Books, plants and vibes. A new 2-in-1 shop just opened in Johnson County shopping area

Around the corner from Homer’s Coffee House, down the street from the Overland Park Farmers’ Market pavilion, a green sign glows in a window.

“Locally owned” declares the book-shaped sign inside Kate Wieners’ new shop, Monstera’s Books. True to its name, monstera plants soak up the sunlight pouring in.

Monstera’s opened Tuesday at 7930 Floyd St., in the old Wyldewood Cellars building. Wieners wanted to get the store up and running before farmers market traffic starts on April 20.

Her store sells new and used romance, mystery, children’s books and more. Alongside its titles are dozens of potted plants ready for a new home.

Books, because Wieners loves books, and plants because — you guessed it.

“I love them,” Wieners said. “I love reading, and I’m a plant hoarder.”

Wieners also carries watering cans, propagation tubes and books about plants.

Wieners aimed to create a “vibey” space for customers to enjoy, with painted brick, tile floors and pink-and-green stripes running up a wall, near a tall bookshelf.

Though Wieners didn’t do much to announce Tuesday’s soft opening, she said it’s been busier than expected.

“A lot of people who came in are like, ‘We just heard about you today.’” she said.

A few customers trickled in Tuesday afternoon to peruse Wieners’ shelves, containing coffee table books, antique books and cards from Ruff House Print Shop in Lawrence.

In the far right corner are all of Wieners’ books for young readers. A mural of a sun and fuzzy caterpillar nose-deep in a book overlooks a kid-sized table.

Wieners is right on target from when she told The Star she’d open. In December, she’d guessed the shop would be ready early March.

“We had a deadline,” she laughed and made a swift downward chopping motion with her hand.

Monstera’s is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays to Fridays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, and noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays.

Wieners said they’ll have a grand opening ceremony at some point — announcement pending. Check Monstera’s Instagram for updates.

This story was originally published March 5, 2024 at 4:47 PM.

Jenna Thompson

The Kansas City Star

Jenna Thompson covers retail news for The Kansas City Star. A native of Lincoln, Nebraska, she previously reported for the Lincoln Journal Star and graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she studied journalism and English.