Our Role
After meeting Silk Road Tea’s owner and founder Daniela Cubelic, you may never look at tea the same way again. Known locally as “Canada’s Queen of Tea,” Daniela has become an integral part of the social fabric of Victoria. So when Daniela planned to open a new store in Vancouver, it was important that she bring this same level of community impact to the new location. The challenge: create a unique Silk Road experience with an authentic connection to the surrounding community.
Challenge accepted.
Cutler partnered with Daniela to adapt the Silk Road Tea brand to the Vancouver neighbourhood of West 4th in Kitsilano. Our interior design services included: community research, branding & design strategy, concept development, construction documentation, custom fixture design, millwork drawings, and specialized product specifications, along with project management through to completion.
Our Approach
We started by conducting local research: analyzing design trends, speaking to local shop owners, and getting a feel for the character of the neighbourhood. The Silk Road Tea experience is all about community connection, education and lifestyle, so it was imperative that we gain as much knowledge as possible at this step before moving forward. We then went to work on developing a new design concept for the store, based on a combination of our local research, the existing brand assets, and a re-imagination of the ancient Silk Road. Through close collaboration with Daniela, we found the perfect balance between the existing Silk Road Tea brand and the desire to strategically harmonize with the new surroundings.
