18 Nov 2017 Holiday home: ‘Christmas is very special’

by Donna Benton
Mike Kemp photo

A Conway family celebrated a recent home remodel by hosting the annual Christmas Coffee benefiting Help for Abuse Victims in Emergency Need (HAVEN).  

“From the very first time I walked into this house, I imagined the back wall being extended outward with floor to ceiling glass so we could have a better view of the outdoors.” said Vivian Trickey Smith. She and her husband, Dr. Alan Smith, had just finished an extensive remodel of their Conway home with the help of local designer Ivo Jones. 

Now the Smiths enjoy a new airy and open kitchen, dining and living space that becomes one with their outdoor patio and freestanding rock fireplace. Handscraped wood floors, exposed brick and a new stone fireplace give the space an industrial but warm and rustic feel. Reclaimed wood from an old Civil War era barn was used for new beams, a butcher block kitchen island and a bookshelf built from reclaimed wood planks and iron pipe.

The new open living space is perfect for entertaining the Smiths’ large family and their friends for the holidays. “Christmas is very special to us,” said Vivian. “I’m glad we have continued our tradition of decorating our Christmas tree as a family. The kids recognize the ornaments and re-tell the stories behind each one. It brings back a lot of cherished memories and makes my heart smile. 

“I started needlepointing our Christmas stockings when our children were young. I’ve added stockings as the kids married and had children of their own.”  

The Smiths are up to 19 stockings and counting. The stockings no longer fit on the fireplace mantel, so now they hang everywhere, up the staircase and even on an old ladder propped up by the Christmas tree.  

The Smiths were excited to celebrate their new remodel and share their home by hosting last year’s HAVEN Christmas Coffee, benefiting a residential group home for adolescent girls in foster care. HAVEN was the very first shelter in Conway, opening its doors more than 30 years ago. In that time, more than 3,000 children have called HAVEN their home.  

“The HAVEN Christmas coffee was started many years ago by a group of women that wanted to make sure these kids in foster care had a great Christmas,” said HAVEN Director Marti Jones. “All proceeds from the HAVEN Christmas Coffee are used to make Christmas special for these children. Christmas can be extremely hard for children in foster care, and no child should be sad on Christmas. Because of the HAVEN Christmas Coffee every year, the girls get the Christmas of their dreams.  

“I have women that lived at HAVEN as children tell me they still remember the amazing Christmas they had while living there. This is possible because of the amazing women, like Vivian Trickey Smith, that open their beautiful homes to us each year, and the many women in this community that come together to make it all possible.” 

Donna Benton is a maker of customr home furnishings and specializes in classic painted finishes for antique and vintage furniture. You can see her work at WaterHouseMarket.com.