Get Ready to Pivot: A Whole ‘Friends’ Collection Is Now Available at Pottery Barn, and It Includes the Apothecary Table
It’s “The One with the Apothecary Table” in real life—plus a “you’re my lobster” mug and a whole bunch of other “Friends” gear any true fan will want.
Pottery Barn fans the world over might have cringed—or felt personally attacked—in the Friends episode “The One with the Apothecary Table,” in which shopaholic Rachel buys a gorgeous table from the store, only to be warned that her then-roommate Phoebe won’t like it. To keep the table, Rachel pretends that it’s from a flea market, with the sort of history Phoebe would like, not mass-produced Pottery Barn.
You can watch the episode (for now) on Netflix, but long story short, Ross buys the same table for his apartment, and shenanigans ensue as Rachel rushes to make Phoebe believe that their new table is, in fact, vintage. (These sorts of lies and tricks, though not ill-intentioned, are how we learn valuable lessons like why you shouldn’t split lottery tickets with your friends.)
Even as the show gently mocks Pottery Barn’s mass-produced products, it also highlights how great they are (they converted Phoebe, after all)—and anyone watching may have been distracted from the light digs by how much they wanted that apothecary table. Good news for that group: Pottery Barn has brought the apothecary table back (it was available at the time of the episode, aired in 2000) just in time for the 25th anniversary of Friends in September.
Courtesy of Pottery Barn
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The table is part of an entire collection—the Pottery Barn x Friends Collection—of tabletop and decorative accessories and furniture Friends fans and foes alike will likely fall for. The collection, available as of July 30, has swag for every fan, no matter who your favorite character is. Fans can start making room for their new apothecary table (let the “Pivot!” jokes ensue as you rearrange your furniture) now, and they probably should, because they’re going to want everything in the new collection.
Courtesy of Pottery Barn
Yes, there’s the apothecary table ($1,099; potterybarn.com) in all its vintage-esque glory, but there are also smaller items that will make perfect gifts. (It’s never too soon to start shopping for the holidays, right?) Think the “You’re my lobster” mug ($15; potterybarn.com) or the “Welcome, Friends” doormat ($20; potterybarn.com). For throw pillow addicts, there’s a matching pillow ($50; potterybarn.com) to welcome guests; gallery wall aficionados will love the “I’ll be there for you” canvas ($149; potterybarn.com).
The whole line is sophisticated enough to fit with any self-respecting, grown-up decor, but it’s also playful enough to fit into a less curated space (or even a teen, tween, or college student’s room). Let’s be real, though: Can any Friends fan, casual or otherwise, resist the iconic “Joey doesn’t share food” slogan on a mug? We thought not.
