Conversations with: Tea at Shiloh
Whether you seek solace in the many cozy corners in the Teahouse or engage in conversations in the Annex, Tea at Shiloh provides a haven of warmth, serenity — and endless herbal teas. You’ll quickly learn that Ash & Shiloh are more than hosts, but facilitators of inspiration with their genuine passion for the space and those that enter it.
NG: how did Tea at Shiloh begin?
Shiloh: None of this would have been possible without one of my good friends. I had always wanted to open up a teahouse, and eventually he believed in the idea so much that he decided to invest in it. He actually sold his car at the time and we used a portion of the money to rent this space and things have been growing from there. The teahouse officially opened on March 3, 2022. 3.3.22. Three is kind of our number here. There are three mushrooms in our logo, we opened in March, the third month of the year and sometimes people refer to us as their third place.
When we opened people were like, “oh, i’ve always been looking for a third space.” I didn’t know what that was until people started bringing it up. So I did a bit of research and discovered that Third places are anchors of community life and facilitate creative interaction. In our modern society, there aren’t many places like this, especially in LA. I thought it was funny that three means so much to us at the teahouse and people started referring to us as their third space.
“ Then one day, I saw the space at a different time of the day and saw this beautiful beam of sunlight casting a shadow against the wall, and that’s when I knew.”
NG: how long were you looking for a space and how did you know this was the one?
Shiloh: Actually, when we first walked in it was a total mess. We have a before video on our instagram because a lot of people come in and they just assume the space has always looked like this - but no! It was completely different. I asked the building manager if I could see the space three more times because I was so unsure about signing the lease. We were looking at another location that had been a yoga studio. It had a skylight and it was really warm and beautiful, but I didn’t like the location it was in. I knew the teahouse had to be in the arts district. Then one day, I saw our current space at a different time of day and saw this beautiful beam of sunlight casting a shadow against the wall and that’s when I knew. I could tell the light was really special in the space and that the potential was there.
NG: what inspired the interior design of the space?
Shiloh: I didn’t know what I wanted it to look like, but I knew what I wanted it to feel like. I wanted it to be simple, yet cozy and warm. It just continued to unfold based on that. My friend Kai created the base, and I added warmth. Also, during the build process I met my boyfriend who has a background in architecture and he hand built almost everything in the space. The tea counter, the coffee table, he even helped install the spiral staircase.
“I didn’t know what I wanted it to look like, but I knew what I wanted it to feel like.”
NG: why tea?
Shiloh: I read the book Tea Life, Tea Mind by Soshitsu Sen and I loved the philosophy it presented around the world of tea. The appreciation of art, the art of floral arranging, the art of preparing for guests, the art of hosting, the art of preparing the perfect cup of tea. These were all things that I really loved. In a way, Tea became an excuse to do all of the things I loved and most importantly an excuse to bring together people that I loved.
NG: any advice you can share with someone wanting to start their own business?
Shiloh: Honestly, there are so many things that come to mind. I feel like I'm still learning every day, so I can't even say, “oh I'm successful and here we are!” Everyday is an exploration and a test, an experiment. I do believe in surrounding yourself with people who are down for the experiment and are willing to try things out with you. Because if you have a team that's not flexible with your vision, then everything's gonna crack and fall apart.
Second, never stop - just keep going and be consistent with it.
The only way that you can stay true to your creation, is knowing deeply why you want to do it, not what other people want from it. Continue to building off your vision and it will remain true to you.
NG: what is the tea at shiloh team excited about right now? any future plans you can share?
Shiloh: The Annex.
Ash: The teahouse interior design is like an extension of Shiloh’s bedroom design. The origin of the teahouse. But the Annex really feels like that ‘growing up’ feeling for the teahouse. That’s why the Annex is so important, it’s kind of like… you can’t be in your adolescent bedroom forever.
Shiloh: Yes! Exactly - that’s so beautiful. Workshops are going to be happening in the Annex, dinners, conversations, film screenings, and then this space will remain open for late-night tea and daylight. One day we want to build a nature teahouse in Northern California, similar to this, but where you follow a river and end up in by a hidden cabin surrounded by trees
