Stella House Books will open in spring 2026 at 31 S. Range Line Road in Carmel, Ind. Current reported that owners Miranda Armie and Sean Armie plan to break ground in late summer or early fall. The renovation and expansion will include a two-story addition of 3,700 square feet.
"We had always dreamed about a project that we could bring to life and build together," Miranda Armie said. "This dream turned into a bookstore. A bookstore is a unique way to join our two interests, our love of literature and that love of community."
The name was chosen to represent the owners' dreams for the bookstore. "Stella is Latin for 'star,' " Sean Armie noted. "That's what I see as the anchor of the store--the star bright in the sky, leading you to think about things beyond just the everyday. We want Stella House to be a place where people can dream, imagine and think about things that really matter."
The Armies hope the space exudes a welcoming Americana feel. "When we acquired this house, we were inspired by the architecture and by the stories that we imagined would be in the home," Miranda Armie recalled. "We want to create this beautiful, cozy experience where we can invite the people of Carmel and visitors in. We're going to have this beautiful children's section with a little playhouse. As you enter upstairs, our vision is that there's more to discover and explore. We are planning some amazing themed rooms. We're going to have a cafe that will serve coffee and some bakery items. We want people to be able to stay a while."
She added that Stella House will have a small event space and host book clubs and other activities: "We're curating a timeless collection of literature, even for classic and new, for the young and the old. We want everyone to be able to find something they love at Stella House. We would like to partner with local artists, publishers, authors, because we think that's what makes Carmel special in so many ways--our commitment to being local and supporting the arts."