HERstory
Vin•tiques with soul. A future with purpose.
AntiqueNess started with a love for old things and a slightly unhealthy obsession with anything gilded. What began with antique mirrors and ornate frames quickly turned into a world of vintage treasures, botanicals, creative workshops, and a whole lot of planty experimentation. But underneath all the pretty things is something much bigger.
Before AntiqueNess, I was a special education teacher. I loved my students deeply, but I also saw firsthand how often adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities are left with limited opportunities once they graduate from school. I eventually realized that I wanted to create change outside of the classroom and build something that could become part of the solution.
That’s where AntiqueNess Apothecary comes in.
“I want to build the kind of business I wish existed.”
I’m building AntiqueNess to be more than a place to buy a plant or a vintage treasure. It’s a community-centered creative space where people can shop, make things, learn something new, meet people, and feel like they belong.
From repurposed vintage pieces and weird little houseplants to plant workshops and my ever-growing collection of plant accessories, everything is intentionally a little nostalgic, a little magical, and very much me.
And as AntiqueNess Apothecary grows, so does the
mission: to create meaningful opportunities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and build a business where inclusion isn’t an after thought… its part of the foundation.
So whether you’re here for plants, the vintage treasures, the workshops, the unique little objects I decided absolutely needed to exist, or the bigger mission behind it all.
I’m really glad you’re here!
Thank you for being here, for supporting this vision, and for believing in what’s possible when passion meets purpose.
– Vanessa Howes,
Founder of AntiqueNess Apothecary