Came here to get a frame, I knew the dimensions, and I found it, but then an employee insisted on helping me, and said I shouldn't buy this if I wasn't sure of the dimensions. I said I was pretty sure, I was willing to buy the frame but she said I should go home and be sure. I have no idea why she wouldn't let me buy the thing, and just risk returning it, which is what I wanted to do. Apparently, they don't want to take my money. So then I came back, I was right about the dimensions all along, but now they didn't have the size I needed anymore. An employee asked to help, i said "NO". Also, they don't give discounts to people who work at the mall, which some places do, so at this point I gave up. I won't come here in the future. I will have to just shop online, I wanted to buy it here, but they didn't make it easy. read more

turning into a craft store . Always under stocked . If you order something they don't have in stock.. be prepared to wait forever. They have a below average selection of paints, brushes and paper/canvas . They charge for paper bags and don't offer to wrap expensive water colour paper sheets. This why people shop on line! I am switching to on line art supply shopping. read more

Love this place; I could really overspend in here! Will do my best to cap it. (FAIL!) Followup: Ok, capping not so easy! It turns out they have a very small knitting section, and a small but very intriguing beading section. I came out of both sections with something in my hands. So much for the cap! However, I think I got good deals. Yarn for one hat for hubby; beads for more stitch markers for me; and art supplies for that ever elusive gift for the budding artist in the family. THIS WAS A GREAT VISIT!! Please note that they cater very much to all kinds of painting activities (not like rooms or walls, but the artistic kind), from easels to stretched canvases, and a wide variety of paints. Makes you just want to get your hands dirty! C'mon in and have some fun!! By the way, did you know that this is the last - one and only - De Serres store in Ottawa?! This store used to be located on Bank Street. Also, they have a loyalty program, as I discovered during this visit. read more

I absolutely LOVE this place. It's where I get all my drawing utensils and painting tools from. It has a wide variety of artsy things and little knick-knacks. There's even a small area in the store where many drawing books are displayed and you can read them there. I love this place and even recommended it to my friend Nina. Why only four stars? Sometimes the things here are a bit overpriced. I bought me a blender and burnisher pencil of about 3 dollars. And, this one may make sense but, the 3D pen was 106 dollars. Because of this, I usually like to buy my supplies when they're on sale. This place is like pure artist heaven. It has almost everything you possibly need (Well, except for Wacom tablets, if that's your thing). There small pencil and marker testing places scattered across the shelves and you can, well, test markers and pencils on them. I would recommend this place to the hundreds of artists in Canada. Have fun! read more

Great craft store with tons of supplies and variety. Staff is a bit reserved and prices aren't anything special, but always a joy to walk through. read more

Awesome place for art supplies! Web site is easy to use

Amazing help last time in. The personal touch with patient expert opinion when served. So happy with all done for me here -- my treasures marvellously presented! read more

I could spend hours here. They have so much and the prices are competitive. They have unique items too and good quality at fair prices. I will always go back just wished I lived closer read more

Ottawa's best art supply store - have everything plus more!! And they say they are opening a store in the west end. Great news!

My daughter loves art, and needed some sketchbooks. So we went over to DeSerres. For me, it was the first time to be in this store, for her the second. We browsed around and found more stuff that she could use, I was in a generous mood, so let her pick whatever she wanted. We went over to pay at the cashier. Isabelle was helping us. I noticed a sign about a free points card, and asked about it. Isabelle had not offered it when she was putting the prices in the cashier. We got a form to fill out, and then she mentioned that students would get 10% discount. She only needed to see my daughter's student card. Daughter did not have it with her though, and we could not get the 10%. To make sure, Isabelle asked Marie, apparently her superior, who was standing next to her, what to do. Marie, no smiles, also stuck to seeing the card and not give the discount. So I decided to return everything except the sketchbook, and come back later to get the same stuff with the 10%. After the returns were credited back, I asked why they needed to see her student card. Was there any information on that they needed to put in their computer? No, Isabelle said, it is only to make sure that she is a student. I looked at her incredulously, and asked: "This student is standing right in front of you. Does she look like a housewife to you? Or a child?" No response came, so I went on: "Do you realise that you disregard the human being in front of you because of your system? It is completely clear that she is a student, yet you stick to a rule that in this case does not make sense. It's fine with me though, you do what you want to do." Marie then sarcastically wished me a nice day, but it was clear from her face that was the last thing she wished me. Once outside, I asked my daughter if she was offered the free points card the first time she came in, and/or was offered the student discount. She denied both. Maybe in another store it would have made some sense that salespeople behave like androids, devoted to the rules of their system. But in an art store, where stuff is sold for the expression and development of the human soul, such an attitude seems highly out of place to me. And that is why we won't go back, and why I write this review, so that other people are aware of the soul of DeSerres. And that contains no creativity whatsoever. read more