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Photography courtesy of The Good Home

The Good Home Oakmont Has Come to Town!

by Natalie Bencivenga

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November 11, 2021

Having grown up in Oakmont, I always enjoyed walking along Allegheny River Blvd., taking in the sites, shops and sweet treats along the way. It is great to see the next generation of shops taking root, bringing this vibrant street alive with locally owned stores. One of the newest to hit the block is The Good Home of Oakmont.

I chatted with the owner, Lisa McShea, to learn more about this shop, why she wanted to create this space and why antiques are eternally eco-chic when it comes to home decor.  

How did your love of home goods begin?

Home decor is a passion I share with my mother. Growing up, our home was always a very eclectic mix with a lot of interesting things to look at. My mom loved looking through decorating magazines and we spent many weekends going to antique stores, auctions, flea markets and estate sales. Usually, we would come home with a trunk full and it didn’t have to be expensive — she could find beauty in bargains and splurges equally.” 

What inspired you to open The Good Home of Oakmont?

“Because of those special times with my mother, I became passionate about home goods and vintage pieces. With people spending more time at home and thinking about how to make their homes a place of warmth and comfort, I wanted this shop to be a place to find something special without ignoring function or practicality.”

Share some of your favorite items in the shop: 

I am inspired by vintage items. Especially things that were artisan-made, and so we carry plenty of those. The care and the time and creativity that went into creating each piece are evident and hard to replicate in the mass produced pieces today.  It’s too hard to pick favorites because there’s something about pairing vintage with new pieces and accessories that brings out the beauty in the contrast. I love everything we have, from candles to stationery to chandeliers and vintage sofas!  

What is it that you love about Oakmont?

“Oakmont is a wonderful small town with a vibrant, walkable Main Street. I feel comfortable in Oakmont’s merchant community. Other store owners have been so supportive and share the excitement of bringing a variety of shopping choices to our town. Literally, steps from the store are a specialty coffee shop, a barbershop, a women's clothing store, a children’s store, an olive oil store, a shoe store and more. Oakmont has so much to offer for eating and shopping along the boulevard. There are a lot of fun and exciting events going on in the Oakmont business district! Also, I have lived in or near Oakmont for over 20 years — it’s home!”

Did you set out to open an eco-friendly shop?

While I did not necessarily plan for the shop to be eco-friendly — and not everything in the store is vintage — we still try to look for wonderful and useful products that are produced with the environment in mind. Antiquing might be the original recycling and so there is some symmetry in selling antiques next to goods made from recycled material. Using gently-used and vintage items helps us to gently protect the planet.”

Take a stroll along Allegheny River Boulevard and experience Oakmont for yourself in all it’s charming glory. And don’t forget to pop into The Good Home Oakmont located at 634 Allegheny River Boulevard in Oakmont. Follow them on Instagram: @TheGoodHomeOfOakmont

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Natalie Bencivenga is a regular columnist with The Green Voice Weekly Newsletter and hosts Pittsburgh Earth Day's VEGED; Earth Inspired Eats