Hei! (That's Finnish for hi)
Hi, I’m Traci — a lifelong design lover with a soft spot for bold prints, chilly coastlines, and an outrageous number of stripes.
My Nordic design spiral started at my first architecture job, when a Finnish woman named Tuuli introduced me to Marimekko. Cue love at first print. I’d take the T to Cambridge, Massachusetts, walk 20 minutes to the shop, and float around like it was a sacred space. A quiet little seed was planted.
An Etsy purchase soon led me to someone who’d change my life. She and I founded FilzFelt, turning a new-found love of German wool felt into a business. We started in a Boston cellar, cutting samples and orders by hand, and eventually joined Knoll, which later became MillerKnoll. A decade as VP of Marketing, alongside brands like Muuto and HAY and many talented Nordic designers, turned Nordic design into a permanent personality trait.
It was exciting and full of big ideas. But part of me kept dreaming of something slower. More me. A little shop filled with color, pattern, and joy.
Enter Hei-Hey: my dream shop, now open and fully stocked with bold Nordic prints, timeless materials, cheeky details, and practical beauty. Many pieces with Nordic roots. All chosen with care (and a little designer glee).
Where Maine Meets Modern
We believe everyday things should pull their weight, and then some.
The mug that kickstarts your morning and feels just right in your hand. The blanket that hijacks your winter evenings. The dish towel that dries fast and brings a pattern pop to your kitchen.
Why settle for boring basics when your everyday things could spark joy and bring a little magic? We stock only the good stuff: thoughtfully designed, sustainably made, and timeless in form and function. From bold Nordic prints to quiet, considered pieces, we believe even the most practical things can have personality.
No clutter. No filler. Just hardworking, good-looking goods you’ll actually reach for. The kind you’ll quietly brag about, give as your go-to gift, and wonder how you ever lived without. We’re not here to fill your home with more things, we’re here to fill it with better ones.
The keepers. The favorites.
The ones that make the everyday feel just a little more Hei-Hey.
A Little Name Story For You
Hei-Hey begins with a hello. 👋
In Finland, when you step into a shop, you’re greeted with a cheerful “hei-hei.” It’s light, friendly, and immediately puts you at ease. That tiny moment does something quietly wonderful. The space feels warmer, the objects more inviting, and suddenly you’re very happy to be exactly where you are.
Years ago, a Finn introduced me to Nordic design. Last year, while wandering Helsinki for her birthday and collecting “hei-hei” greetings in each shop along the way, it clicked. That simple hello carried so much feeling. Calm but joyful. Easy but thoughtful. The kind of magic you don’t overthink, you just feel.
Hei-Hey is my attempt to bottle that. A welcoming hello, a wink of joy, and a place that encourages lingering, looking, and maybe falling a little bit in love.
Our founder has a soft spot for stripes, a crush on whimsy, and a lifelong love of Nordic design. If there was ever a fire, she’d scoop up the cats — and then these can’t-live-withouts.
