Make Your Own Tea Station

Bring the love of tea and coffee into your master bedroom by creating a tea station that reflects your decor and personal style! 

My passion for tea is so intense, that I decided to create a tea station in my master bedroom. Creating a hotel-esque space also inspires building areas in a room where one can conveniently access their favorite snacks and beverages, and a coffee/tea station is an elegant addition to any room that is far from the kitchen.

An old changing table was given new life when I moved it into the former nook that once housed a television and stereo set. With the new flat screen now mounted above the fireplace, and a Bluetooth surround-sound bar placed on the mantle, the space was left empty for laundry and sports equipment to collect. Incorporating a few knicknacks from around the house and my favorite yellow tea set, the spot became a bright, happy focal point of our bedroom. After the addition of a gallery wall, this new attraction has become a conversation piece among family members and visiting houseguests!

I can grab a cup of tea before bed, or when I wake up in the morning; a cup of tea is never far away from my reading nook or bathtub's edge. Walking all the way downstairs for a cup of tea can sometimes result in spilled, cold tea by the time you make it back upstairs. Now I can have my steamy cup of Earl Grey or Chai at the ready to curl up with a good book or to sip with Queen Elizabeth while watching "The Crown".

The thing that makes a bedroom tea table possible is a handy electric tea kettle. This one is my favorite: This ceramic tea kettle by Bella heats 1.2 L of water and comes in beautiful designs. I got mine from Target, but they are always available on Amazon. In addition, cups and teapots for additional servings are a great idea.

An infuser mug is an essential for steeping loose leaf teas. Use them like a mini teapot to brew small amounts of your favorite blend, and then pour the tea into another tea cup to enjoy.

A tea table needs a few snacks! I love jars, because they are simple and can be prettied up by a few elegant cookies. I also love to stack a few chocolate bars or bits of fudge nearby in beautiful Birchboxes that I have emptied of monthly samples. These beautiful bars are from the Café et Thé Chocolate Collection from Trader Joes, with tea-infused flavors of Earl Grey, Lemon Black Tea and Chamomile in Dark, Milk and White Chocolate. 

Accessories like a teabag caddy keep your sachets and teabags from dripping onto the nightstand or bathroom counters. Find really cute ones at Cost Plus. 

Tea and chocolate are great together, and these bars are infused with favorites such as Earl Grey, Chamomile and Rooibos!

A variety of tea helps to keep sipping adventurous and provides you with different opportunities to try new blends. My tea drawer keeps all of my teas organized; loose leaf teas from David's Tea and Teavana, sachets in gorgeous tea tins from Harney and Sons, bags and special teas like Tea Drops tea, and blooming teas are beautifully displayed and can be accessed quickly. If someone has a craving for a jolt of java, keep instant coffee packets available to mix with water in a coffee mug, along with a gallon of purified water to brew.  There is always enough to share! 

A plethora of teas from Harney and Sons, Tea Drops, Teavana and David's Tea

Style your tea station to express your personality by gathering beautiful artwork, photos, cups and trinkets to make it an attractive focal point. A gallery wall shows off all of your handiwork and makes a statement about your love of tea and other things you value. 

Make your gallery display meaningful by posting your own work; I used my own photographs and paintings to frame. My boxes from Birchbox serve as shadow boxes to display my Holstee manifesto and other printwork I receive monthly from my subscription. 

Tea cups, both elegant and contemporary, complement each other in an eclectic mix of style. 

Add fresh flowers and string lights for finishing touches and you have a spot in a room that makes the atmosphere welcoming and cozy!

This tea station is a welcome feature to my surroundings and makes my room a cheery place!

What kind of place do you have to store your tea or coffee? Share your ideas below!

Bar Cart Styling

How do you keep a bar car stylish from season to season? 

     A few years ago, I had a lot of fun refurbishing an old bar cart that seemed to be asking to be revived: After all, we received this old piece from theatre friends to use as a candy cart for our Willy Wonka play...I did not even know what the original purpose was, so it ended up doing many things:

• Holding Boxes of Art Supplies
• Filling in as a makeshift bookcase 
• Collecting dust

It was finally one day when this interesting retro contraption was being used to hold the stereo in my ballet class, that it caught my eye (Actually, I had been watching Mad Men the previous afternoon)...

This is a bar cart! It was missing a key element: glass!

I immediately became excited...I could make this old bar cart look like new! I could give it a new life!   So that's what I did. Check out my video on my YouTube channel for my bar cart summer project here.  

This makeover of my summer cart was great for family activities and get togethers during the warm weather. With that in mind, I did not include any alcoholic beverages.  But during the holiday season, spirits and signature drinks become a major part of hosting grown-up parties, so once again, the excitement built to a fever pitch, stocking up on both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, sparkling water and fruit gave everyone a variety of delights to choose from, with items that sparked conversation and humor. 

A holiday bar cart is a great way to make beverages available to your guests without them crowding the kitchen, and keeps everyone located in a central area to enjoy the festivities.  

When the New Year rolled around, I changed the theme to silver and gold details to symbolize cherishing the old and welcoming the new of the upcoming year. I even added a string of fairy lights and bottles of champagne to round out the festive look. Styling a bar cart is truly about including the items that bring you and your guests enjoyment, and all things can bring a signature look that sets your cart apart from all others. Be unique and creative!

Here are some things you will need to make your bar cart pop to set yours apart from any other:   1. Glasses are a no-brainer, but including glasses that have personality draws guests to the cart, if only out of curiosity. These glasses from J.C. Penny have a bit of a retro flair, and can be used for a variety of beverages.  2. A cocktail shaker. This one from Off Fifth is shaped like a pineapple.  I like to have shakers of different sizes available. 3. I love cut glass decanters. They add luster to the set, and allow spirits to aerate. 4. While I do not have any bar tools on my cart, having a set helps to measure and mix beverages. 5. Have some fun coasters for guests to use to protect your furniture. 6. A personal piece of art or whimsy gives creative flair, and says, "This is my cart!" 7. Pretty cocktail napkins invite conversation. I like to have a few with funny, cheeky sayings that make people laugh. 8. Fill your bucket with ice to keep traffic down in your kitchen. Fresh flowers are elegant, and add the natural element to your cart, you can also add artificial grass arrangements for a modern zen feeling.  10. Bar carts come in a variety of styles and have a wide range of price points, so you can find one that suits your taste and budget. 11. These gold hammered champagne glasses complete the Silver and Gold theme, ringing out the old and bringing in the new with every sip! 12. And always keep the most important tool handy, a corkscrew to open those bottles of wine! 

If Pinterest is any indication, bar carts have made a strong comeback, and will be around for a long time. They are an instant upgrade to the decor of your home, and they can be outfitted for a variety of occasions and uses: Hot Chocolate/Coffee Bar, Soda Stand, Wine Tasting, Tea Table...all are a useful way to easily store beverages and create a social atmosphere for gatherings.

And after the Holidays are over, simply streamline your bar cart design to include only the essentials handy.

Your bar cart can express your unique personality and be styled for all seasons and occasions as the focal point for all social events in your home. 

Have any ideas on how to outfit a bar cart? Leave them in the comments below!