Sabraton store owner helps decorate White House

SABRATON, W.Va (WDTV) - A store’s Christmas window was the big thing as Ed Keepers was brought up. It’s a tradition keepers continues in his store, Classic Furniture.

“The trip to the White House started with a trip to the Blaney house, the president’s residence at WVU,” said Keepers.

He was invited to decorate the university’s president’s home.

Through that...Keepers met Vivien Woofter who really liked what he had done. Woofter is a WVU alum Keepers says decorated “136 or 146 embassies around the world.”

“I had the pleasure of seeing getting an award and it was just phenomenal and she came up to me and said ‘you should decorate the white house’ and I took that as a compliment coming from her,” said Keepers.

Over the years they kicked the idea around and this year, he applied with a 2,500-word essay on his experience and why he wanted to contribute.

“...and the reward was actually being there in the White House,” keepers said.

Being selected was quite an honor for Keepers.

“it’s just great to be able to share that experience with the people of West Virginia,” Keepers said.

He says while there may be hardships people face...We lose sight of really how blessed we are.

“What attracts [people] toward this state is the hearts of West Virginia and not only for this holiday season but all year. We really have to continue this upward climb. We’re all in it together, unite under the flag. It’s still the greatest place on earth we have an obligation to maintain it, we’ve got so much to lose,” said Keepers.

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