The art of tea is much more than just brewing a cup—it’s a cultural practice that involves mindfulness, ritual, and appreciation for both the process and the flavors of tea. Whether you're steeped in the traditions of Chinese or Japanese tea ceremonies or exploring the more casual tea rituals of other regions, there’s a depth to this simple beverage that many people find fascinating.
For example:
Chinese Tea Ceremony: This is often about balance and harmony. The practice involves selecting high-quality loose-leaf teas, often in small, delicate pots, and serves as an occasion for quiet contemplation. There’s also an emphasis on the "Gongfu" style of tea-making, which uses precise measurements of tea, water temperature, and steeping time.
Japanese Tea Ceremony (Chanoyu): This is an incredibly intricate and spiritual practice, centered around the preparation of matcha (powdered green tea). It’s a meditative process, where every movement is deliberate, from the cleaning of tools to the serving of tea. The focus here is on the beauty of imperfection (wabi-sabi) and the connection between host and guest.
British Afternoon Tea: While not ceremonial in the same sense, this practice celebrates the joy of tea in a more social, leisurely way. Tea is served with light snacks, often accompanied by finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, and small cakes.
The "art" aspect of tea is in the attention to detail, the respect for tradition, and the way it encourages a mindful, calm space in the midst of busy life. Do you have a favorite kind of tea or a style of tea preparation you enjoy?
I start almost every day with a cup of water and a tea bag. There is nothing ceremonial about that wake up drink but it does remind me each morning of other places and people I have shared a cup with. Tea has been part of my life from the sweet ice tea I grew up drinking to sharing tea in tiny cups with strangers, made friends, in China.
I’m so sentimental about tea that I am always seeking out new teas and for years I collected tiny Chinese teapots that I found on business trips to Hong Kong, Mainland China, and Taiwan.
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Enjoying a cup of tea has a unique way of fostering community because of how it invites connection, relaxation, and shared experiences. Whether in formal settings or casual moments, tea creates a space where conversation flows, and bonds are strengthened. I can’t really speak to the health benefits, but many cultures believe tea to be healing, restorative and preventative.
I can talk about homes and appealing spaces. Many of us are drawn to homes and spaces that invite us to relax in friendship and close out the world. In today's fast-paced world, sitting down with tea offers a moment of pause. The simple act of slowing down to enjoy a cup together opens the door to dialogue and sharing. I love the feel of a warm cup of tea in my hands and the aroma of the leaves.
For me part of “Loving Your Home” is creating areas of your home where you can enjoy your hobbies and rituals with family and friends.
Growing up in the South, sweet tea was and is a beloved staple of Southern U.S. culture. The perfect glass of Southern sweet tea is refreshing, balanced, and best enjoyed with family or friends on a warm afternoon. My mother kept a pitcher in the refrigerator just in case “company” stopped by.
Key Elements of Southern Sweet Tea:
Tea Type: It’s usually made with black tea, often Lipton or similar brands, which give it a robust flavor that pairs perfectly with the sweetness. I love organic fruit based teas for making a more modern version is this Southern staple.
Sweetness: Sweet tea is made by dissolving a generous amount of sugar directly into the hot tea while it’s steeping. This creates a syrupy sweetness that’s evenly distributed throughout the tea.
The Brew Process: Because the tea is watered down with the melting ice it is steeped for a longer period, typically 5–10 minutes, depending on your taste. The longer steeping time allows the full flavor of the tea to come out.
Chill and Serve: Once the tea is brewed and sweetened, it’s cooled down and refrigerated until it’s ice-cold. It’s often served over ice with a garnish of lemon slices or mint leaves.
Tea is grown in many parts of the world. Taiwan grows some of the most prized teas.
The Emperor’s Tea: A Symbol of Status
The teas reserved for the emperor in Taiwan (and in China) were more than just beverages—they were symbols of status, wealth, and power. Only the most skilled tea farmers, those working in the most ideal conditions, produced these teas. The rituals surrounding the cultivation, picking, and preparation of these leaves were done with care and reverence, often carried out in isolated mountain regions away from pollution and outside influence.
In a time when tea was a luxury, these prized teas played a crucial role in royal courts, where they were part of elaborate ceremonies and offered to dignitaries and visitors. Even today, those once forbidden teas are regarded as some of the finest in the world, and their cultivation continues to be a highly respected art form in Taiwan.
I first went to Taiwan in the mid-1980’s as a designer/artist for Hallmark Cards and a California company called Willits Designs. My obsession with tea began there when I was introduced to a gentle, gifted Taiwanese sculptor. His name was Winxiong (Wen-hsing). I worked side-by-side with him in his tiny home studio. His home was simple, clean, elegant and carefully curated. Every thing there had a purpose - utilitarian or beauty. I always felt honored to be in such a beautiful space.
Winxiong spoke no English and I spoke no Chinese, but we communicated through our work and respect for each other’s talents. During a break, the second day that we worked together, he took down an ancient looking tin from his kitchen shelf, took long tea leaves from it and prepared the most delicious cup of tea for me that I had ever had. There was a clean freshness to it and a beauty to the warming of the teapot, the care he took and the calmness of the home that made the whole experience one I will never forget.
At the end of that day when my interpreter/driver came to take me to my hotel, Win asked him to explain to me that the tea we had that day was from the fields of the once forbidden tea. It was an expensive treasure that he only shared with special friends and asked that my driver explain to me about the years when regular Taiwanese citizens where forbidden to drink the tea that was grown and reserved for the Emperor.
Over the years if I was in Taiwan, I always tried to spend time in Winxiong’s studio and looked forward to sharing a cup of tea with by friend. The last time I saw him, he gave me the old tin filled with those delicate leaves and for a couple years afterwards, from time to time, I shared the Emperor’s tea with special friends and family.
I’ve had the privilege of sharing tea with a variety of interesting people, some never speaking each other’s language, but through the warmth of a cup of tea communicated respect and friendship - a jeweler in Hong Kong who always insisted on leaving his shop to bring me back a cup of tea, an elderly lady who beckon me into her little living room to serve me tea while surrounded by lush silks and the rich colors of the Orient. She showed me an entire tea ceremony from warming the pot to serving it in tiny eggshell thin china cups.
Then there was the elderly dancer that I met at the Portobello Road Market in London. He lived in the mews about a ten minute walk to Buckingham Palace. His flat looked like a scene in a British movie, complete with an ancient housekeeper who made the tea and served us tiny scones and cakes. Bob wrote to me for years afterward and shared stories of being a stand-in for the famous dancer Fred Astaire.
Enjoying a cup of tea is a life style shared around the world. In South Africa, at the headquarters of my favorite safari camp provider, I was often offered a cup of Rooibos tea before I went out to the Bush to work with women artisans in their villages.
Rooibos tea is a caffeine-free herbal tea made from the leaves of the Aspalathus linearis plant, which is native to South Africa. The name "rooibos" means "red bush" in Afrikaans, referring to the reddish-brown color the leaves take on during processing. The sweet, spicy tea is packed with antioxidants, such as flavonoids, and is also rich in minerals like calcium, magnesium, and zinc. Rooibos is often praised for its potential health benefits, including aiding digestion, promoting heart health, and helping to reduce inflammation.
Beyond the paint that you select for your walls, the style of sofa, or the function of your kitchen there is so much more that goes into making a house a home. My style of interior design is to work to understand your style and how you want to live in your home and to find ways to help you love your home and create your nest. I always hope that you will have moments to share a cup of tea, or a delicious coffee, a sweet or a rustic Italian meal that you make with friends in your perfect, dream kitchen.
Now, that is another blog — your dream kitchen.
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