Date:  December 1, 2025  |   Story: Tiffany Adams  |   Photography: Rett Peek  |  

The owners of Porch View Home mix nature’s bounty with a brilliant metallic for their own home’s seasonal décor

Christmas never ends for Charlie Groppetti and Todd Smith. As the owners of Porch View Home, they are either scheming, designing, or shipping products for the season 365 days a year. For some, this continuous cycle might make the task of decorating their own home feel like an afterthought; but it seems to bring a renewed sense of focus and synergy for the pair at their Vilonia residence. “Christmas is so thematic, so to find new ways to do traditional colors always feels like a challenge,” Charlie says.

Each year, their holiday décor starts with a single idea. “Todd said, I’m thinking gold,” Charlie recalls, noting that he often takes five or six days to “chew on the idea” before putting the pieces into play. With gold being the star, Charlie’s inclination was to pair it with natural elements. “Everything we do is a mix of high and low, and there’s always a play on opposites in our line, so it worked well,” he says, pointing to features like the gold floral picks tucked into the garland and the soft velvet ribbon that is juxtaposed with raw wood. Faux garlands, swags, and trees serve as a base for the fresh magnolia and greenery clippings that help to fill them out. As a final layer, they are topped with items Charlie notes can be picked up on a grocery run: pomegranates, artichokes, pears, and citrus fruits. “Produce has a big impact and a low cost,” he says. “It used to be taboo to mix faux and fresh, but now the options for permanent botanicals are endless and so realistic,” he adds. He notes that all of this is designed through a lens of what feels “Southern, tasteful, and gracious.”

The look is also personal. With Charlie having grown up on a dairy farm and Todd being a well-respected hobby bird breeder, the natural elements—both in the home’s everyday décor and the seasonal flair—speak to them and have been tailored to meet a need as well. “When you are working with it in your own home, you learn so much and figure out what needs to be tweaked; our home is a testing ground,” Charlie says. “We review our own product and think if we need it, then someone else is bound to need it, too.”

Make it Meaningful
For Charlie (center), Todd, and their son, Leland, the holiday season is a time to honor loved ones, a sentiment that is reflected through tangible items as well as traditions. This starts at their front door where a shepherd statue they feel certain must have been a part of a large-scale nativity reminds them of their late friend, antiques dealer Pat Pflugrad.

Special Occasion Service
“This room is a surprise to me every time I walk in because it’s off our beaten path in the house,” Charlie says of the dining room that sits near the home’s front entry. Charm fills the space, from the reclaimed tin tiles on the ceiling and botanical wallpaper to the reproduction chandelier and table, which was a find at Jenifer’s Antiques in Conway. Charlie describes the centerpiece as a “Dutch Masters’ banquet piece,” with artichokes, gilded leaves, pomegranates, and pinecones combined on a bed of greenery.

The table is set with pieces purchased at Tipton & Hurst, including salad plates from Ginori 1735’s “Voliere” collection. “Todd likes to joke we are ‘dish poor,’ and these are our nicest ones that we use for the holidays,” Charlie notes.

“Everything we do is a mix of high and low, and there’s always a play on opposites in our line…”
—Charlie Groppetti

Subtle Meets Shine
For the mantel, Todd draped a cedar base with elaeagnus. Charlie notes any vine or plant can be arranged on a base to give this feel. Gold leaves, artificial holly, magnolia clippings, and pinecones were then artfully placed. To coordinate, dried hydrangeas were tinged with a hint of gold paint that ties them into the scheme. “In natural light, the gold shimmers during the day, and then, at night, you get the reflectivity of the strands of lights,” Charlie says. The painting is a treasured piece that was a gift from a friend in China and speaks to the couple’s love of the countryside.

All the Trimmings
After purchasing a resplendent fresh-cut tree at a lot on Old Cantrell Road in Little Rock, Todd and Charlie used it as inspiration to create an artificial Noble Fir version for their line. “We took pictures of the individual limbs on the original tree, and I love the spacing and how natural this one turned out,” he adds, pointing out how the design allows the ornaments to drop. Birds’ nests, pears, velvet ribbons, and gilded leaves adorn the lighted tree that sits inside a Champagne crate, a small trick that Charlie notes makes the tree appear to be fresh cut and organically placed.

Taste of the Season
Wondering what Todd and Charlie serve at the holidays? Visit the At Home in Arkansas blog (athomeinarkansas.com/blog) for Gladys’s Apple Butter Pie, a beloved recipe from Todd’s grandmother, which they enjoy making each Christmas.