Great place for arts and crafts supplies. Nice place to take the kids on a rainy day to get them off the phones. Really friendly staff.

Today was my first time visiting FLAX but certainly wont be my last. While I was impressed by the large selection of items (all from name brands) and the prices (which were comparable, if not better than many larger stores), my favorite part of the store experience was the people.I was looking to buy a new mechanical pencil, and the help I received was top-tier. I dont remember the name of who I spoke with, but they walked me through all the conceivable options (weighting the pros and cons of each) and gave me recommendations on what to use for what along the way. They were incredibly friendly, knew what they were talking about, and just a pleasant person to talk to.Overall, I didnt know buying a pencil could be this wonderful, and I cannot recommend FLAX enough. I cannot wait until I have another excuse to return to this amazing store.

Best art supply store around! Great selection and variety. Helpful staff. And theres always fun sale stuff available. The parking lot is in the back and its a little tricky to get there with all the one way streets, but is way better than.l parking out front.

Broad selection of art and art-related supplies. Spacious, well-ventilated building, brimming with inspiring and unconventional materials for all types of artistic projects. Went in during an artist’s block and came out inspired and stocked for my next series; all for under $100! If you’re in the east bay, this is a great option for local art supplies. Give it a go!

Best art store in the Bay Area. They have everything you need and the knowledgeable people to help you with any problem you may have. I wont go anywhere else for my art needs

The space is huge and everything is very organized. Its very easy and pleasant to look for stuffs. The staff are always very helpful and friendly. Since I found Flax, I rarely go to Michaels anymore.

Amazing store. My favorite stationery store to visit. Awesome helpful staff

Flax is one of the last real art stores in the Bay Area. With a lengthy history on Market Street in SF, I feel lucky that they moved to Oakland to be closer to me. They carry a diverse collection of quality art supplies. Also bonus points for supporting many other local organizations.

If you need to get your creative juices geared up, why go anywhere else? If you need it, they have 3 different options for you... Great, helpful, and arty crew!

A workshop on a brand of acrylic paint products brought me to Flax this past Sunday and it marked for me a reintroduction of this retail establishment after a period of away on my part. The presenter was very knowledgeable about the products associated with the paint brand but she also responded skillfully - and with a touch of humor - to questions posed by those attending the workshop. In anticipation of the workshop, of course, the store offered discounts of the product and store employees were on hand to answer questions and offer recommendations on brushes and other related products. In addition to educational experiences like this workshop, Flax hosts other gatherings such as a Kidsfest, a free day dedicated to arts and crafts for kids and their families. For those of us who find joy browsing in the midst of brush pens, sketchbooks, water brushes and other art supplies Flax is an awesome place to roam.

Super fun atmosphere, beautiful store. The employees are super nice and knowledgeable. Easily my favorite art store!!

Had great time at a drive in play

Really great art store in Oakland. I don’t live nearby but happened to be in the area for work, and wanted to look at some papers for bookend sheets. They’ve got parking in the back, but I didn’t realize this until I had already parked on the street out front. Luckily I had found a meter that was already paid for!Very bright and large art store that looks to have anything you would need for an art project! I was greeted by an employee as soon as I walked in the door and pointed in the direction of what I was looking for.Like I mentioned, I needed high quality papers for possible bookend sheets, and boy did they have a selection! Attached are some pictures I took. I didn’t buy any because I was just scoping, but I’ll certainly be back when I decide on a color scheme.

It is as good as the one in San Francisco. Super friendly staff and everything was easy to find. Ill def come back.

As good as an art supply place can get. Great service. Knowledgeable personnel. When was the last time you treated yourself to a Fountain pen. Ask Jane to find you the right one. You need the right one to write one.

Really cool space. You could find a lot of what you’d like here, but I personally couldn’t find quite what I wanted to unfortunately. I was looking for oblique pen holders that weren’t Speedball. Kind, helpful staff though.

This art supply store has everything for artists, from children just starting out learning to those who have been in the game for decades. Their supplies are quality products. This store has your creativity covered, if Flax doesnt have what you need I bet they could get it! Staff is very friendly and helpful. I highly recommend them.

🧑‍🎤WoW Now Our Favorite!!👩‍🎤

Awesome place to buy art supplies! Theres a older Asian man that works there and hes very helpful. I went to get painting supplies for my dad, and this staff person helped me decide what to get and explained everything.

They are high but the store is clean very setup the staff is nice.

Amazing supply, enduring an artist and aspiring artist can dream of

Prices are rough (welcome to the art world, yes) but the staff here is always kind. I love their papers and greeting cards, and usually leave with ribbon. Parking can be a bit rough, but its a nice store. Recommended.

Historic local business. They moved to Oakland a few years ago from their spot in SF and Im so glad they did. This space is amazing, the staff is great and their prices are amazing for a small business because of the length of their relationships. Cant recommend enough

Best Art Store hands down. Friendly staff and a great selection, plus awesome art on the building!

Good selection, friendly staff.

This! Place! There are so many art supplies for so many ages, you really can’t go wrong. You could just walk in the store not looking for something and be inspired to be artistic. It is very well organized and very clean. Bathrooms are on-site if needed. They also have parking which is a bonus for being downtown! They host a children’s art festival every year which is the highlight for my three-year-old daughter. This is such a special place in Oakland.

They gave all the paper you could dream up and all the cool like art supplies here at one store

I am an art noob and had no idea what I needed for an upcoming watercolor workshop, Jane was so kind and gave me a tour of what I might need, some personal recommendations and kindly explained what common art terms like “gauche” mean.Thank you Jane! I have no doubt that everyone working in this shop are as nice and helpful, would totally recommend and come back!

This store is real cool. Art stuff on top of art stuff ! Get you some 🎨👍🏼It’s a whole warehouse of it.

Super cute local art store. Independently run so your supporting local businesses. This place is BIG for an independent shop.I went in because its one of the only fountain pen desks left in the bay area. If youre looking for fountain pens and want to talk to someone knowledgeable, call ahead and find out if Jane is working. Jane was so nice and knowledgeable. Not only that but they really know their stuff and it shows in the amount of information they are willing to share as well as the meticulous detail they have obviously been putting in to their counter.Aside for Jane and her amazing pens, this shop has a large selection to chose from traditional art supplies to hobbies as well as framing supplies. They also have a wonderful notebook and stationary section with every type of notebook you could want including blank, lined, grid, and dot. They also frequently have a test notebook out so that you can test your favorite pens on the paper so you know you wont be disappointed. This is a huge plus for those who bullet journal, sketch, use fountain pens, or paint with watercolor and want to test the paper. Highly recommend this place!

Great selection, easy to use website & curbside pickup. Really great communication via text about order status, etc. I have bought or tried to buy from two other art stores in the past few days and will probably just stick to Flax from here on out.

My go to art shop in downtown Oakland! Source of inspiration!

Great place to buy sketching supplies. I really appreciate the tester sketchbooks so I can feel the paper quality before buying.

Great place! If you want it, theyve got it. Friendly folk, too. PLUS, you can park in their parking lot! Gorgeous store. Its bright and easy to navigate. Highly recommend.

Great selection of paper, inks and don’t forget to check the clearance section!

Fabulous place. You want art supplies, this is the place to go!

Vandalise everything. ITS GAVIN BISH

Flax is a great place for art supplies! Prices for many items are competitive with online. People are extremely nice. They have parking. Why arent you there?

I would rate FLAX 6 stars if possibe.Is a fantastic store.Wonderful assortment of many delightful items. I will be returning soon most definitely and for years to come.Jane is fabulous. More than a stellar associate. A true store and pen counter ambassador.I have nothing but superlatives to describe her and the establishment.

Everyone there is super helpful. Even those who dont woke there!! Highly recommend them.

Really an amazing place. The first time you go, its almost overwhelming with all the cool things they have. They do have just about anything you would need for craft or art. And if you dont see it ask somebody and they can help you. The staff is very friendly.

It is my perfect art store. I cant think of any way to make it better, honestly.

So many different kinds of art supplies. I was disappointed they didnt carry more calligraphy stuff and that staff were following me around making me feel extremely uncomfortable. I ended up walking out with a coloring book I kind of wanted. Meh.

Great place for art supplies. They have a literal ton of art supplies in stock, and are willing to sell all of it for various amounts of dollars. Imagine that!

How did I not know of this place?! This knocks other shops (Blick, etc) out of the park. It is well organized, bright and airy, and has everything an artist could need. I particularly loved drooling over their nice selection of fountain pens, which are hard to find in brick and mortar shops. I cant wait to return!

Best Art Store in the Bay Area, Hands Down.Sadly they had to move from San Francisco where their store was a heaven for Art Lovers.This new location in Oakland is a fraction of the the previous store but still carries an extraordinary selection of products and services that will take you many hours to go through.You would be not disappointed!

Never a better place to get all your art supply - Support Your Local Businesses - these guys are great

A great place to work!

Another great art store to get supplies and everything else you need for all different types and people of all ages. In store shopping available GREAT DEALS on paint brushes and staff is very helpful. Highly recommended

This is our only art supply store. We have been going to them for our 20 years (when they were in SF). Now that we are parents of a 14 and 12 yr old boys, we have passed it to a new generation.

I always get inspired when I go there!The staff has been awesome, the prices are fair and the sales are even better.I encourage my out-of-town friends to make time to swing by when they visit: they dont have THIS in your town I tell them 😜

They were super kind and helpful. I was able to find everything I needed.

Art supplies and fun store to spend time in

Everything an artist can dream of. Folks are nice, helpful and patient with questions. The mural, in the parking lot, by Natty Rebel, represents Oakland. Easy to order online and quick store pick up.

Greg but needed more greeting cards

Great selection. Free parking. Well presented. Good layout. Helpful staff

Great Art Supply store. Customer Service is out standing. Friendly staff, cool, relaxed shopping experience. Great prices, and good sales. Spend your money there. Its a must have and needed stay for Oakland, Ca. Excellent location: Parking & Bike racks. 2 Thumbs Up for me.

Well to tell you the truth, I love art and I am an artist in an unartistic kinda way. Ive been an artist delivering blank canvasses to artists who need blank canvasses in a metaphorical kinda way for awhile now. I feel like Im visiting the Valley Life Sciences building on the U.C. Berkeley campus when I buy from FLAX. Everyone who works hard here is awesome. Thanks! ❤ You!

The legendary art supply business has a location in downtown Oakland.Visit it if you are artsy or not so artsy.The staff is very helpful.I didnt purchase anything there so I cant really say if the prices are competitive.But Oaklands our community deserves to have as many outlets at which to purchase supplies so lets keep this one in business.

This is what art supply stores used to be like.Tons of selection and staffed by friendly people. I always walk out with more than I intended.The prices are good too. I was charged $25 for a beginners pottery toolkit through my class In Walnut Creek. Flax has a similar kit with better quality tools for $10.Just purchased my first fountain pen at Flax. The staff member, Jane, was delightful. She explained everything, walked me through the inks and gave me great advice on the care of my new pen. This is why you go to actual stores. The people make it worth the effort.

The salespeople are always courteous and knowledgeable,and helpful when needed. I always enjoy shopping at Flax. Thank you

Place is rad. Support your local art store.

I definitely miss the SF FLAX but your Oakland location is fantastic. great space, superb in stock selection, and an extremely knowledgeable and helpful staff. super special shout-out to Jane in the pens section who spent a ridiculous amount of time with me teaching me about fountain pens without making me feel like the n00b I am (gift for a friend, Im a fountain pen virgin)

If youre an artist of any sort check them out

One of my favorite art supply stores here in the Bay Area. I come here when I’m looking for more watercolor paints as well as paper and brushes. They also carry a wide selection of other supplies and I love browsing their beautiful papers they have of different designs and motifs.

This place has a great selection of art and craft supplies, including a good-sized kids section. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. I love that its locally owned. Prices seem reasonable, but I dont shop for art supplies often so Im not sure. Its in a somewhat out-of-the-way location in downtown Oakland, but they have a parking lot. I recommend making the switch from the chain art store to Flax.

This place has everything you need if you are a hobbyist/art for fun. Which is a lot better than almost every other physical storefront. If you are into fun project ideas, there are a ton just waiting to be found inside FLAX. Just be prepared to browse, the setup is quite random. Watercolors are by the entrance, paper is in the middle, brushes are someplace else, and so on. A fun trip any time, I even brought my two boys (2-4years old) and had a great time.

This store is so big it can get overwhelming! I still love it. Any kind of art supply you need, they have. And even if youre not doing a heavy duty project or even if youre not a capital A Artist, there is plenty for you here as well.I came just to browse and ended up buying a whole bunch of markers to use in my adult coloring book (I know, I know). They also have a pretty wide selection of those! I got to test all of the markets and colored pencils before I bought them to make sure they were the shade and depth I wanted. Always appreciate such things.They also have super high end markers for Artists. Fancy!Their selection of journals and sketchbooks is so very vast. Im pretty picky about my journals, yet I still found two different ones that I liked out of the dozens available.This isnt even mentioning the paper room and the adhesives section and on and on. Trust m, this place has everything. And the employees are friendly and helpful. And I just love it here.

Create create create

Dont miss the parking lot on 15th! Very friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable staff--ive talked to multiple people at different times and am always a little happier after. This store is well stocked, and has very fair prices. It seems quite multidisciplinary, too, so if you do something niche theres a fair chance theyll have something for you. Yeah, I love this store.

Wide open and high ceiling gives great sense of choices and the orderliness helps you want to improve your studio space! Parking is available and its a good place to just go get ideas due to rich stock.

One of the most comprehensive art, craft and hobby supply stores you can go to. Came here looking for artist calipers s, but they only had the kind for potters. Nevertheless they have an amazing assortment of quality loose leaf papers and paint/drawing surfaces. The building itself is also quite nice and features some unique art, and has a rare amount of parking space available in the back, which is nice for east bay since parking anywhere here is usually a pain in the neck (even with our handy placard.)

I came here to purchase a fountain pen and have come back to purchase two more over the past month. Most employees here are extremely knowledgeable in their area of expertise and if they arent they usually can find someone who will. The store is quite massive and has a huge, well organized selection with items ranging from premium fountain and other ink pens as well as high quality pencils, to every day supplies like journals, notebooks, and other writing material. Art supplies range from a large selection of paint and different paint varieties, brushes, and canvas/water color books as well as wooden boxes for decoration and other crafting supplies (think glue, wood, tools, fabric, leather, etc).There are even art, craft, and other classes that take place and are held here.As for its location it is quite easy to find, far from other shops and outlets and not positioned particularly ideally for public transit.All this taken into consideration I really enjoy the trips I take to Flax no matter the reason for my visit. I always leave happy and satisfied and always spend more than I intend to - impulse purchases are hard to avoid in a store like this! There will be something for yourself and most likely something for a family member, loved one, or friend.

As an artist, Im always seeking out a good art store anywhere I go. I was thrilled when FLAX moved to the east bay because its such a centralized location! Only a 5 min walk from BART and you arrive to a wonderland of art supplies but most importantly to some real expertise. These people are fellow ARTISTS, they KNOW whats up. The staff is always engaging, friendly and art knowledgeable. Calvin is one of my favorite dudes to talk to whenever Im there. Pick his brain about paints and you might end up talking about experiments in paper, acrylic, mediums and etc. Their prices are fair and the selection is great and it feels good to support the local economy. Its sad that they lost their space in SF....but its a definite WIN for Oakland. ♡♡♡

So kind and helpful. It was my first visit and it wont be my last 😁

Love this store. Loved it when it was in SF, love it even more because I don’t have to fight traffic and parking to get to it (when it was in SF).There’s a $1 sale going on right now (according to them, until the stock is gone) of great paper that can be used for wrapping, crafts, whatever.

This place is beautiful, open, bright and feels fun! I enjoyed shopping there - really friendly associates, large selection, easy to navigate, interesting items - and my daughter said she wished it could attach to our house. :)

Flax employee s were helpful. They actually ask if they can help you find something,! One hardly see that in a store anymore. I liked shopping at Flax and would recommend it to other artists

Everyone here is so nice. Staff go above and beyond when helping you. Love the fountain pens and great selection of bottled inks. Love to just walk around and see what my next project will be. A fun store if youre artsy/crafty or if you like writing implements.

We love FLAX and the new location is great. Its a bit smaller but the staff is amazing. They went above and beyond helping me with projects and getting me in touch with a local ink jet printer on a Sunday at 5 pm. Couldnt ask for more!

You can only reach the parking lot from 15th and Castro; one-way streets everywhere.Excellent selection of supplies for artwork in many styles; good selection of instructional books.

You want art supplies they got the goods. Plus the staff are artist with an awesome amount of knowledge. Take the time and chat with one of their awesome peoples!

This art store is a hidden gem. Tucked between downtown Oakland and the 880 freeway, this store boasts art items for novices and fine art enthusiasts alike. The pen section is particularly impressive, stocking a wide range of fountain, rollerball and dip pens. The staff, across the board, is knowledgeable and eager to assist customers. Thanks for the opportunity to share my feedback.

Great art spot and go-to place for supplies.// Navigating ParkingFor GPS, navigate towards the 15th and Castro intersection instead of default Maps location. 15th is a one way street and leads you to the Flax private parking lot and main store entrance in the back. Unless you find street parking, navigating to the default Martin Luther King location in Maps is not a great choice.

I really like this store. Its huge, has tons of supplies. The staff is very friendly and helpful. We bring our two year old and he loves running around and playing with all the great supplies. They have printing, painting, spray paints, pencils, paper, and so much... really a great art store in downtown oakland.

Good selection of art supplies and locally made goods. Nice customer service.

I love Flax! Everyone is kind and helpful and I always find things I never knew I wanted. A great place for gifts, too! I love their paper selection. Best art store in the Bay.

Very helpful employees,... very friendly and knowledgeable. I was pleasantly surprised when I did price comparisons with that big online retailer in Seattle that FLAX had lower prices on everything that I looked up on todays visit. They have a parking lot behind the building. The entrance is on 15th Street.

Man if u need anything artsy this is the place is little prissy but worth every penny an wow the staff they know there stuff thanks u guys

I am so bummed that this store is moving to the east bay. Walking into this art store is like heaven. They have sections for all different kinds of art. They also have a really helpful staff. They will help you find what you need and they have great suggestions for how to finish your project. I could spend so much money in this place. I love just wandering around and finding new hobbies that I havent even considered.

Staff is always happy to help, and the store has a great variety of supplies. I got some Tombow Fudenosuke brush pens there but they dont carry the Tombow mono erasers I was looking for - many comparable brands though! One thing about the store is that its not the best neighborhood but its accessible from downtown Oakland.

I really enjoyed this art store! Easy to navigate, thorough and just a nice place to be in. Found exactly what I needed and was out in less than 15 minutes!

This place was great! They had a wonderful selection of colored pens and their prices were very reasonable.

Great store. Found just what I needed. So glad they are in Oakland.

Not sure about the racial profiling experience of the other reviewer. Of course, I cant know what he experienced. And of course, racial profiling happens all the time. All I can say is that when I (a white woman) went to Flax recently, I was approached by at LEAST half a dozen employees to see if I needed any help. It seemed as though at every turn, someone was there to see if I needed anything. It was almost comical. Its a great place with really good prices.

My favorite art store and the only place I feel happy about paying more than online. Howard is a really genuine business owner who gives back to the community and the people who work at this store care about your experience. Its bright and open and has everything you need for arts and crafts.

Beautiful selection of printed papers. Tons of fun stuff, brightly lit store, well-curated selection of everything you need. Staff was very helpful and friendly. Plus parking too! Well worth the drive from the other side of the tunnel.

My favorite place to go when retail therapy is in order. High-quality art supplies and a knowledgeable staff of practicing artists, not bent on up-selling you. A bit pricey, but show me an art supply store with this quality of supplies that isnt!

The store was nice and well organized. They seem to make sure they had everything in stock and the person that assist me was very helpful and nice. Overall it was quite great service.

Great ambiance, with good selection of tools and paper.Lots of professional grade products in a variety of mediums