They say that home is where the heart is.

In Sheri Bogataj’s case, it’s also where her business was born.

Bogataj, owner of Juliana, a new boutique that opened last month, says that her new venture kicked off in an unlikely place.

“I started in my living room during Christmas,” she said.

Now in a 2,712-square-foot space on 1541 S.E. Piperberry Way, she calls her offerings a hodgepodge of women’s clothing and accessories, household decor and gifts.

“It’s a little bit of everything,” she said. “The criteria is everything has to be really cute.”

With offerings from such brands as Vera Bradley, Niki Biki Basics and Mim-Pi, Bogataj is proud to carry items that aren’t readily found in the area.

“It’s hard to get,” she said of Vera Bradley, best known for soft, brightly colored bags. “It’s a line that’s very popular in the South. I feel lucky to have it.”

Noting that the closest store that carries the brand is in Sumner, she added, “I’ve had people drive up from Allyn.”

Another item of note is Lollia, which she calls a beautiful, light fragrance line that includes mini-perfumes and lotions.

While one might assume Bogataj, 52, has a business or marketing degree, her former line of work is actually in nursing.

“After my parents died we ended getting our family business, which had to do with real estate,” she said. “I have experience running a business. I still do the books for my family business.

“It was kind of a convergence of things that led to the store. It’s kind of a big experiment. We’ll see what happens.”

Right now, what is happening is the selection of linens and tea and dishes. A large focus is on color — with a European vibe.

“I ended up with a lot of things from France,” said the self-described Francophile. “A lot of the antiques are from there.”

While Bogataj’s main focus is decor and housewares — her own preference to buy them had her thinking they would sell fast — she also is emphasizing Juliana’s apparel.

Bogataj said she plans to mark all U.S.-made and eco-friendly clothing with flag pins. She also plans to bring in items from area merchants.

“I think it’s great to shop locally,” she said.

With samples coming in from different lines, she said, most of the clothes are missy sizes, which can be challenging to fit. But she expects the offerings to expand over time.

“The goal is to find women’s clothing to fit more reasonably with the same amount of cuteness, style and still fit into a price range,” she said. “Hopefully in a short time I will be able to figure it out.”

Juliana is open Monday from 1-4:30 p.m. and Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.