Atulea Tea Shop

Seattle’s occasionally gloomy weather can sometimes make you wish for a more southerly atmosphere. The proprietors of this new tea shop thought a beachy-yet-crisp feel would do the trick.

Sure enough, this bright, cheerful tea shop will lift your spirits (especially once you have a cup of tea). Bold wallpaper covered in a leafy print adds to the lush mood and acts as an eye-catching highlight, drawing the attention of passers-by to step in and check out this perky oasis.

It’s simple enough to design places to consume tea and coffee — instead, the common design challenge with coffee and tea shops is how to make the experience of ordering and then waiting for your beverage a pleasant one. In the often limited spaces of small shops, you have to carefully manage circulation paths — carving out room for a queue of customers, space to wait for your order, a spot to add a lid to your cup — and still meet the needs of both the clientele and those running the shop.

To avoid a pinch point at the entrance, we radiused the counter. This design move inspired the wide, arched opening to the support spaces, visually anchoring the room.