FILLET

HILE Brand Story

Kapu designer Teemu Karhunen was tired of dealing with coffee bags every morning. The tape meant to seal the packaging would quickly get dirty and stop working. And, of course, there was the daily task of digging a coffee scoop or spoon out of the kitchen drawer to make coffee.
The first prototype for Kapu was created back in 2003 for a product design competition (made from solid wood at the time). Teemu made a limited run to give to friends as gifts, and they were a huge hit.

One of those friends was the manager of the Design Forum Shop in Helsinki, and she strongly encouraged Teemu to bring Kapu to market. A few years later, Teemu's partner, Hilja Nikkanen, launched the design brand "HILE." HILE is a brand inspired by food culture trends that stays true to high-quality materials and simple Nordic style, without ever losing sight of the manufacturing companies, the people who work there, or usability. Kapu was the perfect product to release under the HILE brand, and it was finally launched in December 2009.

Hilja Nikkanen

Hilja holds a Master's degree in Industrial Design from the Helsinki University of Art and Design. In addition to industrial design, she studied glass and ceramics as well as trend research, and spent a semester at the Helsinki School of Economics studying entrepreneurship and leadership as a minor. She is also a professional chef, having worked every role from dishwasher to restaurant manager. While she is now dedicated to design, her passion for restaurants and food culture remains. Her work is a combination of passion, food culture, and design culture. She works with a wide range of materials and is committed to understanding the manufacturing processes of her products, as well as getting to know the companies and people behind their creation.

Teemu Karhunen

Teemu studied design at the Kymenlaakso University of Applied Sciences and the Helsinki University of Art and Design. He is also a designer who trained as a cabinetmaker at the Vihti School of Arts and Crafts. Since 2002, Teemu has built a career as a product development specialist in the furniture industry while also pursuing his own product design projects.