Founded in 1995, The Good Home Co., Inc. was one of the first home-centric companies to focus on using all-natural ingredients. The Good Home Co. is known for its home care and laundry products, all of which being vegan, biodegradable, and free of sulfates, parabens and phoephates. Beyond being effective for cleaning, the company’s products also carry a reputation for being beautifully-scented.
Christine Dimmick, Founder and CEO of The Good Home Co., started her career as a Fragrance Director. Although she has roots in Ohio and Los Angeles, she is a long-time New Yorker that has lived downtown for decades. Celebrity fans of hers include Oprah Winfrey, Madonna, Queen Latifah, Kim Kardashian, Brooke Shields, and Pamela Anderson. Christine — a graduate of the Parsons School Of Design — wrote a well-received book called Home File: A Realistic Decorating Guide For Real Life, as released in 1998, and currently has a follow-up in the works.
Downtown caught up with Christine for some Q&A about the past, present and future of her company. The Good Home Co. can be visited online at www.goodhomestore.com, where its products can be purchased. Good Home can also be followed on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Where did your brand name come from?
Christine Dimmick: The Good Home Company was named after my grandparents, whose home represented all that is good me. Our logo is an illustration of their home in Ohio, which is still a working farm today after five generations.
To you, what makes “a good home?”
CD: A good home is anywhere there is love, nourishment and a warm welcome. I believe in family dinners and when I cook, I cook with love. The same goes with our products. Each one and each scent is made with love, care and an intention to bring goodness to the homes that use them.
You live in downtown Manhattan? Have you always been based downtown?
CD: For the most part we have always lived below 32nd Street. We spent many years in Chelsea until it became too crowded. After relocating to FiDi, we fell in love with this unique part of Manhattan. I have lived in New York City for 30 years, but the history of lower Manhattan is very new to me. We were lucky enough to find a home in the Seaport a few years ago and cannot imagine living anywhere else in New York City.
What do you like most about living downtown?
CD: I love the juxtaposition of new and old. Down by Water Street you can take a picture of Fraunces Tavern with the Liberty Tower and other majestic buildings behind it and it takes my breath away every time. My favorite part is being close to the water. As much damage as it caused, its beauty cannot be denied. Oh and the Brooklyn Bridge — I never get tired of that view every morning when I walk our dog!
Do you have a favorite restaurant in the area?
CD: I eat at VBar regularly and I am also a regular eater of fresh baked bread and pasta at Aqua. During the cooler months we often walk up to Dim Sum Go Go in Chinatown.
You attended the Parsons School of Design. What did you study there?
CD: I have a BFA in communications from Parsons. I studied Advertising and Design.
So where did the idea for Good Home Co. come from?
CD: The Good Home was created after reading the artists way while having a career crisis! I had a very corporate job which was not my soul’s calling. After reading the book, I created Good Home, a company that combined all my loves and skills into one place.
At the time, there were no natural products on the market. Just Aveda — and no one was even looking at cleaning. I envisioned a company that created products for your homes soul using the power of scent. Candles, cleaning, bath products, even stuff for pets. Because no matter the size or the grandness, there is no place like home. And everyone deserves that.
A lot of notable people are fans of your brand. Who was the first celebrity to really embrace what do you?
CD: Oprah — her love of our Pure Grass Laundry Fragrance put us on the map.
Do you have a favorite product from the Good Home Co. line?
CD: Right now I am in love with our Heal Fragrance. I formulated it based on thieves oil — it naturally fights germs but also smells like a cozy, fall day. It is incredibly-comforting, therefore healing and you can diffuse it, where it as a fragrance (which I do) and we also sell it in hand soaps and candles.
What’s coming up for your brand? Any special events or promotions? New products?
CD: We are exploring new ways to distribute Good Home which will bring health and wellness to so many who do not know about us. I am very excited for this!
Do you have an accomplishment related to the brand that you are most proud of?
CD: We have been in business for over 20 years and the jobs and income we have provided for those who work here and who we partner with makes me very proud. Most recently we started working with women who are survivors of human trafficking. Providing them with a decent income is something that is humbling and that I am very proud of.
Beyond you living here, does the brand have any ties to New York?
CD: No, not directly. But we feel right at home here in the Seaport, where merchants and makers have always thrived.
Do you have any plans for a follow-up to your Home File book?
CD: Yes, I am currently writing my second book entitled Detox Your Home – A Guide To Removing Toxins And Bringing Health Into Your Home. It is being published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018
When not busy with your work, how do you like to spend your free time?
CD: I love taking yoga at Sky Ting in Chinatown and exploring our very special neighborhood.
Finally, Christine, any last words for the kids?
CD: Yes — always help others. No matter what you do or what business you create, help others and you will in turn will be fulfilled on all levels.
I have many quotes surrounding me daily. One of my favorites is “if the door doesn’t open, it wasn’t yours to open.” So often we get trapped with a direction we feel we must follow or that is ours. But if you are still banging your head against a door that won’t open, move on. You most likely won’t step into your dream right away, but little doors will open to get you there. If they don’t, try another door.
