Hemakshi Devi
The Tea Story's illuminated circular signboard glowing above the entrance gate at night, framed by trees

The Tea Story

Client
The Tea Story
Category
Spaces
Year
2023

Interior DesignSpatial Design

  • Interior Renovation
  • Mural Painting
  • Furniture Curation
  • Framed Art
The mirrored double-arch accent wall beside the tea bar, with rattan armchairs and glass-top tables either side

The Tea Story is a historic Assam-type bungalow in Guwahati, reimagined as a modern tea café without losing its heritage. I led the interior redesign end to end _ restoring the original wood flooring, furnishing the rooms in bamboo and cane, painting a tea-leaf mural along the staircase by hand, and framing a set of cyanotype botanical prints _ so the building could hold Assam's tea culture for a new generation of visitors.

The Tea Story's tea bar and pastry counter, with woven rattan pendant lights over open display shelving
Twin arched mirrors framing rattan lounge seating beside the tea bar, reflecting the counter beyond
The mirrored double-arch accent wall beside the tea bar, with rattan armchairs and glass-top tables either side
Detail of the arched mirror accent wall, with woven wall hangings and rattan seating below
The reception desk built beneath the staircase, with cane-panel storage and a potted plant
Sunroom lounge beside the reception desk, with rattan rocking chairs framed by leaded-glass windows
Upstairs dining room with a dark wood floor, cane dining sets and a blue banquette sofa
Upstairs corner seating nook with hand-painted tea-leaf motifs and cane bar stools
Stairwell landing decorated with tall woven cane vases beneath a framed cyanotype print
Hand-painted tea-garden mural in the outdoor seating area, tracing tea leaves from garden to teapot
Wide view of the upstairs dining hall, with cane tables and leaded-glass windows opening to the trees
The upstairs dining hall seen from the entrance, cane dining sets either side of a central plant
Framed cyanotype botanical print of pressed ferns and wildflowers, hand-made for the café's walls
Framed cyanotype botanical print of a single leaf and fern spray
Framed cyanotype botanical print of a fern frond
Framed cyanotype botanical print of layered fern and leaf silhouettes
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