Teemaa Teahouse—Tea-making Materials Used for Reinterpreting a Contemporary Space

Interior design and architecture firm Yatofu Creatives completed the 80m² Teemaa Teahouse, located in Helsinki, Finland, in July 2021.

Helsinki, Finland—The female duo Peng Luo and Xinyuan Sui, both hailing from China where they respectively received a tea education, founded Teemaa Teahouse in order to bring tea culture to Finland, a country known as the highest consumer of coffee in the world.

Luo grew up in the countryside of Anhua, a region famous for its Hunan Heicha fermented dark tea, and obtained her tea education in Changsha Art of Tea School in 2012. Her business partner Sui, who completed her tea education in Zhengzhou Art of Tea School in 2014, became passionate about tea while researching China’s traditional culture at Oulu University of Finland. Together, they organize guided public and private tea tasting sessions and workshops at the Teemaa Teahouse. 

Since they are about many types of tea, not limited to Chinese tea but always made in the original, traditional way; it was important to create an interior of the space that reflects their passion for tea.

The duo commissioned Yatofu Creatives, a design and architecture firm founded in Helsinki in 2017, to redesign Teemaa’s branding and teahouse interior. The design team saw this as an opportunity to delve into the stories embedded in the craft of tea-making and create a brand and space which allows people from all walks of life to experience and explore the culture of tea. 

With a strong emphasis on sourcing ethically and forming close relationships with their suppliers, Teemaa’s products are curated to represent their commitment to honesty, transparency, and quality. 

In defining the concept of Teemaa’s branding and interior to reflect these values, Yatofu wanted to reference both the rawness of tea as an ingredient, as well as reflect the sophistication and complexity of the tea through modern and refined lenses. 

A grounded palette of honest and textural materials was extracted from those used in the process of tea-making itself, such as weathered steel, textured bricks and wooden surfaces. These were reinterpreted into a contemporary space through the use of modern forms, with a focus on handmade qualities to create a visual dialogue that speaks to the markings of time and craftsmanship. It was also important for both Yatofu and the clients that environmental responsibility was prioritized in designing the space, leading to many definitive material and production decisions. 

In the sourcing and production process, one of the main goals was to eliminate an excess of off-cuts or leftover materials. Towards this goal, material quantities were calculated meticulously, excess bricks were recycled, and metal fixtures were oxidized post-fabrication to avoid unusable discarded offcuts. 

In the retail section of the teahouse, large wooden columns serve as support for the wall shelves that are hand-crafted with live-edges seams running down the outer faces, creating both a layer of nuanced detail as well as allowing maximum usage of the planks. While the overall atmosphere of the interior was designed to create a calm yet sleek sanctuary, Yatofu Creatives wanted to embed an element of playfulness and approachability into the brand itself. 

The overall visual identity, including the product packing, utilizes bright and sophisticated colors, paired with playful hand-drawn shapes over a neutral and minimal black base. In combining the refreshing brand visuals with the raw yet refined interior, Teemaa Teahouse offers its customers a warm and approachable interpretation of contemporary tea culture for the Nordic lifestyle.

CREDITS:

• Interior Photography: Aleksi Tikkala
• Still-Life Photography: Aleksi Tikkala
• Set Design & Styling: Piia Emilia
• Project Video: MARK VICUÑA