Living Beauty Reimagines the Apothecary

In Toronto’s Christie Pits neighbourhood, Living Beauty has unveiled a flagship retail and spa destination that boldly reinvents a timeless typology.

Drawing from the design language of the apothecary, the interiors establish a distinct identity for the luxury beauty retailer while reshaping the visitor experience. At the heart of the store, a grand wraparound bar functions as the primary social anchor, fostering one-to-one engagement between staff and clients.

GALLERY  

Corian display tables provide understated surfaces for presentation, while a perimeter of subtly arched product bays offers both display and storage. These bays, with generous drawer systems, multiply the sense of order and organisation associated with apothecaries yet are executed with modern clarity through modular construction and powder-coated steel shelving.

Rather than adopting the dark woods typical of historic references, the design team selected clay-toned millwork that frames each bay in a light and contemporary aesthetic. Breccia Oniciata marble grounds these alcoves, elevating them as service counters while introducing a layer of refinement. Rounded tambour panelling, bevelled at both ends, creates a rhythm of soft geometric patterning that enlivens the store’s circulation.

The subtle curves extend across the terracotta-toned porcelain floor tiles, which sweep in a concentric formation from wall to wall. This deliberate pattern leads the eye to the central threshold, where retail transitions to spa. Behind fluted glass, the spa’s reception mediates between the vibrancy of the shop and the calmness of the treatment spaces.

Individual rooms are formed within a high-gloss mint-toned cube that provides reflective contrast to the warm palette of the retail floor. Mirrored millwork, vintage sconces, and cove lighting enhance luminosity and atmosphere, creating a retreat-like sequence of spaces designed for relaxation.

Living Beauty demonstrates how a once utilitarian typology can be contemporised without losing its relevance. By reviving the apothecary’s principles of order, care, and craft, then reinterpreting them through modern materials and forms, the project strikes a careful balance between heritage reference and forward-looking design.

Images by John Alunan via ArchDaily

In Toronto’s Christie Pits neighbourhood, Living Beauty has unveiled a flagship retail and spa destination that boldly reinvents ...