Reverie Room, a bookstore with themed rooms and reading nooks, will open in the Warehouse Arts District this month

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Reverie Room bookstore opens later this month in the Warehouse Arts District | St. Pete Rising

Reverie Room, a new bookstore and lounge with themed rooms, reading nooks, and much more, is expected to open in the Warehouse Arts District later this month.

Owner Nichole Coronado is bringing the concept to 655 31st Street South, where she hopes visitors will come not only to find a book, but to stay awhile.

The 2,200-square-foot shop will share a building with FYI Dance Co. and a parking lot with Beech Kombucha. The space previously housed House of Vegano and The Body Electric Athletic Company.

Reverie Room is named for the idea of being pleasantly lost in thought. Inside, Coronado has divided the bookstore into four rooms, each with its own personality.

A children’s room leans into a whimsical mix of dragons, princes, princesses, bean bags, and a unicorn rug. The romance room has vintage furniture, floral touches, and darker, gothic-inspired decor. Coronado gave the nonfiction and adventure room a nautical feel inspired by the Tampa Bay area.

A separate lounge will host private events and smaller gatherings.

Coronado has spent the last several months painting and decorating the space, mixing new furniture with pieces sourced from vintage stores, Facebook Marketplace, and even her mother’s home.

“It was all just cosmetic stuff,” Coronado said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “Really, just paint and decorations, and just trying to figure out how I wanted to set everything up.”

Nichole Coronado, Owner of Reverie Room | St Pete Rising

The new bookstore is a significant career change for Coronado. Originally from Chicago, she moved to the Tampa area while in high school, attended the University of South Florida, and moved to St. Pete in 2021.

She studied to become a high school math teacher before deciding that path was not for her. Instead, she began working for a local construction company and worked her way up to chief financial officer.

Books, however, had been part of her life since childhood.

“My mom was like, ‘You would either be napping or reading. If we couldn’t find you, it was one of those two things,’” Coronado said.

Last year, Coronado left her CFO role and began considering whether to pursue a longtime dream of opening a small café. She wanted a place where friends could gather and people felt like they knew one another, but she did not want to get into food.

“So I was like, I love books. I will take a little turn there,” she said.

Coronado started looking for a location last fall. She initially imagined a small house with a porch, perhaps closer to Central Avenue, but the spaces she found were either too small or did not feel right. She also wanted to be a little farther from St. Pete’s existing bookstores.

Then a real estate agent showed her the Warehouse Arts District space.

 “I walked in and I was like, ‘Yep, this is it,’” Coronado said.

Reverie Room contains four themed rooms and a variety of reading nooks | st. Pete Rising

The bookstore will carry books across genres, from romance, mysteries, fantasy, and science fiction to cookbooks, self-help, philosophy, graphic novels, and children’s titles.

Coronado said romance will make up a meaningful part of the opening inventory because of the genre’s recent resurgence.

She expects the selection to evolve as readers make requests and show her what they want to buy.

Beyond books, Reverie Room will have candles, greeting cards, stationery, stickers, bookmarks, stuffed animals, squishies, and other gift items.

Coronado is also open to eventually selling physical media like vinyl, CDs, and DVDs if customers show interest.

A large U-shaped bar anchors the bookstore’s main lobby, where Coronado plans to serve drinks and light snacks.

Reverie Room will initially open without its beer and wine license, serving sodas and other nonalcoholic drinks, including options for children. Once the license is approved, Coronado plans to add wine and local craft beer.

She is also considering prepackaged snacks such as chips and olives, with the possibility of expanding the food offerings later.

The bookstore will carry books across genres, from romance, mysteries, fantasy, and science fiction to cookbooks, self-help, philosophy, graphic novels, and children’s titles | St. Pete Rising

Reverie Room will host local author events and book signings, as well as bookish crafts, writing nights, reading clubs, silent reading nights, and audio walks along the nearby Pinellas Trail.

“I want to have local authors come and be able to showcase and sell their books here,” Coronado said. “I wanted to do audio walks or silent reading nights, just things that incorporate books and help people also build community.”

For Coronado, reading is both an escape and a way to learn.

“I always like to have a nonfiction book and a fiction book going at the same time, so that way I’m learning a little bit of everything,” she said.

She also hopes Reverie Room can encourage people who have fallen out of the habit of reading. Her suggestion: start with an audiobook, a graphic novel, or a book you once loved.

Reverie Room is expected to soft open in late September.

Initially, the shop will be open Tuesday through Saturday from around 1 or 2 p.m. until 8 p.m., with shorter Sunday hours. The shop will be closed Mondays, although its schedule may change as she learns what customers want.

Be sure to follow Reverie Room on Facebook and Instagram for opening updates, new book releases, events, and more.