my boyfriend and i went to go have brunch at eggy's nearby and while waiting for the bus we were…read morejust looking at the stores nearby. i saw the signs outside that made it feel like i was more welcome but i unfortunately felt anything but welcome. i was just walking around looking at everything but a couple minutes after i had started looking at some items i noticed the worker starting to follow us. of course i didnt suspect anything of it because i thought that she would ask us if we needed help or wanted to check up on us. but i made a little loop around one of the areas and she still followed. she kept getting closer and closer to us which made me feel really uncomfortable. maybe its because of the way i look since i have dyed hair and am asian idk but my boyfriend suggested that we leave because she probably thought that we would steal something. i saw a similar review with the exact same situation but seriously if you are poc / look queer please just be careful here

I've shopped here frequently over the years. About a year ago I bought a sterling silver ring here…read morewith a blue stone. Unfortunately, the stone turned into a greenish brown color. I stopped by today to ask about it and was prepared to simply buy a new ring-- it was fairly inexpensive. The store was empty, and there were two people working there who did not greet me when I walked in, as they were busy complaining loudly about someone. I stepped up to the counter, and despite the workers standing behind the counter, and one person looking at me directly, they still didn't greet me. At one point, one looked like she was coming toward me, looked me in the eye and then grabbed her beverage and turned away. Finally I asked directly for help. I showed her the ring and asked to look at the identical one behind the counter. She got very nervous and told me they hadn't seen a stone turn brown before. She immediately told me that she would not contact the company for me, that I needed to do it myself. I hadn't even asked her to. She kept saying things like "well if it had been two weeks we maybe could help you." to which I responded, "do you expect a ring to turn brown after 2 weeks?" She then said she couldn't contact the company because they would "ask her questions" she didn't know the answer to. I have no answers either why a stone would turn brown with occasional wear, no chemicals, etc. I would think they would want to talk to the company about this if they are selling jewelry that turns brown. Anyway, I was just really turned off by the fact that they had an empty store, but yet basically told me I had to contact the wholesale distributor myself. It really seemed like these two are doing everything they can to do the least work possible! I typically think a nice thing about shopping at a local boutique would be the customer service.. not here. I did not buy a new ring, and will not shop here again.

The MCM team not only provides a broad selection of high quality furniture, but also great customer…read moreservice. They refinished two pieces for me, and bent over backwards to ensure that I had exactly the stain color I wanted. Communication with them was easy and prompt!

I cannot recommend Desiree and her team enough. They have a huge selection of high quality…read moreantiques, and the refinishing is gorgeous. I've included before and after photos of a bookcase we bought. All sticky drawers and rusty moving parts were fixed, and the final product is stunning!

I bought two birthday cards here because I like their greetings and design. Aside from greeting…read morecards, Palm + Perkins has a ton of other items that range from small gifts and home decor to overlooked kitchen utensils (like wine stoppers) and other knick knacks. Considering the small space, the store has a surprisingly large selection of items and it's all well organized. When checking out, the cashier was friendly and rang me up quickly. When I'm looking for a greeting card, gift or needing to stock up on utensils/tools for the house and kitchen, I will come back to Palm + Perkins. Just a thoughtful, gem of a store in the neighborhood.

Stopping by Palm + Perkins is like therapy (this was especially true this holiday season since we…read moredidn't see family or go anywhere). It's really like a candy store for adults - there's something amazing (and made my local makers) in every corner you look! On this most recent visit, I went a couple days after Christmas and stocked up on holiday cards and ornaments for 2021 since all their holiday items were 50% off. The entire store was also 25% off as per their end-of-year sale. They have a fantastic selection of cards, gifts, homewares, jewelry, accessories, and select clothing items. It's the perfect place to treat yourself or others. They're doing a great job limiting people in their store and have hand sanitizer available.

Smells nice in there for a used furniture store. They had some nice stuff but it was absurdly…read moreexpensive still. Nobody offered to even say hi or offer advice as we were looking for an arm chair. They have multiple levels and generally stuff is staged nicely. Also some cool art prints but hard to find anything decently priced

Bay Home Consignment in Berkeley is amazing! I had such a…read moregreat experience here. The store is beautifully organized with high-quality pieces, fair prices, and a constantly changing selection. The staff is friendly, welcoming, and genuinely helpful without being pushy. You can tell they really care about matching people with the right items. I found exactly what I was looking for and the whole process was easy from start to finish. I'll definitely be coming back--this is one of Berkeley's hidden gems!

There is no place like this place. It's such a beautiful store, filled with all sorts of absolutely…read moreexquisite things, nothing like typical Mexican import places. You feel like you're in a museum surrounded by artifacts, except the prices are so reasonable. Talavera Ceramics brings the real Mexico to us. And there's no one like Lilia, the amazingly knowledgeable gal who has run the place for 20 years. She and the store are truly Bay Area treasures!

We are so happy to have our wood burning oven finally completed. The tiles we chose were special…read moreorder, but work the wait. This oven has been used for years and we finally got our tiles done, long over due. There were so many options, it was hard to choose.

I purchased an Ashmont Quilt-F/Q-Coastal Blue/Sunflower ITEM…read moreNO.: Q1075-F. The threading started to separate and it was just over 30 days. A new quilt was sent. It has completely fallen apart. I had issues with the sheets as well. I haven't ever had a pair of sheets just split. I'm flabbergasted. The "enduring quality" had a time limit.

I have mixed feelings about this store. If you're someone who regularly shops at the regular Serena…read more& Lily store, there are steals to be had here. If you're not, you're better off going to Home Goods (better selection, better prices)! What you pay for with a store like S&L is curation, service, and the store experience (inspiration, design ideas). You don't have that here. The worst part is you can't return anything. I bought a pair of Euro shams here for about $100 then discovered they were the wrong shade of blue... stuck with them now. I've been here about 5 times and these are some sample prices: - Shams $45-55 each (indoor and outdoor) - Lamps $300 each - Nightstands $500 each - Sofas $2000 each

This is my "go to" store for gifts for any occasion. I never fail to find something from among…read moretheir collection of artistic delights. And they always do a beautiful job of wrapping every gift. This family owned business is a pleasure to visit, and is truly a treasure in the Bay Area.

This is my go-to shop for whenever I need a gift. There are so many beautiful gifts to choose from…read moreand such creativity everywhere you look. Beautiful and unique jewelry, magical home decor made of wood, ceramics, candles, kitchenware, cards, and soaps - such an array of items you'll find nowhere else. And what I love most is that it is affordable. And Max! Carrying on the family tradition with a helping hand, warmth, and a smile.

Bought a Woody sofa. The seat cushion was not holding up. Cushion was replaced with one that was…read moreuncomfortable from day one. Sobu has refused to do anything about this. Terrible customer service. Do not recommend.

Love Sobu so much that our friends think we somehow share in the ownership structure ha! We…read moreparticularly love the oak pieces and have had a few for quite a long time but their rug collection is also very nice and we have two. Even though we've moved out of Oakland we still come visit whenever we are in town and regularly order to LA where we currently live. So glad to have discovered this store many years ago when we were living there and I think folks in other cities are missing out if they haven't discovered it too. I can't wait to buy my next piece - we have like 3 that were just waiting on a sale to buy :-)

Very recently I witnessed Urban Ore stop staff placing thousands of CDs into the trash. I asked…read more"why"? and was told "the cases were cracked or the discs were scratched". I went to the front and offered to take the CDs they were sending to the landfill. I stated I had boxes with me - the staff seemed amenable however when the manage Claudio was asked he overruled them and stated "no" - the CDs are now on the landfill - I have a machine to resurface discs, a press to flatten creased artwork and thousands of cases - however a company who's catch phrase is "zero waste" dumped" thousands of perfectly salvageable items. I contacted Urban Ore via email, via messaging and tagged them in social media as well as posting on their own FB page - no response. People donate items to Urban Ore thinking they think they are keeping them out of the landfill - the behavior of Claudio shows that this is a lie and Urban Ore appears to be a scam.

Came by this past weekend, and I was amazed by this place from the moment I stepped inside. It's a…read moregiant warehouse space organized into nicely labeled sections, and there's a massive yard out back with even more secondhand products for sale. The diverse offerings include bicycles and bike parts, furniture (sofas, tables, and more), lots of chairs, rugs, luggage, tools, electronics, speakers, musical instruments, CD's and records, remote controls, items that make you feel like you've gone back in time (like cassette tapes, vhs tapes, and floppy disks), books, toys, model trains, light fixtures, baskets, kitchenware/appliances, board games, crutches, building materials, doors, windows, bathtubs, toilets, garden sculptures, mirrors, cabinets and shelves, decorative items, artworks, plumbing hardware, door knobs, plastic cups and bottles, hats, shoes, and clothing. They even have scrap glass for mosaic or stained glass projects. We ended up purchasing some drum rings, as well as an awesome tote bag for just five bucks. The line at the front counter gets long at times, but it moves quickly with helpful workers making sure everything goes smoothly. You can even cut the line if you're paying with cash. No returns are allowed on items such as electronics and clothing. Dogs are welcome inside, with countless signs posted noting that it's not a poop and pee zone. There's also a sign near the toy section stating "unattended children will be given candy and a free puppy."

There are lots of gift shops around. They all look like they are supplied by the same vendors. I…read moredon't bother reviewing most of them. So it's not able when a shop stands out because of their selection of things that I might actually buy! Eclecticism! Maison d'Etre is one of those (and there are others on the same street!). I was impressed, and felt certain that they would have goods that changed over time as well. No mere Therapy store here! Best way to know what I'm talking about is to check out all the pictures.

Excellent customer service was on full display today as the store's employees calmly and…read moreprofessionally handled a very difficult customer. Despite offering multiple resolution options, the customer, clearly trying to provoke a confrontation, resorted to name-calling and unreasonable demands. Aside from that incident, the store itself offers a variety of unique items that make great gifts for loved ones, or even a treat for yourself!