In the olden days, apothecaries delivered mysterious tinctures and lotions from a plethora of organized drawers and cubbies. The mysticism, old-world charm, and consultation-led service is revived for a contemporary store and spa. For Living Beauty’s first brick-and-mortar location in Toronto, local firm Odami revived the retro typology with a lighter, lyrical interpretation.

Apothecaries of yore might recall dark and dusty interiors but this new edition is bright and calm. Odami used clay-toned millwork, Breccia Oniciata marble, and hues of terra-cotta to create a warm, inviting atmosphere. But the new materials take on the forms of the past.

Each product bay features an arched form with an abundance of drawers and storage. While recalling the design language of apothecaries, the millwork shelving units also integrate a modular system and powder-coated steel shelving.

Running along the product bays, a wraparound bar in marble activates each display into a service counter where hands-on customer service can take place. Rounded tambour paneling, beveled at both ends, creates texture and rhythm along the millwork while divvying up each bay, drawing interest as shoppers peruse the display. Fluted panels underneath further break up the large chunks of millwork.

With the perimeter activated by product bays, the main floor is anchored by Corian display tables, designed with floor castors for flexible placement during community events. They greet guests at the entry and provide further display on the opposite end of store. In between, Odami integrated a makeup station around a hexagonal column, a preexisting element from the building’s heritage as a factory. The nod to the past makes the vintage fixtures and apothecary references even more fitting.

The seamless integration of stock and services creates a flowing spatial organization, helped along by the waves of the flooring. Porcelain tiles, arranged in a radial pattern, extend language of the open floorplan and textured surfaces. The terra-cotta-inspired tiles flow toward the rear of the store floor, where fluted glass windows divide the shop from the spa, where Living Beauty offers skin and beauty treatments.

In the spa space, a waiting and reception area offers respite from the buzz of the shop floor. Here, a curving banquette nestles into the wall of the fluted windows and more display shelves.

To create distinction between the retail space and spa center, Odami introduces mint-tones to the latter. The treatment rooms are designed as high-gloss cubes. They’re connected by hallways with rounded ceilings, mirrored millwork, vintage fixtures, and cove lighting, setting and continuing a certain luminosity and old-world charm of the apothecary space.