Saturday, March 3, 2012

Apothecary Charm

Apothecary Charm
Vintage blue painted apothecary chest
Was looking through magazines on this dreadfully rainy Saturday afternoon and came across this...
Genevieve Gorder's living room in her New York City brownstone
HGTV Magazine, February-March 2012
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv-magazine/package/index.html
http://madelineweinrib.com/
The first thing to catch my eye was large apothecary cabinet underneath those great floating stairs.  Simply stunning!  And... check out the Madeline Weinrib rug.  Absolutely adore this entire space. 

For some strange reason, I've always been fascinated by cabinets and shelves.  (Yes, Freud would probably have a field day with that one.)  And, apothecary cabinets have become an obesession since I saw a beautiful one at Toad Hall Antiques years ago.  http://www.toadhallmemphis.com/

Traditionally, apothecary chests were built as storage units for medicine in the 18th and 19th centuries and were used by pharmacists, chemists, and physicians.  By the beginning of the 20th century, they were beginning to go out of style.  Today, they are regarded as a uniquely styled cabinet that is a great accent or statement piece in a room. 

Apothecary chests can be found in antique stores, otherwise known as "used furniture stores," and on internet sites like eBay and 1st dibs.    These three are from 1st dibs.   www.1stdibs.com.
19th Century, apothecary chest with 25 drawers 
New England origin, 19th century pine chest with 16 drawers

Rue painted elm wood medicine storage chest, 19th Century, China

Some folks have a problem figuring out exactly how to use them in their homes.  Here are some well done spaces....
Glad that I don't have the get the dog fur off of that red sofa! 
Repainted vintage library card catalog cabinet... same idea as an apothecary chest.
In a foyer...
Above a desk.... just make certain to anchor it well to the wall.  Just sayin'!
Featured in elle Decor.
Spectacular in a bedroom or on a landing

Or, finally, in a living room or den.  Check out the black and white photos with it... well done!








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