IN Good Dharma

Shop well and feel good about it? It’s a dream come true, thanks to a newly opened store in High Wycombe.

If Carol Wittenbaker isn’t careful, her house will be filled with furniture and homewares which should be in her new store. She just loves it all that much.

Separation anxiety aside, Carol figured that the beautiful objects she couldn’t resist would be things other people couldn’t go past either.

But here’s the rub. When you buy something from Good Dharma approximately 50% of profits from all purchases go directly to carefully selected local and international charities.

“The Good Dharma brand blends my desire for sharing good fortune with others and my love of all things stylish and unique,” Carol Wittenbaker explains. “It’s a little out of the box but the end result is me being able to run a business and help others at the same time.”

With an eye for detail, like an intriguing free-standing basin crafted from million-year-old petrified wood or arresting sculptural lighting, products have been sourced from all over the world including India, Belgium, the UK and Indonesia. Carol is also committed to supporting local artists and offering them a platform to showcase their work.

Homewares with heart, this unique feature for a store of this type is Carol’s desire to provide an ongoing source of funding for charity and keep her social conscience connected. Ensuring every dollar spent in store will give something back in a positive and meaningful way, charities which will benefit from the proceeds include Cystic Fibrosis WA.

I’ve sourced some beautiful cushion covers from India made by women who are trying to rebuild their lives and each one comes with a story. I love that and it’s something which really switches a light on for me. I hope it does for other people too.

Carol and her husband of 27 years, Ray, have run a successful specialist welding business for years but this is her first foray into retail.

Three years in the making, which started with building the High Wycombe premises, the store owner sees this as a perfect opportunity to give something back.

Every day the name Good Dharma, which is based on the word that means natural law in Indian religion and philosophy, resonates with Carol as a way to restore balance to the world in some small way.

“Ray and I are just happy to be able to do what we can to play a small part in the bigger picture,” Carol says. “There are so many worthwhile causes in the world I want to help where I can.

“I’ve always admired people who make their living doing something they are passionate about. Finally I’m going to be one of those people. I’ll also be able to do something useful and powerful. Maybe it will inspire others to do things a little differently too.”

Good Dharma is located at 1/1124 Abernethy Road, High Wycombe. The store is open Monday to Friday from 9am – 4pm and for private viewing by appointment. www.gooddharma.com.au