Changes in 2022
Posted on January 09 2022
This week Koeppel Design is returning to the studio after a few weeks of rest. I’m eager to get back to work after a lot of uncertainty in the last 12+ months, as the global supply chain has continued to challenge our ability to maintain inventory.
For the last quarter of 2021, we had dwindling wood supply, and very little hope of restocking wood after long delays and surging prices. After a ton of scrambling, an amazing delivery came through right before we closed the shop for the holidays: a big, beautiful long-awaited wood delivery of our high grade wood. Now after some rest, I am eager to work with my tiny team to replenish our product inventory, share some new products later in 2022 and reopen custom ordering! As we move forward, there are few changes coming.
I am looking forward to what the next year brings for Koeppel Design, and I am excited for the opportunities to help cultivate joyful, calm and happy experiences in your homes with products designed to help you feel good.
Business, motherhood and navigating life in a pandemic is an absolutely humbling juggle, and I hope to approach the coming months with a little more grace, humor and patience, and if that fails, a good record to calm and reset, so I can try again tomorrow.
Changes ahead
Continued supply chain issues, coupled with high demand have led to significant increases in our costs, from our wood and packaging supplies to global shipping costs. Our wood costs alone have more than doubled since early 2020.
This month we have increased prices on most of our products. High demand across industries has continued to keep our wood costs high, and we don’t anticipate these changes to be temporary. I haven’t increased prices on the majority of products in 5 years (man, I am not great at business), and the decision to increase prices from 2-13% on most products has been a challenging one (see previous note). For some products, it is a few dollars overall, and for some products the price has increased by $1-2 per panel. Sacrificing material quality or craftsmanship aren’t options for me. I will continue to design and produce the best quality products I can make.
Handcrafted products are more than just time and materials, more than just labor and a good idea. Beyond the tools, the overhead and insurance, the investment of education and aesthetics, prototyping, licenses, rent and photography, partnerships and marketing, creative drive, software and hardware, stupid little important spreadsheets and copywriting and bookkeeping... If you’re making a purchase from Koeppel Design, you’re making a decision to live your values by supporting a small woman-owned business that creates well-made products to last a lifetime, and I don’t take that investment for granted.
Take care, reach out if you have questions or thoughts to share, and most of all, thank you for your support!
-Kate