Transformative Tea Box
A handcrafted oak box serves as packaging and an accessory to the tea drinking experience.
Utilizes the Samara Tea Set manufactured by Bellocq Tea. *For independent, educational purposes only—not reflective of official brand objectives
My goal was to reduce single-use packaging while elevating the consumer experience. I wanted to create an heirloom-quality tea box that lives beyond its initial form.
The Transformation
After the tea set is removed from the oak box, the box can be reconfigured to store and sort tea supplies.
When in tea storage mode, the box provides organization for various tea accessories. The lower compartment can store large items, such as loose tea tins, honey, sugar cubes, tea steepers, tea towels, and more. The upper compartment is reserved for smaller, thin items, such as tea bags. The sliding lid serves as a tea tray.
Sketching and Ideating
I utilized sketches and foam core models to bring my vision to life.
This box invokes the Bellocq brand identity through its natural materiality and geometric yet elegant form. I also screen printed a design reminiscent of the Bellocq Tea brand on tea towels. The custom-printed tea towels blend imagery and patterning found in existing Bellocq packaging to further embed this tea box within the brand identity. Each experience includes a teapot, two tea cups, two tea towels, a tea tray, as well as organization for tea and tea accessories.
Construction
After gluing oak together, planing and joining, I used a table and band saw to cut the components to size. To finalize, I used a drum and disc sander, and a cabinet scraper. I finished the box by raising the grain and oiling it with a food-grade mineral oil.
Final Photos
