Novus.Lab
A small creative design studio in Athens offers unique decorative objects from natural and recyclable materials.
Discovery
As a child, I relished weekend visits with my father to our local plant nursery in the English countryside. The capacious greenhouses had sloping ceilings and endless panes of glass rendered misty by the vaporous heat within. The plants would be couched in tidy rows and whether they were infant tomatoes of a shiny and plasticky green or burgeoning orchids of white and purple, they were all beautiful.
I still recall the smell of wet and warm earth, the enveloping heat contrasting with the cold outside, the calm and grounding feeling it gave me.
It was all about the pots, some tall and cylindrical, others squat and wide like bowls, some freestanding, others with their matching plates.

I had always wanted to include plant containers on our site, they bring the freshness of a garden inside the house, rejuvenating and softening a home’s interior.
Founded in 2019 by Hara Konstantiou and Evi Papagerorgiou, Novus.Lab is a small creative design studio. Their creations are characterized by their tactile texture, solidity and provocative shapes.
Their products are decorative objects, mostly plant pots, desk lamps, door stops and coasters. These everyday items are made from natural materials, such as wood, cotton, leather and concrete, some of which are recyclable.
Every Novus.Lab creation is very special for Hara and Evi. They want every item to have a unique style but, at the same time, to be functional and useful.
Hara and Evi place special emphasis on the “architecture”, as they call it, of their products. They follow minimal, geometric lines to create objects characterized by simplicity of form and ethereal aesthetics.
Memory
From a young age, Hara and Evi explored their creativity and as they grew up, both got interested in Do-It-Yourself projects.

They both studied in the Athens Polytechnic and after that Hara worked as a civil engineer and Evi as an architecture engineer. They met on a project on which they were working together and found that they shared the same enthusiasm for design. It was this common passion that led them to the creation of Novus.Lab.
They also shared a similar background, as they both grew up close to Greek nature. Hara was raised in Avlonari, Evia and Evi in Arta, in Epirus. They had always been inspired by nature and aware of the production of natural and local products, and this became an especially important element of their work.
Hara and Evi place special emphasis on the “architecture”, as they call it, of their products. They follow minimal, geometric lines to create objects characterized by simplicity of form and ethereal aesthetics.
The natural world provides a powerful stimulus for their work. The incredible vibrant natural colours as well as the white and grey rural architecture of the island and mountain villages, inspire them greatly.
Narration
Novus.Lab is located in Athens, in the neighbourhood of Kallithea. Everything is created by Hara and Evi in the small design studio. When necessary, they collaborate with external partners who undertake special construction details.

Every Novus.Lab creation is very special for Hara and Evi. They want every item to have a unique style but, at the same time, to be functional and useful. After conceiving an initial idea, they start experimenting with the possible shapes and forms, and with the materials which will be used.
The most difficult part is the “realization” of one of their goods, the process of turning an idea into an actual item. Hara and Evi have spent countless hours on failed attempts to find the right form or material to formulate a product. Yet after each disappointment, attempt they return to the product process with more enthusiasm and persistence until they make it work.
They still remember with excitement the first time they finished assembling their first concrete cube desk lamp. Their happiness was immense when they turned on the switch and the lamp was illuminated.
The designers are developing what they term a winter collection and are hatching plans to create a showroom in which to showcase their products.