Organizing the Hearth: The Stillroom

What on earth is a stillroom you may be wondering, dating back to medieval Europe, the stillroom was a room, most often located off the kitchen where the lady of the house and the stillroom maid, prepared herbal remedies, soaps, candles, perfumes, and various beverages. It was part pantry, part Apothecary, and, at least in theory, part craft room.

Medieval Stillroom containing copper still and drying herbs

While modern homes rarely have a dedicated stillroom, many of us still perform the same tasks. We make herbal remedies, preserve food, create candles, blend teas and seasonings, and store supplies for household use. We just call it an apothecary closet, pantry, craft room, or spare bedroom.

Over the years, I have studied herbalism through books, online courses, and more than a little trial and error. Like many herbalists, I quickly discovered that no one sells a teaspoon of anything. If a recipe calls for a tablespoon of meadowsweet, you're probably buying at least four ounces. Repeat that process over several years and suddenly you've accumulated enough herbs to stock a small stillroom. Often those herbs get lost in the herbs, florals, roots, and resins. So I decided to remedy that by purchasing some carts that are just wide enough to hold one jar, now I will no longer lose ingredients or end up with 5 jars of anything because I got frustrated looking and just bought more.

Apothecary Herbs before organization

While I was moving jars, I created labels with the herb name, Latin name, and any common names to make reordering easier. Eventually, the jars will be organized by how they function in my everyday world, but for now they are randomly scattered across the shelves while I switch labels and deal with the joys that are Grandpa B's ongoing health issues, a 160-pound Great Pyrenees with a blown ACL who now thinks he's King of the House since we're currently "charioting" him around on an old mattress to potty, and my own stress overload.

An organized collection of labeled jars containing a variety of dried herbs and spices is neatly displayed on metal shelves, showcasing a diverse apothecary setup.

Perhaps, though, that's what the stillroom was always meant to be. Not just a place to store herbs and supplies, but a place where the everyday work of caring for a home brought a little order, comfort, and magic to an otherwise chaotic world.

A well-organized pantry featuring neatly labeled jars filled with an assortment of dried fruits, herbs, and spices.

With the jars moved, I now have room for organizing the other necessary things for a stillroom. Maybe someday I can find a permanent home for my bread bowls, my Great Grandmother's sugar crock and my antique kraut jar but for now they sit here.

Circling back to where we started, this is the current work in progress shelf.

From my hearth to yours just a reminder, organized chaos may still be chaos but at least now I know where the meadowsweet is.

~Granny B