My Tea Studio
For me, where I drink tea is just as important as how I prepare it. Having spent numerous afternoons sitting in a bamboo forest with some great oolong and the dogs romping through the groves, drinking tea anywhere else really doesn’t compare. To be sure, there are a lot of great tea rooms in the greater Taipei area (and I’ll do reports on my favorite ones as time allows), but I have to say that my favorite indoor tea-drinking space is my home tea studio, which I recently re-did.
When we moved into our current house, I put my tatami mats in the dining area so that I could have tea and enjoy the view from the large picture window. It was a nice space, but there was lots of noise from the kitchen and living room area (TV) at times, and it was always a ’shared’ area, and didn’t provide the correct atmosphere for serious tea drinking.
So, when we decided to get some new furniture and re-arrange our first floor space, I took over the small downstairs office. We mostly used that room as storage anyway, so it wasn’t a loss, and the new room is awesome for tea!
I went back to my roots for this design - the original ‘Nantou Farmhouse Tearoom’ was a wall-to-wall platform raised about 20″ off the floor. Most tatami rooms are built low to the floor, but sitting up high gives better views out the window and allows for impressive storage underneath. I had two mats that needed replacing, and I decided to get a couple of extra pieces done to provide backrests along the walls for added comfort.
I’ve been very happy with the final result. The room is small, but can seat 5 guests comfortably, which is about the maximum for a tea party in any case. It creates a great atmosphere for chatting with friends, reading, doing calligraphy, or seeking inspiration to write these posts! I can also move the table to one side and use it as a guest room if needed.
