The Chinese pharmacy

That was a big challenge as the project had only started with pictures of old buildings I had photographed in old Chinatown in Bangkok. 

Today the interior of the shop is almost finished. This is what it looked like, an empty box.

 To get the "aged" feeling, I sprayed different shades of grey on the walls and the floor to get the aspect I wanted.

When the paint was dry, I used black shoe polish with a shoe brush. After a while, it started to look like old cement

I sprayed black paint on the different pieces of furniture, but now the cabinets looked like furniture from Ikea, LOL

As my intention was to create an old pharmacy, I looked for a way to age the different parts. 

For facades, I use different layers of acrylic with a sponge but I felt it wouldn't work here. 

And I had this idea, I wanted  dusty cabinets, so I used brown foundation powder with a soft brush and it worked. 

Now the cabinets look old and dusty. It's just perfect, it looks like dust but it's not!

It took me a while to fill all the miniature glass jars with different powders I found in the kitchen. Now salt, sugar, flour, pepper, herbs have become Chinese medicines. I also noticed Chinese pharmacy were filled with packets wrapped in brown paper. They must contain herbs and strange powders. I have to make another thirty brown packets to fill the shelves.

As you can see, I didn't have enough drawers pulls ( I needed 100!) but luckily Rosa  from Taiwan contacted the factory which makes them and I should receive the missing ones this week!

I didn't forget a representation of Buddha on its altar. Everyday, the owner will offer fruits and incense to their God.

Another characteristic of shops in Asia are the pictures of the King, Rama 4 here and of the ancestors of the owner that are always displayed in the shops

Unlike our pharmacies, Chinese pharmacy are quite dusty and messy with bags and trays with plants for sale everywhere. I'll'll have to add more. But the smell is already there with the odour of cloves (though it reminds me of the dentist's clinic)and herbs.

The counter is covered with things you really see in pharmacies. each prescription is prepared on white paper. The paper is then folded and given to the patient. I need to find a proper scale and an abacus of course. Any ideas?

By the way, the mortar is far too big and it is not the right shape or texture,. They are carved in grey granite. This one is to make sumtam or papaya salad (one of my favourite Thai dishes)
 I need to make a smaller one with clay when I have time and this mortar will go in the kitchen corner in the room above.

The wall outside is showing now Thai old posters but I haven't worked too much on that side of the building yet.

Now this is what the building looks like.

 Felix, the new cat (the 4th stray I adopt) is very proud of it and always try to get inside!

When night falls, the Chinese lanterns give another dimension to the building

Next, the room above...
Thank you for reading my post and wish you all the best.

Patrick in Lopburi, Thailand