The Apothecary Aesthetic: What It Is and How to Get the Look

The apothecary aesthetic is the look of an old chemist’s shop, gently softened for real life: dark wood, amber and brown glass, handwritten labels, jars of dried things, brass scales and candles that are not quite white. It is all over mood boards, but it rarely gets explained, so here is what it is and how to do it at home.

Where the look comes from

Apothecaries were the people who prepared and sold medicines long before the modern pharmacy. In London they formed their own society in 1617. Their shops were lined with labelled jars and drawers because they had to be. Everything needed to be found quickly and kept out of the light, and that practical order is exactly why the look still appeals.

Why it works

Every object looks as if it has a job. A jar of star anise or a small dropper bottle could be useful, even if it is only on the shelf for the look of it. That gives the style a weight that purely decorative things lack.

How to get the look

Amber glass. One or two amber bottles will shift a shelf towards apothecary straight away. Try pharmacy-style bottles for handwash or oil, or use one as a tiny vase for a sprig of rosemary. There is a reason the old ones were brown: dark glass helps protect the contents from light.

Handwritten labels. Brown card tags tied on with string can make even washing-up liquid look as if it belongs. Keep the handwriting a bit wonky.

Layered lighting. Avoid the big light. Use table lamps, candles and the glow from inside a glass-fronted cabinet, and aim for pools of light rather than flat brightness.

Dark wood and brass. A second-hand cabinet or a set of small drawers will do more than anything else, and brass ages beautifully. Charity shops and antique markets are the places to look.

One slightly weird object. Without it, apothecary is just farmhouse. A pressed botanical, a beetle under a dome or an old chemistry textbook will do the job.

Finding pieces in the shop

Several of our stockists suit this look very well. Oddities By Maggot takes inspiration from Victorian curiosity cabinets and museum displays, with spell jars, herbal pieces and relics. Gaia Morte Artworks makes framed specimens and display domes with a real natural history feel. Add a dark, moody candle from Dahlia Wax Candles and you are most of the way there.

Three mistakes to avoid

• Too much matching. A real apothecary shelf has different sizes and shapes. A row of identical jars looks like a kitchen range.
• Too many fake labels. “Eye of newt” is fun once. After that, the joke wears thin.
• Treating it as real medicine. It is a look. Keep decorative bottles clearly separate from anything you actually eat or put on your skin, and well away from small children.

If you want a broader approach, read our guide to eclectic styling. Or come and see what is on the shelves at 15 West Street, Weston-super-Mare.