The Goodman Home Is Main Street’s Treasure Chest

Walk inside the Goodman Home on Main Street and treasures from another time await.

What you find can change from one day to the next. A limited edition Beatrix Potter figurine, Rockingham China of England, is among the small finds. A decorated hand-painted china cabinet and an 1873 carved block front secretary are among the larger ones.

Period antiques, sterling, crystal and linens along with unique coins make for a memorable shopping experience that does not include furniture made from particle board.

Alan and Lisa Goodman opened The Goodman Home 16 years ago with the flagship location on Main Street. They have since added a second location in Williamsburg. Lisa Goodman holds a degree in art history from Virginia Commonwealth University.

“It really started with my parents having an interest in refurbishing furniture and a passion they had for the treasures they found during their travels,” says Hollis Mugford, the Goodmans’ daughter and creative director of The Goodman Home. “It eventually become a niche business that specialized in antiques, collectibles, coins and home goods.”

Everything in the store comes from individual sellers, often from folks looking to move or downsize. Sometimes they buy heirloom generation pieces from estate sales.

It’s no surprise that the Goodmans’ Williamsburg home isn’t full of what Mugford refers to as “big box furniture.”

“Every single piece in my parents’ house has been cherrypicked by either my grandmother or my mother,” she says. “To an appraiser, they might not be the most valued pieces, but there’s sentimentality behind them.

Mugford grew up appreciating fine furniture and the craftsmen behind it. The oval dining table in her townhouse belonged to her great grandfather.

“I remember going to my grandfather’s house in Richmond when I was just a little girl,” she says. “He was my best buddy. I fed him plastic food and had tea parties on that dining room table. I used to draw pictures on that table and eat my breakfast and dinner there, and it will stay in my family. Buying my first house, I’m able to put that piece of my family’s history back into my home. That’s really special because I get to host events with family there and recreate the moments I had when I was a child.”

Due to pandemic state regulations, The Goodman Home shut its doors to in-person shoppers for several weeks. Thanks to its eBay store, robust social media and Facebook Live sales, business remained steady. The store reopened to the public in June 2020.

“I wanted to have our own retail space online so I redid our online store,” Mugford said. “That’s been a huge asset to have during the pandemic.”

Mugford never envisioned herself as part of the family business. She spent a summer in Spain as part of the Berklee College of Music before graduating in 2016. She’s a vocalist who spent two years in Los Angeles, where she worked for a social media marketing firm. After that she relocated to New York City before returning to Williamsburg in 2019.

“All of that was fun, but I realized small businesses are the backbone of this country; if you can shop small retail, you should,” she says. “I love interior design and I love Virginia and my family. I’ve always been very close with my family. Being that far away for so long, I realized that luster wears off so I decided to move back in Virginia.”

The Goodmans value being part of Gloucester Village, where the staple of Main Street is independent shop owners who appreciate being part of a connected community that is proud of its historical heritage.

“It’s a wonderful thing to say, ‘You can find us on Main Street,’ ” Mugford says. “The tone of that is beautiful. Main Street and the Village over the last 10 years have done a wonderful job of keeping the history alive and maintaining the buildings. We feel really lucky.”

The Goodman Home at 6871 Main St., is open Wednesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday noon-4 p.m. Closed Mondays and Tuesday. Call 804-824-9383 for information.