Emotional Islands: Ye Xiao Xiao Tea Space by Aurora Design.

There’s no surprise that the act of drinking tea often invites a window of tranquillity and pleasure. Small actions embedded in our daily activities, found in heating the water, scooping tea leaves (or tea bags, if you will), and even pouring the aroma, are often taken for granted. To revive the appreciation for small moments of magic in making tea, Aurora Design prepares the audience for a calming reverie with their latest project—Ye Xiao Xiao Tea Space. Like a Richard Serra sculpture being melded and reinterpreted, Aurora Design’s tea house readily embodies a rich piece of Chinese history that has brought forward the tea culture many enjoy today.

Located in Yuannan, China—one of the provinces where the tea trade is believed to have originated from (along with Sichuan)—Ye Xiao Xiao is a modest 240 square metre space that can easily be mistaken for a luxe fashion boutique. As the designers wished to recreate a place where “visitors can focus on their inner heart and emotions”, the interior is organised with a series of winding paths and ovular rooms, with ceiling accents that mimic the floor plan. Along with these elegant twists, the interior is doused in creamy shades of beige and brown, with gradients of tea leaves unfurling their colours while being steeped in water. Where joinery is necessary for storage or display, Aurora Design opted for dark-stained timber shelving.

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To pay homage to the history of the Tea Horse Road (the tea horse trade route, which is part of the Silk Road), Aurora surrounds the theme of an emotional journey that one could experience while travelling along the road. Different spaces captured in curved spaces result in a variety of winding paths within. Like warm water, fabrics descend upon the walls and selected furniture pieces for a touch of softness.

There’s an air of mystique to the ghostly gentle, giving an allusion signal of not disturbing the past, while still encouraging a level of curiosity. Where there isn’t drapery present, texture found in the sculptural like chairs and OSB counter islands and scattering of dried leaves on the floor allows for warm coloured lights to glow differently.

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Each room offers its own ‘emotional island’, allowing the tea drinkers to experience varied atmospheres. Though each room may differ in its interior curation, the subtle division of curtains allows for sound to calmly filter through, giving a shared ASMR experience in the act of steeping, pouring and drinking tea.

Whether it is experiencing tea in solitude or gathered as a shared experience, Ye Xiao Xiao happily caters to each individual’s desire to experience tea. With the dreamy backdrop to hush other senses, we are ready to concentrate on the peaceful infusion before us, slowly watching the leaves and other condiments release their magic.

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[Images courtesy of Aurora Design. Photography by Na Xin from Inspace.]