We are drifting with this post about our first “antique” apothecary cabinet erneut Deviate somewhat from the topic of goldsmiths - but stick to the topic of replicas in the broadest sense.
A large number of reports are now circulating on the Internet about self-made "apothecary cabinets" based on the “Moppe” wooden boxes from IKEA. The overwhelmingly great results of these efforts inspired me to use our current workshop extension to try out such a furniture replica myself.
The Moppe storage boxes from IKEA are the ideal size for this and save you the extremely time-consuming production of the many drawers that are necessary for a convincing-looking apothecary cabinet. In the example shown here alone, there are 72 drawers!
It all starts with the planning of the future apothecary cabinet. It is best to first print out a frontal view of the two versions of these wooden boxes several times, which you then cut out and then move or combine with one another until you like what you see.
Then you get the necessary number of boxes in an IKEA store or online IKEA shop. For my version presented here, I also decided to mount the boxes in an additional wooden frame with a base - so it looks a little more like a full-fledged cabinet.
Now comes the most complex part: the patination! The closer you want to get to the beautiful antique originals, the more effort you have to put into it. My version of an apothecary cabinet should have all the dents and scratches of antique models in addition to an aged walnut surface.
The entire frame and each individual drawer was therefore first rounded on the front (and original back) at the edges, then stained with a glaze six times, then provided with small quirks and scratches, the stained fronts were sanded down again slightly and finally oiled and with Shellac varnished. A total of almost 800 individual work steps.
Only when you pull out one of the drawers completely does the cabinet finally reveal its true secret from my point of view: its origin from IKEA boxes:
Of course, the true-to-original and typical drawer handles are essential for a convincing effect of the final apothecary cabinet. Here you can find a pleasantly large selection of suitable and often patinated handles under the term “label holder” or “label handle” from the major online retailers (Amazon, eBay…).
In any case, I find the end result – quite immodestly – surprisingly close to the antique originals. In any case, my new apothecary cabinet is already the practical highlight of our new workshop space.
