Koukoutsi eco-material
Laboratory
Koukos de Lab
Location
Lesvos, GR
Year
2021
Share
Olive's Dark Core
Olive's Blonde Pip
Our novel idea for a new material deriving from the final waste of the olive – a product massively found on our island, Lesvos - represents our vision for an evolving world that values the natural environment that surrounds us. It is not only crucial to reduce environmental impact, but also to develop a new concept that reconsiders eco-waste and reinvents ways of application in modern design.
The starting point of our journey was the revival of a traditional seating bench, proceeding to visualize a concept that brings elements of natural eco-waste into our homes through an entirely innovative design approach. Therefore, our next steps included the production of a variety of furniture pieces and other objects that embraced our perspective.
Koukoutsi eco-material can be used to manufacture furniture, objects and to coat surfaces and spaces, small or large, such as floors, walls and doors. Its durability, water resistance and easy application make it the perfect choice for indoor and outdoor spaces.
Our material’s basic ingredients - the olive pip and the olive core – showcase various features in their primary form, prior to processing. The olive pip is solid, hard and comes in light hues.
On the other hand, the olive core differs. It is dark brown and can be easily cut. It resembles to soil and it can be crumbled up even with bare hands.
These last wastes of olive oil production constitute our main components for Koukoutsi eco-material and reveal a true case study of how a final eco-waste can become a valuable material for a new production procedure.
Uses- furniture, tiles, walling solutions, home interior products,
Durable
Extra hard
Water-resistant
Surface waterproof
Thickness is from 8mm to 200mm
Maximum dimensions 1,10 x 1,60
Cuttable
Glueable
Applicable indoors and outdoors in shades
Can be supported by plywood boards
Making the most out of diverse resources has found practical use in utilizing eco waste and revitalizing it. Koukos de Lab invented a solution by transforming olive cores into a durable material suitable for furniture, objects and even as a coating solution. This raw material consists of 80% of the final waste of olive oil production, now repurposed as a manufacturing material, shaping our spaces according to nature’s colours. The final result can be delivered either in matte or a glossier form.
Our material and the creative process we follow reflect our thoughts, our origin, our roots, and our aspiration for a better future. We are enthusiasts of responsible production, and we strive to make products using eco-friendly materials and minimum environmental impact production processes.
Christos Ververis and Irene Moutsoyiannis, two individuals from different academic backgrounds, sharing the same origin from a mountainous village in Lesvos Island managed to realize their vision through design, and they are continuously moving forward guided by their principles.
In this era when everything is under doubt and re-evaluation, a message of certainty is transmitted from a remote dot of the Greek map to the entire world, extremely remote yet so powerful.
care, maintenance & repurposing
Follow our care and cleaning instructions to maintain your new products by Koukos de Lab and have them elevating your spaces throughout the years to come.
General Cleaning
Our products can be wiped using a piece of cloth dampened with a solution of water and neutral detergent. There is no need to use potent
cleaning chemicals on Koukoutsi eco-material products or rub them hard.
Stain Removal
In case of staining, try using the above general cleaning method. If this
doesn’t work, you can try to remove the stains using natural matte wood oil or wax on a clean piece of cloth and wipe any excess oil.
Cuts and damages
All products and pieces of Koukos de lab are meant to fit in your lively spaces and give you the pleasure of natural aesthetics. In case there is a cut or a snick on your furniture pieces, you can try using an abrasive paper and slightly smoothen the chosen area. Finish by polishing the chosen area with a natural oil.
Every grain of the material and every source of energy has been used consciously, with utmost respect for nature and for the sake of repurposing. Our products cannot be dissolved and recycled. Therefore, in case you notice any malfunction or if you grow out of interest in a Koukos de lab product you own, please don’t dispose it alongside regular garbage.
We will be more than happy to either fix it for you, donate it to someone else or transform it into a new piece in order to extend its life cycle.
