Byron and Dexter Peart are not your typical twin brothers. After founding the cult-favorite fashion brand WANT Les Essentiels, the Montreal natives moved on to new ventures in 2019, namely cofounding the socially conscious, curated online design marketplace Goodee, which, according to the Pearts, “brings together the values of good design, good people, and good purpose by working with artisans and products that make a positive social or environmental impact.” The wildly popular site sells everything from duvet covers to statement lighting to dining chairs with one common thread: Every item sourced is ethically made and environmentally friendly—and packs a serious design punch.
These days the brothers are living in Habitat 67, Montreal’s historic ’60s-era community housing complex, and thinking a lot about the concept of home. “Home is one of those human environments, those places of family, emotion, and story,” the pair tells Domino editor-in-chief Jessica Romm Perez on this week’s episode of Design Time. “When we started Goodee, it was about how we all have artifacts and souvenirs surrounding us that remind us of incredible, indelible moments in our lives. What we wanted to do with the platform was to use it as an opportunity to celebrate those moments and celebrate those artifacts and go a little bit deeper.”
If you want to know more about the brothers’ mission of bringing cultures, artisans, and consumers together through Goodee, tune in to today’s episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, in which you’ll hear about the future of the brand (more original products!) and learn some of their design tips and what—and who—is inspiring them right now (they’re loving meditation). Throughout the episode, listeners will get an inside look at how Goodee operates, from the way the Pearts source products to their current favorite color. Read on for their main takeaways.
On How They Source
“One of the most important criteria from the very beginning is to ask: How does this work? And how will it work for us? So we’re always thinking about if something will function well in day-to-day life…and if a consumer will consider it valuable and it will be something that they cherish, use, and maintain.”
On Making Impactful Consumer Choices
“We really talk about Goodee helping people make better choices. We have a plethora of options from all of these different websites, and yet we’re asking people to have this more conscious, more responsible consideration in their buying patterns. We think it’s incumbent on us as editors to put forward products that will help people make better decisions.”
On the Power of Now
“When you are in your house for now eight to 10 more hours a day than you were before, you start to reimagine corners and areas. How does that kitchen table work with the flatware? How does that [room] double as an office? We’ve been really thinking about these sort of meditative spaces that are important to us.”
On the Rise of Personal Care
“An area of growth has been personal care. People are spending a lot of time thinking about taking care of themselves and giving themselves comfort during a time like this, which is critical.”
On Creating Original Products
“We really wanted to create our own products that worked and lived with the same vigor as the partner brands that we have on the site. So over the years, we’ve been getting a ton of inspiration from the makers we love and admire. We have released and are continuing to release a number of home items and lifestyle products, which feels really exciting. We’re not only celebrating all the work that others are doing, but also doing that impactful work ourselves and creating products that continue to tell a story.”
On Positivity-Boosting Colors
“When you think about the fact that we’ve all been locked up within our spaces over the past few months, there’s a need for optimism and there’s a need for color. And so ours begins with yellow, because it speaks to that joyful optimism that we’re all yearning for.”
