I've been going here for nearly a decade and could not be more thankful to the wisdom and guidance…read morethe owners Tenzin and Tashi share. The experience elevates and enriches each one the chapters of my life I've walked through the doors, whether I was seeking energetic alignment or answers from pure curiosity. A rare and unique aspect of The Stone Room are the owners know where exactly on the planet the crystal, fossil, and mineral are from. Highly recommend and have much appreciation for this transformative and healing space.

Fantastic selection of gems, jewelry (including earrings!). Very affordable prices. The owner is…read moreamazing - very knowledgeable about gems and extremely kind and helpful! I won't shop anywhere else even though I live in another county. Thanks ! -Barbara and Melissa

This place is a delight! They have supplies for stained glass artwork, classes on stain glass, they…read morecan do custom stained glass, designs, basically everything you need related to stain glass. Out front they always have a little table that has an activity involving stained glass. It's fun to bring kids and let them do a stained glass art piece. For about 20 bucks you can have them put it in the kiln and come back the next day and pick up your kids artwork. What a great activity to do on fourth Street.

Recently took a class w friends w instructor Julie Orchard - mere words cannot capture her…read moreawesomeness.. She'sthat rare combo of extremely experienced & able to communicate everything clearly & calmly, while making you feel like you can totally do exactly the same thing she did... & then she made good on it! Srsly, everyone in the class was thrilled e their results. Honestly I was shocked at what we all were able to achieve in just a few short but super sweet hours. If you're a serious nose to the grindstone student you'll appreciate Julie's expertise & clarity. If you're a total beginner looking to just have fun Julie will help you do just that - AND make a super beautiful piece. Win/win! HIGHLY recommend Julie

This place is neat and it's a nice place to discover local designers. The original works here are…read moredecently priced --pretty reasonable actually. You can find a lot of modern artwork here as well as smaller works such as jewelry, cards, magnets and whatnot. The walls are covered from wall to wall with work. I didn't buy anything myself but it was nice to browse around. It'd be a nice place to find a gift for the art lover that you know.

A friend of mine paints there, and I have met other artists there who are very talented and…read moreconsider friends, although they're really more of acquaintances because I only see them at the gallery. You know what I mean.... A very large space, much larger than most galleries, and it's a working gallery, with artists painting amid the displayed works. Gera, the owner, is really cool and friendly. A great place to see a lot of very creative art and talk to artists as they create. They have a lot of events, usually on Saturday nights, which are always really fun, with music and good food and wine/beer/sodas/water. Plus, there's a huge free parking lot adjacent to the gallery, so parking is usually no problem. It's well worth checking out. I'm there often, and it's a great place to kind of just hang out. Buy some stuff and support the artists! It'll brighten up your home and help the arts.

I will have to say, when I first moved to the neighborhood years ago, I was intimidated by this…read morestore, as I am not a builder. This store is much more than a design and build bookstore! As the only bookstore in this part of town, it is a great source of other books--they have a well-curated selection of new and notable literature, small inspirational or novelty books, an impressive selection of children's books, cookbooks, craft kits, magazines, cards, calendars, puzzles, glass ornaments, funny socks, and other shoppy shop things. If you have a gift to get or are looking for something to read on your next flight, you would be in good hands at Builders. It's compact but full of gems. No need to be intimidated.

Really cute, small local bookstore. I really enjoyed the wide selection of books - ranged from…read moreindigenous stories to Japanese garden photography to existential philosophical books. Spent about 30 minutes browsing and ended up buying a book. Service seemed nice and helpful when I went. I overheard them talking about how they had to downsize back in the day due to more sales going through Amazon now. Makes sense - I think because it's a local bookstore, they do charge a bit more. If you compare some book prices in the store to online, they do cost a bit more in store - but I felt supporting local biz was worth!

We visited for the first time to see a small show of a friend's artwork. What a cool little shop…read more It seems to mostly sell the work of the craftspeople who have studios there. The items are so diverse. There are many cat-themed items -- not cat lady items, more like "cat dude" items. It's close to the Ashby Bart and the people seem very friendly and low key. They have some wonderful and reasonable art, lots of cool prints. I couldn't tell when they are open, but think it's worth a call if you are looking for a unique gift or artwork for your own space.

I love this gallery! They have all different kinds of art, from cute little cactus arrangements to…read morefull-on illustrations. I purchased several prints from here - including the pictured one of the cats wearing fish heads - and several cards as well. Everything is beautiful, handmade, and original. The owners are lovely and welcoming, and everything is well priced. Definitely worth a visit, but bring some $$$. I would come to all of their openings if I lived closer!

I can't recommend Nielsen Framing enough. I've had two recent projects framed by them-one a rush…read moreorder which needed a super fast turnaround, and one smaller but more sentimental photo which needed a cuter frame-and each time they were knowledgeable, helpful, tasteful in helping pick out frames and mats...and also just really kind in a way I miss experiencing when I don't shop locally. I showed up right before closing (I'm so sorry!) and they still graciously took the time to help me out so I wouldn't need to make a second trip. The price of both jobs was way lower than you'll find online or in box stores, and the quality was just incredible.

These guys are great…read more if you have nice pieces that you want preserved for a long time, and a great colobrative process on picking through all the options - there is no other choice. When you are spending time and money on something that you want to last a lifetime (and beyond), they exceeded my expectations on the process and the final product.

Over the past few years I have bought about a dozen pieces of glass art from this studio, usually…read morefor birthday or Xmas presents, and each time they were greatly appreciated. I happen to know the owner, Armelle, who is a gregarious and accommodating person and an amazing artist, with many years of professional experience in stained glass restoration. Armelle has worked on various prestigious projects, incl. SF City Hall, Grace Cathedral, St Thomas Cathedral in NYC and others as a team member and project manager at larger glass studios. At her own "atelier" in West Oakland she focuses on glass design and original art ranging from conceptual pieces to commission art, to functional glass objects (plates, bowls, platters, coasters, etc.). The prices are very reasonable, considering that each piece is unique and very well crafted. If you're looking for something quite a few notches above the generic mass-produced stuff from Ikea or Crate & Barrel, this is one place you should definitely check out. Highly recommended!

I found Atelier Le Roux randomly in a search for art glass on Yelp in Oakland. It was the first…read morestudio to pop up and I am really glad it did. What an amazing experience a visit to this studio is!!! Armelle was so friendly and invited me into her studio, taking the time to graciously show all the amazing projects her studio is working on. The work they perform in restoration of stain glass was absolutely breathtaking and inspiring. The attention to detail was incredible and the notes they keep on techniques and experiments were jaw dropping. I have a new appreciation of restoration work....Next, she revealed a project for a local restaurant which had elements of history and modernity. The fused work was subtle yet detailed....Finally, she revealed her personal work and each series was stunning and different from the next. Provocative, raw, yet sensitive. The scope of her work and the attention to detail was inspiring. I was truly honored that she shared her time and blown away when she very generously shared her kilning schedule and offered many suggestions to help me get started after finding out about my interest in fusing(thank you SO much!). This random visit was a high point in my vacation and if you like glass, I very highly recommend you give Armelle a call and visit! She does have shows and offers her personal work for sale. I bought a gorgeous one of a kind hand painted tray from her latest series and I return to LA a very happy inspired lady :-D

I'm giving two stars because the staff there are very nice. But the value is nowhere to be seen. I…read morebought a gift for a co-worker, a salt dish that totaled $30.87, that did not work as her gift. So I took it back 7 days later to find out they will not refund your money. They give store credit...guhreat! Just what I don't need! No refunds should be posted clearly. Now that I know, I will not make the mistake of buying from here again. Be careful before buying anything here- you might just be stuck with it or out your money if their merchandise doesn't work for your needs.

If you need a special gift or are furnishing your glamor pad, this spot has what you need…read more For many years they have curated a beautiful and high quality selection of house-wears, jewelry and gardening items. I love to stop by and window show and seek some inspiration. Sell some stock before you visit, the prices are in-line with the high quality! Half joking, they actually have a wide range of price points so you can likely find something whatever your budget. 4th Street shopping district in Berkeley is a great spot to visit, plan a longer visit and have a bite too. It makes the moderately challenging parking situation feel worth it.