Writer / Alyx Arnett
Downtown Tipton has a new place for readers to browse the shelves, discover a new favorite book and stay awhile.
Seven Seeds Bookstore, owned by business partners Diana Davis and Heather Wolford, opened Aug. 22 at 136 E. Jefferson St., with brand-new books making up most of its inventory. The idea behind it started with the pair having more books than they knew what to do with.
“We kind of ran out of room on our own shelving,” Wolford said. “I’m like, ‘What are we going to do? We need to buy more books.’ And I was like, ‘We should buy a bookstore.’”
At first, it was a joke. But not long after, Davis and Wolford were walking downtown when they spotted a “for rent” sign in a window. They called the number over lunch and were invited to tour the space that same day.
“We fell in love with it,” Davis said. “The visual hit immediately that, oh my gosh, this could be the bookstore.”
Within a few weeks, the bookstore was officially in motion.
Davis and Wolford met years ago while working in the same building at the Tipton County Fairgrounds, where Davis worked for Purdue Extension and Wolford worked for the county. They quickly found they shared a love of books. When it came time to open Seven Seeds, the two found they brought different strengths to the business. Wolford, a local artist, brings the creative vision.
“I’m very like, ‘I want to make everything,’” Wolford said. “If it can be made, I have to try.”
That creative touch carries into the store’s merchandise, with some items handmade. Wolford also plans to display some of her own artwork and offer art supplies, classes and other creative events for children and adults.
Davis, meanwhile, gravitates toward the details and day-to-day business operations.
“I’m more detailed, definitely lean really hard into the book side, and I’m also a bit more business-minded,” Davis said. “We’re very complementary people.”
The store’s name, Seven Seeds, comes from the seven members of their two families, including five children ranging in age from 8 to 19. The family has been part of bringing the bookstore to life, too, helping assemble bookshelves, stock shelves and prepare inventory. The kids were also among the bookstore’s earliest promoters. After first seeing the empty storefront, Davis said they went to school the next morning and “told everyone from the bus driver to all their teachers that they’re opening a bookstore.”
The shop offers a range of titles, with new books making up about 90% of the inventory. For Davis, the reason is simple.
“As weird as it sounds, it’s the smell of new books,” she said. “It’s an entire experience before you even start reading.”
The collection reflects the owners’ eclectic tastes, with genres spanning from Davis’ preference for nonfiction, history and murder mysteries to Wolford’s affinity for romance and beach reads. The store also features a section of comics and graphic novels for both kids and adults.
Having a bookstore full of new titles, however, hasn’t exactly solved the problem that helped start Seven Seeds in the first place.
“It is not uncommon for a new release, once it’s tagged, as it’s getting put on the shelf, to accidentally fall into one of our purses,” Davis said, laughing. “I tell my kids, ‘Well, this is part of my job. I have to read these.’”
Beyond selling books, Seven Seeds has a small coffee bar and seating area where customers can sit and chat or enjoy a book.
The store also spotlights local talent, dedicating a section to a different area author each month.
Davis said the store will continue to grow and adapt, with more events planned as the holiday season approaches.
“Everything is always evolving,” she said. “We’re just kind of starting out on the small side with the bookstore aspect, and then we’ll be ramping into the art classes and expanding.”
Seven Seeds Bookstore is located at 136 E. Jefferson St., Tipton. The store is typically open Tuesday through Saturday, and customers can check the Seven Seeds Bookstore Facebook page for weekly hours and event updates.
