Find Places
Okay, first you’ll need to plan your space. What part of your kitchen or office can be dedicated to your love of tea? Depending on your setup, the best place could be near your stove, your electric kettle, or your Keurig (while I hate k-cups, I have been known to use my in-laws’ Keurig as a giant kettle to heat water). Keep in mind that you’ll need places to put things like mugs, tea pots, infusers, spoons, sweetener, and -- of course -- the tea.
Organize
The next step is to sort and organize. Collect everything you need for your tea station and start thinking about how to arrange it most efficiently. You can use mugs, pitchers, jars, or even antique silver cups as organizers for spoons, honey sticks, sugar, and infusers. Jars and decorative tins are perfect for storing and displaying tea. Get a mug rack or one of those wall hangers for fancy teacups and saucers, if you feel so inclined. Maybe there’s a small shelf or free-standing drawer set that will fit perfectly in your space and keep things contained.
Look around, use your imagination, and see what you can find! And keep reading for even more ideas.
Small to Medium Spaces
Not a lot of space to spare? No problem! One of the great things about a tea station is that it doesn’t actually require a lot of room. In fact, all you need do is collect everything on a tray and place it on the counter by your kettle. The tray will look pretty and also keep your counter from looking cluttered.
Or, to use the space between your counter and your cupboards, place a stacked lazy susan, dessert stand, or a small free-standing shelf unit on your counter and against the wall. The various levels are perfect for storing all of your tea-making items as well as keeping them within easy reach.
Speaking of, if your counter space is really at a premium, put those walls to work! Hang shelves to make use of vertical space, or hang baskets up to hold things like tea and infusers. Hooks make a great way both to store and display your mug collection. (In fact, you can decorate an entire wall with mugs and it’ll look awesome!)
Medium to Large Spaces
Now, if you’re blessed with oodles of space -- or at least moderate amounts of space -- or you’re like me and half your pantry is actually comprised of tea, you may want to consider appropriating a piece of furniture for your tea station.
A hutch, dresser, small side table, or bar cart are excellent for this as you can store all of your tea-making supplies in the drawers and on the shelves, displaying what you wish and tucking away what you don’t want out. Spruce up a piece of furniture you already own, or use this as an excuse to hit the antique markets to find the perfect item.
For those with extra cupboard space, the kitchen shelves above your tea maker are a convenient place to keep your stash of tea, mugs, and sweeteners. Cupboard doors will allow minimalists to hide things away, while baskets will help those with open shelving to stay organized.
Once you have your tea station set up and ready to brew, add personality and ambiance with a lamp, plant, or artwork if you have room. Oh, and don’t forget your tea towel.
All photos are courtesy of the author.
