Koukoutsi eco-material
In 2020, when the whole world took a long pause due to unprecedented circumstances, Koukos de Lab duo, Irene and Christos, got the chance to express their ingenuity combining their expertise in design and their respect for the natural environment. The fruit of this effort was a new, innovative material that derives from olive oil production waste, consisting of olive cores and olive pips.
Named after the Greek word for “core”, Koukoutsi-Eco Material was created, breathing new life to what’s considered to be biowaste, offering a variety of applications. Either as a coating material for large or small surfaces or as the main crafting material for furniture pieces and objects, Koukoutsi eco-material can elevate the aesthetics of interiors and exteriors, bringing nature to your living spaces, as the final result resembles to an earthy terrazzo.
location
Megalochori is a mountainous village in the southern part of Lesvos, globally known for its natural, raw beauty. With more than 11 million olive trees, Lesvos is considered to be one of the largest olive groves globally.
Having lived in this fertile land, where the olive is the basis of production, economic activity, nutrition, and natural wealth of Lesvos, and motivated by our ecological consciousness, we repurposed the olive pip as a manufacturing material for boards, furniture pieces and objects.
Synonym to “away from it all”, this slow-paced village has proved to be the perfect “nest” for Koukos de lab and the flourishing of new innovative ideas.
Lesvos "A Plane tree leaf in the middle of the Aegean Sea..."
our lab
Koukos de Lab was established in Megalochori, a traditional village on the Greek island of Lesvos, where an old coffee shop (kafenio) used to be. Meticulously restored with attention to every single detail, this small lab is the heart of Koukoutsi eco-material and represents the eagerness of its founders for authenticity and locality.
Just as this coffee shop transformed into a contemporary lab that embraces the principles of slow design, its creations also undergo a transformation, originating from a humble component: the olive core and pip. Koukoutsi eco-material has a story to tell, and our lab is part of this story.
Irene Moutsoyiannis
Marketing Consultant
Irene, the managing director and co-founder of Koukos de Lab, works to ensure that projects are developed and delivered to their full potential. With a background in economics, marketing, and Young Entrepreneurship, Irene's work with corporations has instilled in her a deep intuition for the nature of building client relationships and collaborations. At Koukos de Lab, she leverages her experience and her refined aesthetics to create tailor-made client experiences and project management processes.
Christos Ververis
Interior and Product Designer
Christos is one of the founding partners at Koukos de Lab with experience as an Interior Architect and Furniture Designer. Trained at both The University of West Attica and Birmingham City University, Christos mixes design and sustainable thinking with the conceptual thoughts and visions that bring creative projects to life.
During his undergraduate and postgraduate studies, he participated in Design competitions such as the International NEU NOW Amsterdam Festival 2015 Competition and the London Design Biennale. His working experience was also as a teaching assistant at the University of Birmingham and an Academic Scholar at the University of West Attica.