Hams, history, hospitality and “heART” are the four main ingredients that went into making the town of Smithfield and are the same four ingredients that will go into decorating a home in it’s honor.

A. Dodson’s, which sells everything from home items to antiques, was asked by the East West Communities to decorate the inside of the Smithfield House, one of the eight houses in the upcoming 2010 Spring Homearama at Founders Point in Carrollton.

“It’s a huge commitment, but we’re so excited for this opportunity,” storeowner Alison Dodson Anderson said.

To decorate the home, Dodson is combining Smithfield’s tagline of hams, history, hospitality and “heART” with her ability to seamlessly blend antiques with modern flair.

“We sell it all here,” Dodson said. “We might have antique furniture paired with a brand new lamp. It’s neat to use a piece from your mother or grandmother and learn how you can make it work in your house by combining the two worlds, which is what our store does. Being asked to decorate this home was a perfect fit for us.”

By consulting with people from Smithfield’s visitor’s center, she began garnering ideas on how to incorporate the four H’s from the town’s tagline into the home.

A Smithfield painter will be painting pieces to show the art of Smithfield, while Dodson is working on several projects to bring the town’s history into play.

“We’re wrapping old books in old burlap sacks we got from the town,” Dodson said.

She’s also inserting old Smithfield pictures into the panels of an old door and found an old box with the words Smithfield on it.

“The real challenge in this is budgeting on a dime,” she said. “You learn to work with something you might find in your garage.”

The symbol for hospitality is a pineapple, which is represented throughout the home, as well.

Finally, to bend a knee to Smithfield’s legacy of ham, Dodson has designed a crowning jewel that will sit above the mantel.

“It’s one of the most exciting projects,” Dodson said. “It was a challenge to figure out a way to incorporate ham into a home without putting a big piece of meat on the wall. It’ll be a big surprise.”

To see how Dodson has designed on a dime and used ham to decorate the home, visit the Smithfield home during Homearama, May 8-23.