Drinking tea is already a pretty chilled out activity. The aromatic steam, the cozy cup, the soothing liquid, the overwhelming sensation of warmth and health. It’s like a spa for your mouth. If you want to take your tea-drinking zen levels from Richard Gere to Dalai Lama, though, I have located the perfect tea accoutrement with which to elevate the calm to monk levels: Artonomos’ beautiful tea tray, “Confluence.”
The Hong Kong-based team of artists and designers made this limited-edition tea set from birch plywood, and the result is an elegant form they describe as “undulating.” I’m pretty sure if you stare at it long enough your cholesterol drops and your blood pressure evens out.
The tray accommodates for spills by directing liquid towards the middle, so if you accidentally get too relaxed and find tea dribbling out of your mouth, you can pretend you did it to make a scenic lake in the middle of the wooden form. Nobody will believe you but you’ll feel a little bit better about your behaviour. On the other hand, it won’t matter if you’re a slob while using it because if you can afford this tray, you’re already loaded. Unfortunately, it costs more than any single piece of furniture in my house Artonomos]