The economical companion to Shaye — designed to fill a gap in Fakir's lineup quickly, cleanly, and without overcomplicating what it needed to be.
Chaila was designed alongside Shaye as the economical entry point in Fakir's tea maker range. Where Shaye brought glass bodies, LED ambiance, and a premium story, Chaila's job was simpler: deliver a well-designed, reliable stainless steel tea maker that could move into the lineup quickly and serve a broader price point.
Not every product needs to redefine its category. Chaila knew exactly what it needed to be.
The brief was about speed and fit — a product that aligned with Fakir's design language, covered a gap in the range, and could be brought to market without a lengthy development cycle. The design had to be honest about what it was: a well-executed, accessible product, not a flagship.
The material combination — stainless steel body, choice of glass or stainless teapot, matte black plastic handles and base — was chosen to give the product a coherent, premium-adjacent aesthetic without the cost structure of a full glass body.
Not every product needs a story. Some just need to work — and look like they were designed to.
Idea
Fakir needed an economical tea maker that could sit comfortably alongside Shaye in the range without undercutting the premium positioning of the glass model. Chaila was designed to serve a different customer — one who wanted a well-designed product at an accessible price, without the LED ambiance or full-glass body that made Shaye distinctive.
Form
A 1.9-liter stainless steel body paired with matte black plastic handles and base — a combination that reads as clean and considered without requiring premium materials throughout. The teapot comes in both glass and stainless versions, giving the customer a choice of material at the same price point.
Function
A 1.9-liter reservoir and a 0.7-liter teapot cover everyday household tea brewing capacity without the larger footprint of Shaye. All the core functions a Turkish tea maker needs — nothing more, nothing less.
Differentiation
Chaila's differentiation wasn't a single standout feature — it was the quality of execution at its price tier. A well-proportioned, coherent design that looked considered rather than generic, within the constraints of an economical product brief.
Impact
Chaila served its role in Fakir's lineup successfully, broadening the range's reach and providing an accessible entry point alongside Shaye's premium positioning. Both were eventually retired from the range together.
Chaila was a different kind of design discipline than Shaye — not the challenge of a bold idea, but the quieter challenge of doing something well within tight constraints. The material combination, the proportions, the way the matte black handles read against the stainless body: every decision was about making an economical product feel designed rather than assembled.
That restraint is its own kind of craft. Chaila didn't need to be remarkable. It needed to be right — and it was.
Chaila completed Fakir's tea maker range alongside Shaye, serving a broader audience without compromising the coherence of the lineup — a well-executed economical product that knew its role and fulfilled it.