Post and Courier Feature May 2026

GREENVILLE — A boutique has opened in a former dentist's office in the West End, with the goal of becoming the “go-to” spot for home and gift shopping in Greenville. David Fruscione relocated his showroom and design studio, Republic of Decor, from Florida earlier this year.

Fruscione considered making the Augusta Street location the second iteration of his original store, but he decided to go all-in after exploring the Greenville market.
“It's a growing city, and it's on every top-10 list, so there's a lot of buzz here,” Fruscione said.

What items and services does Republic of Decor offer?

Republic of Decor offers a mix of gifts, home accessories and interior design objects and decor. Fruscione — who has worked in corporate design for major brands including Banana Republic and Chico’s brands — also offers interior design services.

He searches for handmade pieces and finds artisans and designers to partner with, often from across the U.S. or from other countries. “Someone's spending hours making that piece, you know, their energy is in that piece,” Fruscione said. “It's not stuff that's all coming off of an assembly line in China.”

Featured in the showroom:
A curated selection of tabletop décor
Accent furnishings
Artwork
Wallpaper

Gifts and home decor:
Handmade decorative pieces
Candles
Pillows
Serveware
Gourmet treats
Coffee table books
Stationery
Baby gifts
Custom scents named for Greenville neighborhoods

Interior design services run the gamut from accessory packages to room refreshes to home remodels and to new construction. He sees his storefront as his business card that can lead to deeper conversations about design work.

“So hopefully, just like it did in Florida, that when people come in … they'll get to know me, they'll be inspired, and that will lead to inquiries about doing design work for them,” Fruscione said.

What brought designer David Fruscione to Greenville?

Fruscione first heard of Greenville from a friend in Florida who kept talking it up.
He began to consider buying a second home, and he already had friends around Asheville, so that’s where he expected to land. Before buying a home, however, he took his friend’s advice and decided to spend a few nights at the Grand Bohemian Lodge on the Reedy River. He told his friend he finally understood the appeal.

“That is really when the seed was planted,” Fruscione said, later adding. “Asheville is a great town, but to me, I felt like I could find my customer in Greenville.”

He began exploring the city while looking for a home, and wherever he went, he would ask people questions about where they go for gifts and home decor. He bought a house, and his real estate agent put him in touch with a commercial broker.

From his conversations, Fruscione said he grew to believe that his store could fill a niche in Greenville. He searched for commercial spaces and found his current spot during Artisphere. It had what he was looking for: a downtown location, visibility and foot traffic.

With two spaces across two states, Fruscione decided to go all in on the Greenville store. It was bigger and was situated in a growing city that offered year-round customers, rather than the seasonal residents, or “snowbirds,” who stayed in South Florida to escape harsh northern winters.

“The fact that Greenville is growing and it is more year-round was the thing that really motivated me to move here,” Fruscione said.