Upon first entering the store, your first reaction is, Wow, it looks very nice and comforting and homey in here.

And, well, that is to be expected because the store is filled with items meant to decorate the interior of your home.

The Shop Around The Corner located at 6816 Wooster Pike in The Strand, neighboring Eastern Hills Dry Cleaners.

For owner Tiffany Richardson, this home decor store is something she has long aspired to open.

“I possess an appreciation for nice things. Everything in this store is something I would put in my house or give as a gift,” Richardson said.

To begin to explain the eclectic variety and enormity of the home decor merchandise would be an exhausting read. But imagine a store redolent with the fragrance of aromatic candles, colorful upholstered furniture, ornate wall hangings, a variety of end tables, lamp stands and tables, an array of items to fill your China cabinet and a myriad of other enticing and inviting pieces of eye candy and fine, well-crafted pieces.

Customers will see a well-mannered Golden Retriever/Labrador dog named Banx curled up in its comfy bed beside the checkout counter. The one-year old comes to work with Richardson every day.

“I am from the south,” explains Richardson, “so the store also has a southern feel.”

The store is a place where people can garner new ideas for their homes, somewhere they can take a piece of fine decoration home with them that will brighten the mood.

In order to fill the store, she conducts a great deal of research, reads books and magazines and travels quite a bit to collect ideas for her customers.

The Shop Around The Corner opened March 31. Richardson chose Mariemont to open her shop because the village seemed a good fit for her and her personality. “My brother also lived here 10 years ago and I became familiar with the village. There is a lot of opportunity here for a retailer because this area offers more than one shopping destination.”

For more information, call the store at 271-5777 or e-mail trechardson@cinci.rr.com