Street of dreams. (John P. Sedlack of Sedlak Interiors)

Street of dreams

Measuring the growth of John P. Sedlak's home furnishings business over the last 40 years is simple: In 1947, he conducted business out of an alligator briefcase and the trunk of his car; in 1991, he conducts business out of a 137,000-square-foot showroom/office/warehouse in Solon, which, according to Sedlak, is now the largest furniture, appliance, and rug store in Ohio.

Opened in November of 1989, the new Sedlak Interiors building was built around Sedlak's dream, specifically, Sedlak's Street of Dreams, a novel marketing concept in the retail furniture industry. Within the center of this complex are 25 separate galleries, connected by a …