Interview – Kate Koeppel of Koeppel Design

Koeppel Design is a graphic design studio based in San Francisco, CA. In 2013, Koeppel Design launched a line of handcrafted products for the home, designed and manufactured in San Francisco.

-Can you discuss your background and how you first got interested in storage solutions?                                                     I've always had an interest in collections (buttons, stamps, ephemera, vinyl) but as I've gotten older I've realized the tendency to collect is a slippery slope towards disorder if I, or anyone really, is collecting without reflection. I didn't plan for my design career to be so closely informed by my love of music or by my tendencies towards order and structure;but it happened very naturally! I consider myself very lucky to have built this funny job of design + organization + music, because it hits so many of the right buttons for me.

-You have mentioned you believe a well-organized collection is going to be a well-used one, can you expand on that?
Sure, I think that its much easier to enjoy a collection if you know you're not going to be frustrated by it. If you can't find what you're looking for, or you've forgotten whats on your shelves, it is harder to invest quality time in that collection. I get a lot of pleasure out of listening to vinyl, because it forces us to take a break from work, our phones, etc. This is something that my husband and I enjoy together, and our friends and family often come together to spend time listening to music, socializing and unwinding together. Our vinyl collection is large, and it could be intimidating, but it is easy to access because it is organized with a clean visual system- any friend can stop by and pull out a record, which makes it more fun and social. We get to share what we love with the people we love.

I think a collection, (no matter the content) says so much about a person's values and interests-- I am often so delighted to be "invited in" to other people's collections- whether they collect a certain genre of music or time period, its like a little museum of that person's life! I design products to help others engage in more active, analog experiences, because I hope that my work encourages more people to pause more often to enjoy whatever media format they collect-- and if it happens to be more organized and looks good, even better!

-Can you discuss the importance of products being handcrafted?
For me, it is important to know and understand where I am investing my money, because I want to understand the full life cycle of a product. I'd rather have only few things that are well made than lots of possessions that are poorly made, or will need to be replaced. I really respond to objects that I know were handcrafted, it feels more meaningful to know where something came from, and how it was made. When I launched our first collection of products, I wanted to make the products that didn't exist on the market, and I wanted to make useful, durable products that I would use in my own home, and would be easy to incorporate into other people people's home aesthetic. In business we try to honor the values that we think makes good community- we work locally, we support other small businesses, and we try to use all our resources and materials very carefully and responsibly. 

All our products are made with a high grade european birch wood. Panels are laser-cut and engraved by machine, however every other part of the production process is done completely by hand. Every product we produce goes through multiple rounds of inspection to ensure we're delivering the strongest, cleanest and most useful product we can. All of our wood products are hand-sanded to ensure a clean, smooth finish.

-How does the custom creations process work?
We offer quick and simple customizations of individual record divider panels, (this will be available starting Oct 1-Nov 10th only)  but if a client has a large collection they need help with, we also do fully customizable design.

We work with clients to help customize systems that will work with their home, library or personal system. We can make dividers for any kind of media, storage system or space. We can do any size or shape panel, and we can laser-engrave just about anything! We usually start with a conversation about the collection, and after getting all the necessary measurements the process is pretty simple- We'll mock up a design, then once it is confirmed we'll move into design and and production. The whole process for a custom set usually takes about 3-4 weeks depending on the size of the order, and how busy our production team is (this is available year-round, expect in December).

-A lot of our clients don’t know what to do with their vinyl records, what are your best recommendations?
For me, taking the time to listen to vinyl is an immersive experience that you have to be present in. The format dictates that you have to be physically present to move the needle, flip the record, and be ready with the next LP. Listening to a full album is about taking a break, and actually focusing on the experience of music- physically being present and engaged as opposed to a possibly more passive music experience, say in streaming music.

I think knowing what is in your collection, is a big step towards actually using and appreciating it, no matter what you collect. If you've got a ton of vinyl LPs, CDs, or DVDs I think the first step is to put them in a place where you can see them, and then organize in a way that makes sense to you. The method doesn't matter so much, whether it is alphabetical, by genre, or artist, but that way you can see what you have, and its easier to find the things that you love. I've personally found that I'm more likely to spend time listening to my music collection when I can see it, and when its easy to access.  Our products also help preserve and protect collections, which is really important for vinyl collectors.

-What are your most popular products and why?
Our record divider collection is by far what we're best known for. Our record dividers allow our clients to build a organization system that works with their collections, no matter how they like to organize. Alphabetical organization (and our A-Z dividers) tends to be the most common way vinyl collectors organize, but I don't feel like there is one right way to catalog- its more about finding a system that works for you. Many of our customers also love genre panels, so they can use a mix of genre dividers and alphabetical dividers together.

Around the holidays, we offer gift certificates which is a pretty popular way to give the gift of organization to collectors in your life! We offer wood gift certificates in any denomination.

Hide and Seek

Often our clients feel embarrassed when we first arrive using the standard line "sorry about the mess." There is no need to apologize! We always work the problem not the blame. It is easy to confuse neat with organized. Many people think they are organized but what they really mean is that they are neat, tidy or clean. Your house may be spotless- sometimes it may even look like an ad out of Architectural Digest. However, if we dig deeper we can identify organizational issues. Attics, garages, closets and drawers are excellent examples of spaces in the home that appear problem free until we "pull back the curtain" so to speak. Out of sight, out of mind is a concern when it comes to being able to find a household item when you need it. While true that short term gains get the house ready when company comes over and we all know how much Betty down the street loves to compare all the houses on the block, but taking the time on one end usually saves more on the other. And it is not just time spent running around the house trying to find an umbrella or clean socks, it is the anxiety of being late or stress of knowing you have batteries for that new birthday toy but simply can’t find them. By letting us help you create proper systems, you will always find what you are looking for and even have time to hit up Starbucks before work.

Words Matter

If getting my kids ready for school is any indication, there are many things in life we can’t control. However, there are often simple steps we can take to take back a little control in our lives. I know you may think it silly but how we refer to the items and places in our spaces matters. As the Car Talk guys used to say, the harder you slam the car door the more you hate your car. This same principle applies to your house. If you call your dwelling a dump or refer to the living room as a disaster, over time the words will turn into deep set feelings. No area of the house is this phenomena more clearly demonstrated than the so called Junk Drawer. Most people call the kitchen junk drawer the junk drawer as reflex and over the years the name has become ingrained in the American vernacular tradition in the same we call all tissues Kleenex. My suggestion would be to start refereeing to the drawer in your kitchen that is filled with all manner of items as the Utility Drawer. I would also limit the contents to only the tools you use frequently, usually one hammer, screwdriver and tape measure. Take out any medicine or health items as they always get crushed. Also, leave a reasonable amount of office items such as one pair of scissors and one roll of tape. Lastly, the kids always need batteries so don’t forget those. If we are able to pick up the new habit of calling it the Utility Drawer then we will more comfortable not only using it more but trusting that the item you are looking for will be found inside and easily accessed.

 

Play Time Never Ends

Toys Are Meant To Be Played With

Over the years, one of the biggest challenges my clients have dealt with has to do with toys. From tripping hazards to ninja swords sticking out of sofa cushions parents are simply overwhelmed when it comes to their kid's toys. The central issue is the battle between the grownups desire to have the toys off the floor and the kid's desire to play with them.

The first issue that needs to be addressed before any playroom system can be designed is volume. Thanks to free trade and the rise of plastic toys are fundamentally not expensive (I know, I know LEGO are). In theory, if the whole class is invited to a child’s party plus factoring in relatives a four-year-olds haul from an annual party could be almost 40 toys. So how do we get rid of toys if my kid loves them? The answer lies with the kid. Watch them, how do they play and what really interests them? We all know the old adage about the kids playing with the box it came in and ignoring the toy. If we take away the concept of them merely enjoying the new toy and observe their play habits, we may find that that beloved new toy quickly collects dust in a remote corner of a shelf. I have found that simply taking unpopular toys out of rotation often goes un-noticed. Another useful strategy is to collect the toys and talk to the children about all the kids in the world who may not have any toys and have them select some for specific donation.

The Gate Keeper

Now that the number has been reduced what about next year, how do we stop more toys from coming into the house?  A possible respite from the onslaught of birthday and holiday toys is to become the gatekeeper. Ask party guests to donate to a charity instead of toys knowing that you will get your kid one or two actual toys that she actually wants. I know what you’re thinking, what about the grandparents? They love to shower the grandkids with gifts (all the time). We want to focus their gift giving on experiences. Tickets to the Lion King are not cheap let them take your little birthday boy. How about swimming, soccer, piano or guitar lessons. All those extracurricular activities add up so why not let mom and dad pick up the tab. Of course, the real grandparent dilemma is that they may still want to have your kids rip open wrapping party and have something tangible in their hands at Christmas. The solution, assign blame. Tell Pop-Pop that you would love to have him get a million toys for his only grandson but the doctor feels too much stimulation is making it hard for him to learn to read. Or my favorite all the stuffed animals are creating a dangerous dust situation that makes your granddaughter’s allergies flair up.
Lastly, knowing that the work of childhood is play, think about the goal of each toy. Is the same joy level reached with the 45th Matchbox car compared to the 2nd?