Life & Work with Kendall Linderman

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kendall Linderman.

Hi Kendall, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story. 
In 2019, Kendall and Gavin Linderman partnered with friends and fellow vintage lovers Ashley and Micah Bentley to start Mod Desert. It was the middle of summer, Ashley was very pregnant, but we all felt called to start a business in something we were passionate about. With a collective $1000, we started filling the Linderman garage with vintage furniture. We had a backdrop and staging area and would take artistic and functional photos to really showcase the features of each furniture piece. We started an Instagram and started selling our vintage pieces! This model worked well for about a year and a half and really exploded with the onset of the 2020 shutdown. Folks were in their homes, and very interested in making creative spaces for themselves. But after a while, we decided that we should probably get a brick-and-mortar store. An opportunity opened up in Old Town Peoria, and we rented two units right off Grand in winter 2020. Open one day a week to the public and still primarily focusing on online sales, this model functioned well for us for another two years since both Kendall and Ashley were focusing on being stay-at-home mothers. We were open for 2nd Saturdays, had food and plant trucks come out, and really continued to grow the business and learn the nuances of having a retail store. People would always ask us if we would be open more, but it didn’t make sense for the location. So, in April 2023, when an opportunity to move into Historic Downtown Glendale presented itself, the time seemed right to change, jumped on it! We partnered with vintage clothing friend Matt Young of Cactus VHS and opened in May 2023 in Glendale. We knew we would be starting right at the slow time of year, but it allowed us some time to work out any kinks in the new location before the busy holiday season. Now open four days a week (sometimes more), we have settled into the new place and just wrapped up an amazing holiday season. Being a part of the businesses in the Glendale Glitters area is a dream come true and real “full circle” moment. Now, we push on into 2024 with excitement for more to come! 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Well, our work isn’t EASY. Both Kendall and Ashley are 5’2” and often move very large (and heavy) furniture pieces. Sometimes, we can get the husbands to help, but we all have busy lives with kids! So, navigating sourcing furniture, moving and delivering product, and finding the time to do it amongst our other jobs and family time has probably been the largest challenge. There have also been very slow seasons that create all sorts of “what if” scenarios. But we have never gone without and feel very supported by our clientele. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Both Ashley and Kendall (and their husbands) started Mod Desert from the ground up. The girls both primarily focus on their jobs as mothers and Mod Desert was a passion project to have an outlet outside of that. Ashley is gifted in interior design and a master organizer. Kendall has an eye for finding “the goods” and running social media. Our various talents make us a great team for finding the best vintage furniture and goods, staging them in our store, and selling them at competitive and fair prices. 

What makes us most proud about our store is that all of our products have a story, and those stories continue when they move into their new spaces. Our clients often become our friends, and we love that Mod Desert can be a part of so many people’s lives. 

Contact Info:

• Instagram: ModDesert
• Facebook: ModDesert