Melissa Bailey has joined Portland, OR-based Wildwood House as procurement director. Wildwood House offers staging, styling, and procurement services. There’s also a retail store of the same name with curated goods for home and office. Bailey now leads the division that facilitates the purchasing, warehousing, delivery, and installation for commercial and residential projects. I spoke with her about her new role, the breadth of her industry experience, and the office of the future.
Anna Zappia (AZ): Melissa, you have had a number of roles throughout your career, from interior design to sales. Most recently, you were at Cosentino. Can you tell me about some of your work experiences?
Melissa Bailey (MB): I am a designer by trade. I practiced design in the corporate world for a few years and then went off on my own for a little bit and did some consulting. I had a real passion for restaurant and hospitality design, and I had an opportunity to be a director of design for a small company in Oregon called WCI. I also worked for Tarkett in residential and commercial flooring, and then I was in their strategic sales department. I worked with multifamily and with end-users to do specification, installation and strategic program plans for their builds.
At Cosentino, I was in charge of the builder segments. I have always enjoyed the custom home builder market. I had the opportunity to develop that segment here in Oregon, andI had a great couple of years with the company. I learned a lot about a segment that doesn’t really get much attention in the commercial world.
AZ: Can you tell me about Wildwood House and what brought you there?
MB: Wildwood House is a family-owned business. It was started by Brittney Herrera, and her mother, Terry Blaskowsky. Brittney, who is the co-principal, has been very influential in corporate interior design. She started her career in Boston and then moved to Oregon a few years ago and worked for several firms here in Portland. They saw an opportunity to segment off the architecture world and create a company that would offer work-from-home solutions, as well as procurement, not just for office interiors, but branching into hospitality, multifamily, single family, and residential.
As the business scaled, they were looking for somebody to lead this segment. My skill set and experience were a perfect fit. I was missing the design side and thinking about how I could parlay that experience in the next phase of my career, as well. A chance meeting with Terry really started the ball rolling and that’s how this all came about. In my role, I lead the day-to-day operations of Wildwood’s procurement services, as well as business development activities. We are so excited for the opportunities ahead.
AZ: What are some strengths that you bring to Wildwood House as the procurement director?
MB: I understand that a designer’s work is really a personal creation, I am sensitive to that as we move through the procurement process. That’s one thing I possess: empathy for the designer. Coming from the sales side, I’ve worked with contractors and builders, and have negotiated multi-million dollar contracts. I’m an advocate for the design, the designer, and the project. I’ve been in so many diverse sales roles, and that experience has allowed me to build a diverse network. My network will help the company to connect with the right opportunities.
AZ: Has anything surprised you or challenged you so far?
MB: Honestly, technology has changed so much since I began designing. I’m embracing some of the new software that’s out there for procurement, which has really progressed. There are so many more bells and whistles than there were 15 years ago. I’m a creative person, and I have always embraced technology. I think the more we can use to make our jobs easier, the better.
The longer lead times due to the pandemic are definitely a challenge for everybody right now. I come from a hospitality background where pretty much everything is custom, so I’m used to lead times that run 8 to 10 weeks. Right now, unfortunately, we’re looking at lead times into early January for some lines. I know that’s going to impact office builds and budgets. I am sensitive to and aware of that reality.
We’ve had those longer lead times for corporate and hospitality projects, but the residential sector is going to experience it too, if they haven’t already. I think if any homeowner wants to go out and buy a sofa they have to understand that, especially if a piece has any customization whatsoever, it’s probably going to be a few months before they actually receive it. In any sort of building or remodeling situation there are always delays. There’s nothing we can do about that. I want to be as honest as I can be with my clients. We are their partner and want them to be successful.
AZ: What do you think the office of the future will look like?
MB: I think it’s hard for us to pinpoint what the office is going to look like in a few months, let alone next year. Every city, every community is a little bit different. Some states are going back to work, and in other areas, they are still on lockdown. I think the pandemic has shown us that we are nimble and that we can work anywhere. Maybe we’re at home a couple of days a week, and maybe we’re in the office some days. I think there will be more collaboration spaces, because people miss coming together with colleagues. There are still so many unknowns, so we have to remain flexible. We are much more conscious of how important the office environment is, so I think you’re still going to see those wellness rooms and different hospitality-like amenities that are going to appeal to larger groups of people.