William Stout Architectural Books

I love that this bookstore exist. That there is a place you can go and be surrounded by beautiful books on design. I only wish that the people who work here cared at all about the customer experience. Take a note from City Lights. Passion and a welcoming attitude can go a long way. If I just wanted a book I could go to your website. I feel like I am disturbing the sales clerk whenever I ask a question.

I’ve been coming here for years, but won’t be returning after today. In the past, the staff has been soft-​spoken, but knowledgeable and willing to help if asked. However, my last several visits have been met with worsening degrees of exhausted-​acting snobbery and presumptuousness. Put simply, I don’t want to be made to feel guilty for asking someone to do their job…
I will try their Berkeley location this weekend, and hope to find a more accommodating staff. Otherwise, I’ll be sticking to the easier /​cheaper option: the Internet.

This bookstore offers a curated selection of wonderful architectural and design books and is a San Francisco institution. I can go in here at 1pm and suddenly its almost 5pm and I have to triage the pile of books I’ve set aside down to the one or two I can’t bear to live without.
There is a lot of stuff here you won’t find on Amazon and some stuff that you will but that you would not have found or appreciated without finding it first here. Although I usually look for the cheapest prices for things, I feel obliged to pay the reasonable price premium this store charges over Amazon to support their continued presence.
The staff can be a bit odd but William Stout himself has in the past taken an interest in my selections and offered to find related books for me, all of which have been spot-​on.

Simply shocking. Here right now. Two sales lady. One is swearing left and right and they’re engrossed in some private drama. Looking at the inventory. Good selection. Shocking prices. New prices for second hand books such as a second hand copy of Edwardian Country Life. I’m paying a premium to employ these two nuts? I don’t think so.

Yes it is a great bookstore, BUT…
Worst attitude from the two old male farts who work here. Get over yourself you work in a bookstore!
Have bought many books from this location (was going to buy several today) but they lost my business today! (This is why people order from Amazon).
A Suggestion, perhaps politely let your customers know that you will be closing soon instead of being passive aggressively rude.
FYI– They say rude things about customers after they leave the store and make no attempt to hide it. Who does that??? Grow up!

Staff are extremely knowledgeable and always eager to help.

In spite of their world class collection of books, they really should avoids king the case for one to turn to amazon. The whole point of supporting bricks and mortar stores is to actually receive good customer service. Being shut out at 5 minutes before closing is not the way to go in this regard. Bill, have a talk with your staff.

This place is amazing. Nuff said.

I love Stout books! The staff is courteous and informed, but won’t get in your way. The owner is a San Francisco icon … lose yourself in the cathedral of knowledge that is Stout Books!

They have a very wide assortment of architectural books. I would assume you’d find what you’re looking for in here & more.

Strolled by one night after dinner and decided to come back next day before leaving town. Delightfully packed with the good stuff as my overstuffed luggage could well attest. Had to limit meself to only 4 as in Quattro tomes for hours of slow satisfied perusal. This shop is a real winner, go by and buy and be glad you did. We was.

very good selection of architectural books but nothing you can not find on amazon. I like the old school feel of the place but the staff is hipster snooty. The books are not organized/​categorized in a clear way where a first time customer can browse coherently on their own… since the staff don’t even bother to greet you, it takes away the enjoyment of being in a great book store. Super pricy, some books are clearly used or have been on the shelf forever. I buy thousand of $$$ of books every year but definitely will not buy from them again.

If you are lover of design, William Stout Books will inspire you. Its one of the best specialty bookstores in San Francisco, hands down, for design-​afficiandos.

Amazing specialty bookstore. Huge collections. Well organized.
They have a beautiful store front. The entrance is open and inviting. Upon entering I was immediately greeting by the staff, which took me by surprise. The bookshelves are neat and organized by categories. There is a basement level that has even more books. I recall Graphic Design, Gardening, Landscape, Furniture Design, and Interior Design. The upstairs is mainly architecture books. If I lived nearby I would go there in my freetime all the time! It is worth a visit just to see the variety of books they carry.

This place is a shrine of amazing books. As an studying architect, this place is definitely a heaven of great books. Just a quick walk in this book store will inspire you. The shelves of books will leave you in awe.
It’s a pretty small space that’s consist of two floors. They place their newer books upstairs at the ground floor. The basement has a more variety of design books. Their main focus is architecture (score for me) and their collection is mind blowing.
I typically just walk in, find a book and sit on the floor for hours just to scan through as many as I could. I also purchase a few books here and there, you can definitely get the same book with a cheaper price on Amazon (or other book websites), but we need to help our local bookstores! Besides, William Stout might have books that you typically can’t find anywhere else.
The staff is nice. I really don’t know what more you can ask for if you’re looking for a great architectural book. (Also found in William Stout: Interior Design, Photography, Illustration, Typology, Graphics) What the hell, go on their website!

I love specialty bookstores, especially when they are local classics. William Stout Architectural Books may be a candy store for the Designer crowd, but there are still lots of treats for the rest of us.
My recent case in point is a neat collection of «Über Tourist» photos of San Francisco, all packaged in handsome wood bindery. There is no electronic download that can match the look and feel of this beauty.

Nine years ago, I moved away from San Francisco. One of the things I miss most is William Stout Architectural Books. My favorite bookstore in the Bay Area, and any place I’ve since lived.
I do appreciate the Architectural section on the store’s main floor, but truly I visit William Stout for the treasures that live in it’s basement. Downstairs you’ll find all the store’s Art, Design, and Photography books. A fan of these types of books can easily lose days here, if they’re not careful.
I try to visit this store whenever I return to the city. A perfect day is spent choosing a book, then wandering up to North Beach for a bite, and finally it’s Café Greco for espresso.

I design, therefor I am…
I love design, I eat it, I sleep it, I talk it and from time to time I sh*t it. WSA is my external library with hand to find books for both design and architecture. I love to spend hours here browsing and buying. It’s not uncommon to run into a colleague or friend when I’m here.
Selection is impressive, staff very knowledgeable and they can get you hard to find editions. I looked for months on the internet to find a specific book for my collection. Within a few days Stout was able to confirm my requested order and less than a week in was on my bookshelf. Amazon can’t compare to the service this business provides.

Wiliam Stout is probably the best art bookstore in San Francisco. Between architecture, design, photography, art history, they really do have an amazing selection of wonderful books. So why give them two stars? I’ll tell you.
1. Overpriced. I’m sorry to say that I typically just go to William Stout, which is in my neighborhood, to peruse books, get some inspiration, and find books that I will eventually buy on Amazon instead because they are ridiculously overpriced. Ex: Yesterday I wanted to buy Euclid’s Elements which W.S. sells for $ 60. Amazon: $ 37 new, free shipping, CLICK. Like many of your (now ex) customers, I’m a student and don’t have the money to support my local pretentious brick and mortar establishment who’s too angry at the fact that they’re the last one to give you decent service. You’re giving small business a bad name.
2. Rude Staff. It’s not that they’re just rude and couldn’t give a whip about helping you, but there’s this strong stench of egotism and snobbery and pretentiousness that seem to PERMEATE the whole place. Be warned that they all dress like 3^rd year architecture students (you’ll know what I’m talking about if you go there) and they have this Emo look smeared across their face like they’re the troubled geniuses of the architecture and art world. And I thought New York was snobby… oh and if you look at them in the eyes when you talk to them you won’t help but ask yourself: «is this guy stoned?»
As amazing as the physical store is (taking out the boring snob factor), you can find almost everything they carry elsewhere for much cheaper. Imagine going into a bookstore like W.S. where someone actually cracks a half smile and will sacrifice, oh, 5 minutes? of their time to help you buy one of their overpriced items. Maybe you get into a slightly superficial but still pleasant conversation about contemporary architecture and design elements, perhaps a *gasp* suggestion on their part for other books, you know, someone who gives a crap. If I have to buy things from people who don’t give a crap, then cut out the middle man. Thank you Amazon.

Fantastic specialty book store. So many books that i would like to get my grubby hands on.
two qualifications:
1) The staff is very hit or miss. some of them are fantastic and helpful, others not so much.
2) i find the store hard to navigate. They could definitely use a bigger space with more light and wider aisles.

Books galore about architecture, landscape architecture, construction & design-​related topics. In piles. On the table. Along the wall. On shelves. Under the tables. On the main floor. Downstairs. Along the partitions.
No matter where they are tucked, they have a smashing collection of published works from Alvar Aalto to Frederick Law Olmstead to FLW and everything in between. Go spend a little time and browse and see what’s happening in the built world. It’s pretty cool.