Jennifer Taylor had dreamed about owning a home-furnishings store.

"My ultimate goal is to travel around the world and do buying for my own store," she said.

She has fulfilled her dream, opening the Leopard Park store in the Stony Point Shopping Center off Huguenot Road (next to the Ukrop's store) about six months ago. She said she is working on her ultimate goal.

"I go to Atlanta about four times a year to the designer market there," she said. "I want to travel and fly to places like Brazil or the Philippines and do the direct buying. But that's down the road."

Taylor grew up overseas and moved to the U.S. to attend college. She landed in Washington, where she operated a graphic design business for 20 years.

She moved to Richmond in 2005. She continued her graphic design business here but also began searching for a retail concept and location.

Operating a home-furnishings store seemed like a good idea, she said.

"Graphic design lent itself well to home interior," she said. "People would say, 'You have flair for color and balance. You have an eye for things.'"

After deciding on a home-fashion field, Taylor spent a year and a half searching for a location.

She looked at places in Carytown and the area around Libbie and Grove avenues. But too many stores were similar to what she wanted to create.

"Finding the right location was key," she said. "I went through all the ZIP codes and the demographics."

She settled on the Stony Point Shopping Center (not to be confused with Stony Point Fashion Park) because she said upper-end home-furnishings locations in South Richmond and Chesterfield County are limited.

"It was a niche that was lacking on the South Side," she said.

Leopard Park carries a mix of home products, including lamps, mirrors, artwork and accent furniture surrounded by Corinthian columns and potted palms. The shop's strength, she said, is in its offerings of decorative accessories, from vases and plates to candleholders.

"We have traditional items, but they are unique," she said.

She named the store Leopard Park for two reasons. Park is her maiden name, and a leopard design is a beautiful and timeless print. "It is just gorgeous and very elegant.

"I just wanted to carry the message of what Leopard Park is all about . . . that it is tasteful and timeless," she said. "This is not a safari store at all."

Another Ollie's coming

Look for Ollie's Bargain Outlet to open its second Richmond-area location this month.

The no-frills bargain hunter's paradise is taking over the former Winn-Dixie space at 12450 Gayton Road in the Gayton Centre Shopping Center.

Hall of fame

The Greater Richmond Business Hall of Fame will induct three business leaders May 15.

The ceremony and banquet, to be held at The Jefferson Hotel, is sponsored by Junior Achievement of Central Virginia.

This year's inductees are: