Ace Barnes Hardware

My favorite hardware store in Ann Arbor — independently owned, but part of the Ace Hardware network. Friendly employees who actually can help you find exactly what you’re looking for (like hardware stores used to be). Incredibly diverse selection of household products, grilling supplies and kitchen goods. Got a *fantastic* deal on a Weber grill here at the end of summer.
For any hardware purchase, Barnes is my first stop. Support your local businesses before going to a chain store!

Much different from any other ace hardware stores– they have a large selection of kitchen goods, appliances and home décor in addition to hardware goods!
On an occasion where I had to return items without the receipt from last season the staff was very helpful and still able to process my returns!

This place is really a Pier One in disguise!
There was even a hostess ready to help you put together your perfect kitchen or patio! There are pots and pans, cute signs and décor, plates and silverware. Serious cooking supplies and table linens, even cookbooks. There was also patio areas and bathroom areas, etc.
The other side of the store is a traditional hardware store, but organized so neatly that it looked more like a catalog display. No sticky floors covered with paint, or guys treating you like a newbie because you can’t explain what wrench you need.
Probably the best thing about the place was the cleanliness. You didn’t feel grimy and gritty after leaving!

I used to be a loyal Ace shopper. no more.
aI had a very bad experience with their paint department – guy was so insufferably rude I actually had to walk out.
anyone can make a mistake tho right? I decided I would write to Ace and let them know what had happened. I was sure they would apologize and we’d all move on.
nope. after the auto «we’ve received your email and we’ll get back to you asap» email, I never heard from them again.
which is why they’ll never hear from me again.

An excellent mix of a proper hardware store, some good home furnishings, decent kitchen tools with some small appliances, and some basic garden material.
Definitely less resourceful, less impressively stocked, and far less of an experience than Stadium Hardware on the hardware front, but it’s got enough other things to save me multiple trips to kitchen, garden, and home furnishing stores.
The staff varies widely — the lady at the paint desk and the guys roaming the hardware section know their stuff well, but some of the checkout staff are almost painfully overwhelmed. On one recent visit, the clerk scanned every single item twice (and at a glacial pace each time) because they lost track of the order when totaling it up.

I LOVE Ace Barnes Hardware. They have the most amazing customer service ever. The staff are knowledgeable, kind, accommodating — I can’t say enough. And it’s more than a hardware store, they have an incredible selection of home goods too — Le Creuset, tons of tableware, decorative items — it restores the soul to walk around there for an hour :)

You can find a lot of things here that the big box stores don’t carry. We found an adhesive Home Depot told us they could order and have drop shipped. Wanted it this weekend not this month. Great selection of kitchen chatychkes too

Hmmm. I am surprised by these other reviews. While I think it is an amazing store product wise, I find their staff to be awful and incredibly unhelpful. They look bored and angry, and I was told on my most recent hardware store vista with question, that I should «probably just google it». We also had problems with a replacement part for an item they sold at the store, that we bought there. We couldn’t get a piece that worked, and instead of helping us with what seemed to me like a defective product for the second return (um, not fun for us either), they told us they «wouldn’t keep ordering them just for us to return them». I still shop here all the time, bc I think it is a unique store, but am always disappointed in the service. The only kind people in there are the at the check out counters.

I stopped by to pick up some stuff for BBQ, but ended up buying more stuff… I didn’t realize that I needed more stuff! I spent around 40 minutes in the store, working around and looking for things. I think I walked around the entire store couple of times.

I have found the staff at Ace to be some of the kindest, most helpful people. They know their stock and are happy to help think through the best product for my project.
They really have everything.

This place is amazing!!! They have everything!
I came in here after having a lunch at a near by restaurant. I didn’t really need anything, but the sign for Le Crusset cookware intrigued me and Ithought I would come in to have a look around.
The front of the store is open and light and has a large variety of cookware, home décor, placemats, rugs, glasses, french press coffee makers, etc… You could very easily find a gift for a friend or yourself here.
One of the coolest things I found was a huge selection of all natural cleaning products (e.g., Caldrea). I ended up finding a new scent of counter top cleaner that I have falled in love with (Rosewater Driftwood).
They also have your «run of the mill» ordinary things you would find at a hardware store (tools, light bulbs, paint, trash cans, etc).
If you are looking for anything you may need in relation to home maintance or about anything else, this is a place you have to stop!

Great hardware store. Friendly, knowledgeable staff; decent prices — the opposite of Home Depot.

I rarely come in here since I avoid even the simplest hardware related tasks like the plague but when I do I’m always happy. First, I love the smell of this place. It smells like Dodds & Edder, the hardware/​feed store where I grew up. Mmmmm, especially in the first early days of spring I sometimes just want to walk in and sniff.
I love their decorative items and ideas for setting up outdoor spaces; if this is the year I finally turn my deck into an outdoor oasis, it will be thanks to Ace Barnes Hardware. I also love how quick and easy it is to swap out propane tanks. We grill most meals once the weather gets warm (yesterday was our first day on the grill and we won’t stop until some time in November) so we are reliant on propane. The system here is quick and easy,
Staff are friendly and helpful, the stock is good and seasonal, the ideas are helpful and it’s not a ginormous warehouse. What could be better?

On the way to family Christmas, we stopped in to quickly purchase needle-​nose pliers for Grandpa. TIme to go, but wait! There’s not just one expensive lifetime-​warrantied pair, there’s also cheaper small black-​handled ones in the bargain bin, and larger yellow-​handled ones that will never get lost in a drawer. Let’s buy all three! TIme to go, but wait! There’s a kitchen cabinet and hardware aisle — let’s think about what we’d like for our kitchen back home. TIme to go, but wait! There’s the Christmas clearance aisle, and look at that Charley Brown Christmas tree. TIme to go, but wait! Look at all the kitchen utensils — things we «need,» like corkscrews, and strainers, and scoops, and bamboo utensil sets. TIme to go, but wait! Who knew there would be reading glasses, cheap and two designer brands in fancy cases (I can use 1.00 power now, when I’m not stubborn). TIme to go. Really, it’s time to go. Great service, great stock, great prices. If I still lived in A-​Squared, this would be one of my most visited stores.

Barnes Ace Hardware has all the usual hardware store merchandise, but I like them best for their kitchen section, which is about one quarter of the floor space.
Now that Kitchen Port is gone, where else are you to buy trendy kitchen doo-​dads? Barnes Ace Hardware has a lot of neat kitchen tools, dishes and glassware from simple to sophisticated, aprons and oven mitts and tea towels. Nice for kitchen-​themed gifts.
There is a sizable section of paper plates and napkins, to dress up any party or picnic.
Whenever I need a key ring, key fob, key label or whatever — they have the entire line of key organizing accessories. The best I’ve ever seen.
This place has a wonderful variety of hardware items, but it seems like everything is priced a little higher in order to pay for the Ace franchise.
Nice selection of basic veggie & flower seeds. A lot of garden tools.
They have a discount card. Spend $ 200 to get a $ 5 coupon. You’re allowing Ace to track your spending habits for a 2.5% discount.

I love this place for the kitchen wares, but was pretty miffed when discovered the rakes I bought at this Ace, were $ 5 cheaper at Meijer!
I will think twice about shopping there again, wondering if I would be saving moeny somewhere else.

I guess I didn’t know what to expect upon entering Ace Barnes Hardware. I mean, I’ve been to other Ace Hardware stores and I suppose I just expected them all to be the same. However Barnes Ace Hardware is the upscale department store version of a hardware store.
My husband and I were working on a home project and needed some thin, skinny planks of wood and we needed them cut but we really didn’t want to buy a saw for such a small project. The friendly people at Barnes cut the wood at our specified measurements free of charge. While they did this, my husband and I roamed the large part of the store that had upscale bathroom and kitchenware, as well the fancy outdoor patio furniture section.
Overall we had a very positive experience. Here’s the thing that will keep me coming back to Barnes: They exchange Sodastream carbonators. My Sodastream allows me to make soda water at home but I need to replace the CO2 carbonator every 3 or so months. Yes, I could exchange them via UPS or go across town to a Bed Bath & Beyond — but Barnes is just a short bus ride away I’ll definitely be back to exchange my carbonators here.

Ace is getting to be a cross between Home Depot and Michaels arts and crafts. I like modest size hardware stores because I can get in, get out and not walk half a mile to find the items I am looking for. This new Ace Barnes store is too big for my taste, and carrying too many things so it is losing focus on core hardware business. Seriously, I come to a hardware store to buy hardware, tools, paint, garden supplies, not kitchen appliances. Also hard to find anyone to provide assistance.

I think it’s interesting to read the 2 other reviews here so far. I’d say if you put them both together, you do get the larger picture of this store.
I don’t feel like the hardcore handy-​ness of this hardware store is compromised because of the inclusion of the other home items. The space is extremely big, so there’s room enough to display outdoor furniture, a really thorough and appealing variety of kitchenwares (from small appliances to the best dish towel selection in town) *and* still have aisle after aisle of things like bolts, screws, electrical adapters, etc.
The prices, even for items that are sometimes spendy — like large bottles of Ms. Meyer’s Clean Day soaps — all seem very reasonable to me. There is an amazing array of drinking glasses — most for well under $ 5 each.
It’s true that this store has items for your kitchen and garden, but for me, these are just extra reasons to actually go to the hardware store instead of putting it off again and again on my perpetual to-​do list.

When I’m shopping on this side of town, I prefer Stadium Hardware, which is only a few blocks away, because it is more like a hardware store.
A trip to Ace Barnes is more like a trip to a department store, because they have kitchen ware, window dressings and gardening supplies. I avoid Downtown Home and Garden for the same reason.
Judging by the location, I think the owners have their minds set on selling decorative knick-​knacks to Westsiders. (If you are, in fact, a Westside shopper, and you are looking for those things, you just found the place.)
Nevertheless, I suppose they do have a lot of hardware and tools that you would expect an Ace store to have. Keep in mind that if your problem gets really hairy and ugly, you can take it to Stadium Hardware, where they sell bigger, badder tools, and the guys behind the counter can tell you how to use them.