years in the fast-paced world of distressed debt hedge funds before launching a decade-long career in photography. In 2019, she returned to her first love—interior design—building a business that has since been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Architectural Digest, Domino, Homes & Gardens, and more. In 2024, she launched a shop with luxury retailer Perigold, was named a Top 40 Expert on The Expert, and took the stage as a keynote speaker at The Haven Workshop.

Melissa brings a wealth of experience in managing high-level vendor relationships, and today, she’s sharing her best strategies for sourcing, organizing, and collaborating with trade partners. Whether you're looking to refine your process, build stronger industry connections, or avoid costly vendor mistakes, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss. Let’s dive in!

Other Episodes

Episode 13

June 07, 2024 01:14:16
Episode Cover

Pricing Models for Interior Designers with Lindsey Borchard

This episode of the Interior Collective podcast focuses on pricing as an interior designer, covering topics such as overhead expenses, time billing, flat rates,...

Listen

Episode 5

November 29, 2024 00:54:17
Episode Cover

Two Parts Passion to One Part Skill with Anastasia Casey

Hi, I’m Anastasia Casey, and in this episode of The Interior Collective, I’m sharing my journey in the interior design industry—from navigating my early...

Listen

Episode 10

January 17, 2025 01:06:21
Episode Cover

Growing into a Lifestyle Brand with Kristen Forgione

Save 15% site wide at www.idco.studio with promo code Podcast15. Welcome back to The Interior Collective. Today, we have an exciting episode lined up...

Listen