We are big fans of wooden furniture and we are proud to be able to refurbish and offer our customers pieces full of history and beautiful stories. At the very core of the Cup of Tea brand is our desire to give furniture a new chance. We put a lot of manual labor into our work, some physical effort and, above all, a lot of will to restore chairs and armchairs – from repairs to sanding and protection with special ointments.

Our country – Slovenia, is the third most forested country in the EU as our forests cover as much as 60% of the surface and are the foundation of the Slovenian wood processing industry. Wood is a long-lasting and durable natural material that allows furniture to maintain its shape and value for years to come. It brings warmth, comfort and familiarity to the home. Wood is not only a wonderful environmental choice, but also a smart decision, as it cleans the air in the room, regulates humidity and ensures a suitable microclimate. Wood is renewable, it can be recycled and it also stores carbon dioxide. It is the only material that has a positive CO2 balance, as the tree not only creates it, but also uses it for its growth. This means that by using wood we contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions, which is important for managing climate change and protecting the environment.

Wood products can be designed according to the principles of a circular economy, where through processing, reuse and recycling, waste from one industry becomes an input material for another. Products made from 100% solid wood are 100% green products, which consist of three basic ingredients: sun, water and carbon, are fully degradable and reusable (https://www.gov.si/teme/pomen-lesa/).

Wooden furniture is also “resistant” to fashion trends as it is part of various design styles – from modern, Scandinavian, industrial or retro. It has a wide range of uses for decorative purposes and interior furniture, and it is increasingly gaining ground in wooden construction.

Wood is easy to clean and maintain. Dust it from time to time, preferably with an ordinary, slightly damp cloth and water or a cleaner suitable for wood. In case of  and oiled furniture, we recommend additional care for it with oils and waxes. Wood is extremely popular in the furniture industry and in home furnishing, as it can be made into almost any shape. We wrote about wood in a blog post about trends in 2023, a year that brings sincere love for wood and woodcraft, ornate decor and various hand-carved details.

Literature:

• https://www.tvambienti.si/03/05/2022/5-razlogov-zakaj-se-odlociti-za-masivno-leseno-pohistvo/
• https://time-les.si/2019/05/09/zakaj-izbrati-pohistvo-iz-lesa-in-naravnih-materialov/
• https://www.gov.si/teme/pomen-lesa/

Mix and match

Perfectly coordinated spaces and matching furniture sets are passe. Consumers are interested in unique pieces, each telling its own story but complementing the other pieces in the room. There is a rising interest in heirlooms, thrifted finds, vintage and reused furniture. A modern consumer will mix and match pieces to communicate their style and sustainable & environmentally friendly choices. Reusing and upcycling is becoming more and more important and it can be seen everywhere from using vintage linen sheets as curtains and bed throws to reusing a kitchen island to mixing up vintage wooden furniture with modern printed fabrics.

Wood everywhere

Wood and other natural materials are finding its way into our homes for a couple of years now and the trend is still strong. With the feeling of nature they bring warmth into every room. What 2023 is bringing is the love for craft, ornate decor and various hand-hewn details. The search for complete perfection and symmetry is fading away and consumers are starting to appreciate the energy that a unique piece that is handmade from top to bottom brings to the table. Master craftsmanship, especially wood is being highly valued and it is shown in texture and structures. Pine wood is especially sought after and easily incorporated with other materials and textiles. Alongside wood, there will also be a lot of wicker and rattan furniture.

Burst of bold colours and patterns

After some time now, all white and neutral interiors are falling behind and more cheerful hues are becoming popular. Strong and bald choices are driving the colour pallet for 2023. With Viva Magenta as the colour of the year, this is not surprising. Consumers are looking for a way to add more contracts, warmth and personality to all white spaces with colourful rugs, pillows and other elements of cosiness. Alongside bright colours, we can see a shift towards bold patterns – especially with wallpapers. Flowers, geometric patters and abstract elements are all here for that wow effect.

Art or lighting?

Lightning is becoming much more that just something we use and need. It is becoming something we admire and cherish. Hand made, unique laps and hanging lights are taking the stage when it comes to accessories. Consumers are discovering the importance of ambient lighting and the role that it plays in creating an atmosphere. Natural materials such as wood, metal, glass will be matched with recycled materials. There will be experimenting with size, scale, and proportion with a goal of creating oversized lights, unique and breathtakingly lights.

Curves are here

Curved and arched furniture is not really something new, but the trends is changing as it will become more subtle going forward. Crescent sofas, tulip and egg chairs are stepping back to give room to architectural details, mushroom lighting, circle rugs and gently curved chairs and armchairs. It is still all about bringing softness into our home, but with a bit more practicality as in the past.

Literature:

• https://www.hgtv.ca/2023-home-decor-trends/ 
• https://www.housebeautiful.com/design-inspiration/g41791131/interior-design-trends-2023/  
• https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/design-trends-in-2023 
• https://www.veranda.com/decorating-ideas/advice-from-designers/g42199602/interior-design-trends-2023/

History of velvet 

Most often, we associate velvet with European nobility during the Renaissance, but its history goes back much further, all the way to ancient cultures of China, Iraq, and Egypt (to 2000 B.C.). Europeans introduced velvet into trade along the Silk Road and Italy was the first European country to have a velvet industry. It became the largest producer and supplier in Europe. Velvet production in Europe has increased during the late Middle Ages and Renaissance periods with expert weavers creating velvet also in Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus.

At the beginning velvet was expensive and hard to produce (also the reason for its popularity among the nobles). After the industrial revolution and the introduction of mechanical looms, any type of material was easier to produce. Velvet became more widely used, especially for curtains, clothing and also furniture but its association with luxury stuck, and it was still used to make produce feel and look more glamorous and expensive. 

Throughout history, velvet remained popular and it reached its peak in the glamorous vibes of the ’70s and the ’80s, and was then adopted by the pop icons of the ’90s. Today, it is a widely used material in all sorts of industries thanks to its durability and elegance.

What is velvet

The word “velvet” refers to the structure of the fabric, not the actual fibre or material used. It is a closely woven fabric with a short, thick, plush pile. Velvet pile, or the raised fibers, are super soft and smooth to touch. There are several different kinds of velvet (depending on how the fabric is made and what fiber is used), like crushed velvet, panne and embossed velvet, stretch velvet, patterned velvet and others. Originally it was made from silk but these days, it is made from a mixture of synthetic fibers and natural fibers. It is made from vertical yarn and manufactured on a special loom known as a double cloth loom as it spins two layers of fabric at the same time. These two fabric layers are then separated and wound up onto rolls. Once velvet is woven into cloth, it can be dyed in various colors.

Our velvet products

Velvet is used for a huge variety of products, from curtains and blankets, to stuffed animals, plush toys, furniture, and even bedding and bath robes. 

We have been using velvet since the beginning – when refurbishing armchairs and in our first collection Velvet Touch which was all about the timeless, colorful velvet cushions, embellished with a gold zipper. Velvet is comfortable, warm and quite airy. It is durable and has a pretty strong moisture-wicking properties. We love to use high quality velvet, because it is luxurious, rich in colours and very grateful for handmade work and sewing. Our color palette has grown with time and now we offer velvet products in light rose, dramatic black, vibrant yellow, deep green, several shades of blue and much much more. 

All velvet cushions and some chairs and armchairs covers that are removable are machine washable at 30 degrees on the delicate or hand-wash program. If it is not possible to remove the covers, you can always use a damp cloth and a little detergent. You can also use various preparations (foams) for cleaning and caring for upholstered furniture. We always advise our customers to test the cleaning product on a small piece of fabric in a less visible part to check how the fabric reacts to this specific cleaning solution.

Literature:

• https://fashinza.com/textile/fabric/velvet-origin-uses-types-major-producers-environmental-impact-care-tips-and-more/
• https://thefabricofourlives.com/cotton-fabrics/velvet 
• https://www.ifabric.com/blogs/news/what-is-velvet-fabric
• https://sewport.com/fabrics-directory/velvet-fabric
• https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-velvet
• https://goodonyou.eco/material-guide-how-sustainable-is-velvet/
• https://revolutionfabrics.com/blogs/gotcha-covered/what-is-velvet

One of the most awaited moments in December (besides lighting up Christmas decorations in city centres, decorating the Christmas tree and spending more time with family) is the announcement of the Pantone Color of the Year by the Pantone Color Institute. The Pantone Color Institute was founded more that two decades ago and has been championing colors of the year since cerulean blue in 2000. As Pantone Institute states, the selection process involves looking at everything from the entertainment and travel industries to technologies, cultural events and socio-economic conditions.

This years is the 23rd year that they announce a colour that depicts the trends and the happening in the world, reflects the global culture at a specific moment in time and also affects the design in various industries like graphic design, fashion design, technology, industrial design and more. The Color of the year 2023 is Viva Magenta and we see a little bit of our Rasberry Red and Red Pear in it. Viva Magenta Hex Code is #BA2649 and the PANTONE code is 18-1750.

Viva Magenta is seen as powerful and empowering. It is a new animated red that revels in pure joy, encouraging experimentation and self-expression without restraint. It welcomes anyone and everyone with the same verve for life and rebellious spirit. It is a color that is audacious, full of wit and inclusive of all (pantone.com).

Since there is no wavelength of light that corresponds to the magenta, some may say that it technically doesn’t exist, but Pantone — which literally wrote the book on color-matching in the 1960s — defines it as a “nuanced crimson red tone that presents a balance between warm and cool (time.com). 

Photo from: pantone.com

Colors are a visual language we all understand, no matter where and how we live. They can cross genders, generations and geographic limits and understanding their meaning can help us communicate through our shopping choices. They have a symbolic and a psychological meaning. The chosen color of the year often influences product development of many global companies and hence it shapes customer behaviour.

We see Viva Magenta as a perfect colour to add to home decor as it is vivid and bold but at the same time reflect calmness and so much cosiness. It can be described as universally flattering as it goes perfectly with neutral tones like grey, beige and white, but it will also fits in well with darker tones like a deep blue sofa or an armchair. Our optimistic Rasberry Red that we use for 100 % merino wool blankets and cushions and Red Pear that we use for velvet cushions are as close to Viva Magento as we can get.

Literature:

• https://www.nbcnews.com/select/shopping/pantone-color-year-2023-viva-magenta-ncna1301764 
• https://www.pantone.com/color-of-the-year-2023-designer-tools 
• https://www.pantone.com/color-of-the-year-2023 
• https://time.com/6238112/pantone-color-of-the-year-2023/

In addition to wool, reused cotton and velvet, we have recently welcomed a new material to our family. We have been working on adding boucle for a while now, but it took some time to find the right fabric providers with the right colour pallets for our designs. We try to build honest and long-term partnerships with our providers but also make sure we don’t stock up on too much but rather order on demand. In addition we work very hard to create as little leftovers as possible or to reuse leftover material from the upholstery for our pillows.

We added boucle to our shop because it’s a timeless, elegant material that brings softness and cosiness to our homes. The word boucle is derived from a French word meaning “curled”, “looped” or “ringed” and it refers to a yarn, made from a series of looped threads. It is a rough textured fabric, generally and historically made from wool and mohair. Nowadays, cotton, linen, silk, and synthetic mixes can also be used to create its distinctive look and feel. 

To touch, it’s somewhere between the soft fluffiness of sherpa fleece and the natural texture of marled linen. Boucle can have metallic fibres of gold or silver, which makes it all the more special, but be aware, that boucle is not tweed and while they might appear similar and originally they both have been made on looms, and out of wool – they are not the same. Boucle is softer and richer in texture. Because it is a little thicker than other materials, it is harder to manipulate it for armchair and chairs covers, but we still love it because of how it feels and the warmth it brings to home decor. 

History of boucle

The boucle history is as elegant as the material itself. It became popular in the U.S in the 1940s when an architect asked a designer to make a chair that would allow someone to curl up on it. The designer, Eero Saarinen, designed an iconic chair that featured the soft boucle fabric. The Womb chair by Eero led to an increased rise in popularity of the fabric. After being featured prominently in furniture designs, it later also became an important material in the clothing industry when it was first used by Coco Chanel in her jackets designs. Boucle is used for upholstering sofas and chairs, drapes, pillows, blankets and garments.

Boucle in our shop

It is durable, soft and very easy to maintain. For certain designs of chairs and armchairs, it will be possible to remove the covers and wash them in the machine at 30 degrees on the delicate or hand wash program. If removing the covers is not possible, you can always use a damp cloth and a little bit of detergent. You can also use various preparations (foams) for cleaning and caring for upholstered furniture. We always advise our customers to test the cleaning product on a small piece of fabric in a less visible part to check how the fabric reacts to this specific cleaning solution. 

In line with our vision of sustainable manufacturing of furniture, we of course offer certain repairs and also re-dressing of textiles when you need to change this up a bit. All this to provide second, third and fourth life stories for our pieces. 

Literature:

• https://teachyoutosew.com/boucle-fabric-history-properties-uses-care-where-to-buy/
• https://thedesigntabloid.com/2021/02/17/decorating-dictionary-boucle/ 
• https://food52.com/blog/26032-boucle-the-internets-favorite-fabric
• https://revolutionfabrics.com/blogs/gotcha-covered/what-is-boucle-fabric
• https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/boucle-fabric-is-back
• https://blog.treasurie.com/what-is-boucle/
• https://www.sewingchanelstyle.com/boucle-fabrics.html
• https://www.larforma.com/journal/2021/2/14/why-boucl-fabric-is-back-and-everlasting 
• https://thelatch.com.au/boucle-trend/
• https://www.couchdesign.co.uk/what-does-boucle-mean/

We use 100% merino wool for knitting. The term wool refers to a fiber produced from the hide of an animal and the most common sources of wool are goats, alpacas, and sheep. Merino wool is named after the animal this particular kind of wool is harvested from – Merino sheep. Merino wool has Spanish origins and is one of the world’s most popular fabric materials. With good reason.

What is merino wool?

Merino wool is an environmentally friendly renewable resource. An animal can be sheared and the ‘wool’ grows back therefore it’s a sustainable fabric and the manufacturing process causes little to no harm to the environment. Merino wool is a material for all seasons  as it cools in summer and warms in winter. It is resistant to unpleasant odors and absorbs moisture perfectly. It is also antiseptic, does not stain and is famous for its exceptional durability.

Depending on how it’s made, merino wool fabric can also be luxuriously soft, countering the scratchiness that is commonly associated with wool. Because it has thinner, finer fibres, it won’t irritate even the most sensitive skin. Merino wool comes in a variety of different grades, and ultra-fine merino wool is suitable for blending with silk or cashmere. There are several types of merino wool, like broad merino wool, medium merino wool, fine merino wool (this is the one that we use), superfine and ultrafine merino wool. 

Where does merino wool come from?

Merino sheep appeared in the southern parts of Spain sometime during the 12th or 13th century. While some scholars indicate that this breed of sheep was imported from Morocco, others contend that Merino sheep originated as a result of selective breeding between Spanish sheep and Moroccan rams. Regardless of the precise origins of Merino sheep, it was responsible for making Spain a direct competitor of England within the European wool market by the end of the 15th century. Merino wool also contributed to Spain becoming an export force. Just prior to the rise of Napoleon, Merino spread throughout some of the most recent British colonies, including South Africa and, of course, Australia. Today, Australia is home to more than 71 million sheep, and approximately 53 million of them are Merino. The vast majority of the world’s Merino wool originates in Australia, and the wool trade still makes up a significant portion of Australia’s export economy. We buy fine merino wool from several trusted suppliers from across Europe and we chose them based on the type of wool they offer, the colour pallet they have available and an interest in long-term and stable collaboration.

How do we use merino wool?

While knitting a large dimensional merino wool blanket takes an entire day, we absolutely love the final products as they are extremely comfortable and cosy. The merino wool blankets are known for their luxurious softness and remarkable heat retention. At the beginning we were using it only to make blankets, but because of its popularity with our customers we added merino pillows to our shop as well. There are several colours available, from dramatic black to cream white and vivid raspberry and we are always open to suggestions about adding more options to our shop. Most merino wool products are made to order but few pieces are always available for that last minute gift or a little something to pamper oneself.

All our blankets and pillows are completely handmade by us. We try our hardest that each loop is knitted to the highest possible perfection. We use soft, organic cotton Cup of Tea labels to ensure maximum comfort of each blanket and pillow. Merino wool cannot be machine washed, but it is extremely durable and a very low maintenance material. We advise to ventilate wool products several times a year and shake them well, which should be enough to make sure the larger particles fall out. In case of a small stain, you should carefully wash that part of the product with cold water at home. For a complete once in a year cleanse, we advise dry cleaning.

Literature:

• https://sewport.com/fabrics-directory/merino-wool-fabric 
• https://www.masterclass.com/articles/fabric-guide-what-is-merino-wool 
• https://www.apparelsearch.com/definitions/fiber/merino_wool_definition.htm 
• https://www.meriwoollayers.com/pages/what-is-merino-wool 
• https://blog.nobleknits.com/blog/merino-wool-yarn 
• https://www.smartwool.com/discover/what-is-merino-wool.html
• https://armadillomerino.com/blogs/news/introduction-to-merino-wool

Consumption is all around us – it is the force that drives the economy, the cultural practice by which we shape and express ourselves, and the everyday practice by which we acquire goods.

And what does ethical consumption mean to us? The closest to us are the definitions given by Jobber (in Goworek 2011, 75), who defines ethical consumption as making purchase decisions not only based on personal interests but also on the basis of the interests of society and the environment, and Munchy and Vitell (in Joergens 2006), who write that ethical consumption is a set of moral principles and standards that guide the behaviour of individuals when acquiring, using and disposing of products.

Ethical consumption is therefore a modern phenomenon that is becoming increasingly important in the food, automotive, cosmetic, fashion and also furniture industry. We are aware and happy that consumers are becoming more and more educated and informed about issues of ethical consumption, and they want, expect and demand more responsible and sustainable business operations from companies.

Ethical consumers buy products from companies that do not harm or exploit the environment, people or animals. They may have political, religious, spiritual, environmental, social or other motivations for choosing one product over another, but what they have in common is that they are aware of the effects that their consumption choices have on them personally and also on the world around them, and are concerned about these effects (Harrison et al. 2005, 3). An ethical consumer is a consumer who, in addition to traditional selection criteria such as price, quality, appearance, usability, also considers the ethical aspect of the product when purchasing. It therefore chooses products that reflect its moral, ethical and social principles. To discover and research the topics of modern ethical consumption and how to become an ethical consumer, we advise you to visit the website Choice and their Ethical Shopping Guide.

Although there are more and more ethical consumers, consumers in Europe throw away several million tons of furniture every year, which ends up in incinerators and landfills. We are very proud of the fact that we offer you hand refurbished second-hand furniture. The Cup of Tea story intertwines our passion for furniture and a commitment to a sustainable and so-called “slow-fashion” range of armchairs and chairs.

According to Ecologists Without Borders, “reuse and use of second-hand products is growing mainly at the expense of consumer demand”. According to the portal Manj je več, there are 25 centers in Slovenia where we can bring products that we no longer need. These products are then repaired or transformed into new products. According to data from 19 centers, in 2019 more than 185,000 products that would otherwise end up in landfills or incinerators were given a new life. You can read more information about reuse in Slovenia on their blog entry Reuse — Trend of the present for the future.

Our renovation process

Our armchair renovation process consists of several phases. We start with a careful selection of discarded or old pieces of furniture that are for sale in Slovenia or that come into our hands through buyers who want to sustainably restore them. Each piece is then processed and refurbished. First, we remove the worn-out fabric, foam and the like. We start with sanding and painting of the wood or metal frame. We completely replace the filling, cushions and fabric – all so that we can ensure a long-term comfort of the refurbished armchair / chair. We measure the cushions and sew all the necessary covers by hand. For the fabric, we most often use velvet, and recently also “bouclé”, and sometimes also artificial or real leather. In all cases, all these materials are extremely grateful for long-term and daily use, and at the same time convenient for cleaning stains (with a wet cloth and natural fabric cleaners). In our processes we try to minimize the impact on the environment and also use all “leftovers” of fabric for making cushions. With a lot of love, we make sure that Cup of Tea furniture gets another chance for a second, long life in a new home.

We are extremely grateful that our efforts to produce sustainable products for the home were also noticed by the Center for Creativity, which awarded our armchairs the unique “Made in Slovenia” Selection of Design Excellence. 

Literature:

• Goworek, Helen. 2011. Social and environmental sustainability in the clothing industry: A case study of a fair trade retailer. Social Responsibility Journal 7 (1): 74–86.
• Harrison, Rob, Newholm Terry in Deidre Shaw. 2005. The Ethical Consumer. London: Sage Publications.
• Joergens, Catrin. 2006. Ethical fashion: myth or future trend? Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management 10 (3): 360–371.
• Ponovna uporaba — Trend sedanjosti za prihodnost (wwv.ebm.si).