If you’ve ever lit a candle and felt like you’d been quietly teleported into a boutique hotel lobby where the air itself is wearing cashmere, there’s a decent chance it was made at Apotheke. Tucked away at 459 Van Brunt Street in Red Hook, Brooklyn, their Studio and factory is a shrine to scent—part fragrance lab, part design temple part “I could live here” Pinterest board. This is where the brand’s signature minimalist aesthetic meets its original, slightly obsessive dedication to doing everything by hand.
The brand began in 2011 when founder Chrissy Fichtl decided her Brooklyn kitchen would double as a fragrance workshop. While some people make banana bread, she made soap. From there, Apotheke grew with the quiet confidence of a brand that doesn’t need to scream luxury; it just smells like it. Chrissy sourced essential oils from local farms, poured everything herself and built a following around candles that felt elevated without feeling fussy.
That ethos is still the backbone of the operation today. Every candle and diffuser is handmade in their Red Hook factory by a team of artisans who approach fragrance blending with the kind of patience that can only come from deep respect for the craft. Each product is the result of an almost meditative process: wax melted to the exact temperature, fragrance oils coaxed into balance and wicks placed with precision.
In 2024, Apotheke decided to allow us all in on the process behind the products. The Studio, a part of their flagship space, isn’t a passive retail shop. It’s an invitation to get your hands dirty (or, more accurately, waxy). Visitors are guided through the entire process of crafting their own custom candle—from blending scents to pouring the wax themselves. This isn’t one of those paint-and-sip situations where you leave with something you’ll hide in the back of your closet. It’s a genuinely beautiful, personalized object that smells like your own personal slice of heaven.
The Studio reflects what the brand has always been about—craft, connection and a belief that good design doesn’t need to be complicated to feel luxurious. In a world where most “luxury” brands are mass-produced behind opaque supply chains, Apotheke is very much what it says it is. A fragrance house built on craftsmanship and a reminder that sometimes, the nicest things are the simplest.
Whether you’re a scent nerd or just someone who appreciates a well-made candle, this Red Hook space is more than worth the visit. Just don’t be surprised if you leave thinking about quitting your job to become a professional candle pourer. It happens.