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Store employee, Pam Kneller of Urbana, jokes with Cathy Murphy, store manager for Bella Home, while putting on earrings next to a case filled with jewelry on Friday afternoon at the store in downtown Urbana.

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Walking up the stairs to Bella Home, located at 110 Main St. in downtown Urbana, is a little bit misleading, because it is like a pathway into another world. Cathy Murphy, the general manager, greets you right away and you automatically feel as though you're walking into her home.

Bella Home is a store that is laid out like a trendy apartment with several different rooms, each one with a theme for a certain part of the house. It is a one-stop shop; you can decorate your entire home and fill your closet in one visit. The sturdy brick walls of the building line each room, and the manicured wood flooring allows for the click-clack of Murphy's high heels as she leads though each part.

One of the rooms is set up like a dining room. The long, rectangular table is set so you expect the first course to be served momentarily. Murphy explains that the flatware is made by the brand Julisca, which models its design after 14th century styles. The dishes are sturdy, but designed so that one would never guess.

"We're in the process of setting up a gift registry for brides, or just couples who have been married for 20 years and are sick of what they started with," she says.

Bella Home is owned by Carmen Davis Kirby, who also is co-owner of Davis Electrics, as well as the owner of Bella Mia, a boutique in Champaign. The mother of three had the idea of a home store for a long time, but it wasn't until she found the space at 110 Main when the idea was really thrown into action. Murphy, a faithful customer at Bella Mia, was called in early November and within four months Bella Home was open for business (the store's opening day was Feb. 28).

The tour continues through the living room area of the store, where the couches and chairs are just itching for a good conversation over cocktails, followed by a room with chiefly cocktail napkins, entertaining CDs, stationery and tablecloths. This room is facing Main Street, and the March sunshine filters through the windows, making all the colors seem even more vibrant than before.

"This building was originally a factory for Pan-O-Cakes," Murphy says. "The company would send the cake out anywhere in the United States in the pan for just 39 cents, and there's the original poster." The poster is yellow and red, and below it sits water crackers and spread for the customers to sample.

The bedroom is a girl's heaven. The bedding is floral and bright, and the multitude of pillows makes a sleepy college student want to curl up right along side the display of the different bedding patterns. Right ahead is a cappuccino machine, so for $1.50 shoppers can sip while they browse, making the store feel more like a home.

Past the cappuccino machine is the shoe room. "We'll eventually be carrying 80 styles of shoes, hopefully by early April," Murphy says excitedly. Following the shoe room is the room for teenagers. This room is one of the most unique of all, because it was designed by Carmen Kirby's teenage daughter and her best friend. The walls are bubblegum pink and the far wall has quotes in loopy cursive about laughter, love and friendship. There are manicure sets, iPod cases, flip flops and tank tops, as well as a bulletin board with pictures of the girls and their friends.

The closet is next. Laid out like the backstage at a runway show, there are about 15 racks of clothing in the airy room. Ranging in brands from Trina Turk and Juicy Couture to Scrapbook, their idea is to have something for women of all ages. In the middle of the room, two teenage girls and another staff member are sifting through catalogs, pricing jewelry and commenting on their products.

"You really have everything here, from personal fun, like clothes and shoes, to enough cocktail napkins to open your own bar and the furniture to create your living room," said Murphy. "This space is just so perfect for Carmen's dream, and I'm so glad everything has finally fallen together."