Anyone who’s picked up a recent copy of Living etc, likes to read about the lives of well-known design bloggers or even just enjoys browsing Flickr will immediately recognize this product. At least here in Europe, Kusmi tea tins have become so ubiquitous as a design statement that a well-styled kitchen countertop, complete with some fresh-cut flowers and a tin of Kusmi Detox, is almost a cliché.

But oh, what a beautiful one. Kusmi, a 140-year-old company with its origins in Russia but head office in Paris, certainly makes a beautiful product. The brightly coloured, mildly baroque tins are lovely to look at, and the fact that each variety has a unique design makes you want to collect them all (hmm, someone went to Marketing 101…). If their multitude of fans are to be believed, the tea itself is delicous, too.

Which is why I’ve finally taken the plunge and ordered myself an Essentials sampler pack. I plan to use the 24 teabags (2 each of the 12 best-selling blends) to suss out which flavours I like best, and they can go on my Christmas list. Perhaps my own charmingly-styled countertop is not too far off!