Oh, Goodee! Byron and Dexter Peart’s New Essentials for the Home

Byron and Dexter Peart—the Canadian twin brothers who founded indie fashion brand WANT Les Essentiels (the label behind that gloriously gender-neutral tote popular among a certain subset of luxury-minded but sensible creatives)—have a new venture up their stylish, minimalist sleeves. Having sold WANT in 2017, they’ve since been training their focus and energy on Goodee, a curated marketplace where, according to its website, “the conscious-minded consumer can find an array of beautiful, essential, and timeless items for the home.”

I recently heard Byron and Dexter speak at Business of Home‘s Future of Home conference and walked away impressed with their vision for ethically made, transparently-sourced goods that also live up to their exacting design standards.

Here, the duo tells us the story behind their new project:

Photography courtesy of Goodee.

Remodelista: How has your experience starting Goodee been different from starting WANT les Essentiels?

Dexter: Our approach to design has very much stayed consistent and grounded in “essentialism.” We are constantly asking ourselves, “What truly needs to exist?” The most profound difference with Goodee’s launch is the timing, as there is no doubt the consumer is far more conscious and increasingly demanding that what they consume is consistent with their values.

Remodelista: Goodee also has its own designs. Tell us about them.

Byron: Yes, we always imagined Goodee creating original product alongside the collections of ethical goods that we curate from makers around the globe. Our first product developments have been conceived and designed in partnership with Ethical Fashion Initiative, an United Nations’ sponsored program, that provides sustainable growth opportunities for artisans in marginalized communities.

Dexter: Our vision is to create products under Goodee brand that are not only timeless design classics but also lead by example in terms of how we source, produce, and share know-how together with the artisans.

Remodelista: Do you have any desire to branch out to designing furniture or other housewares?

Dexter: Absolutely. Stay tuned.

Want to see a sampling of Goodee-approved wares? Here are some of our favorites:

For more on Canadian design, see:

• Shopper’s Diary: Kitchen Staples, A Design-Forward Zero-Waste Store in Vancouver
• Mjölk Made: A Canadian Cafe Gets a Scandi Revamp from Toronto’s Cult Design Couple
• A Curated, One-Stop Source for Modern Hardware, from a Pair of Canadian Architects