Behind Hom Lab’s meditative collections of home goods and accessories are designers Celine Ariella and Joshua Aditama, whose interest in sustainability have led them to initiate a creative experiment by repurposing scraps of eggshells that they gathered from several bakeries and restaurants near their home. At each stop, Celine and Joshua would pack up a mound of eggshells waste they would later use to form simple, homeware products that range from coasters to plant holders.
Among their straightforward line-up, a unique collection of egg trays charm lookers with its full-circle philosophy; upon its launching, the collection prides itself on a humble tagline, “Dari Telur, Untuk Telur” (Of Eggs, For Eggs.)
As hinted by their moniker, every experiment by the Semarang-based label is done at the laboratory of their own home. The idea of fabricating biomaterials using eggshells first sprung up when Celine, whose family runs an ice cream shop, saw a piling amount of eggshell scraps and wondered if she could repurpose them. The fruitful project, which started in July 2020, involved a lengthy and arduous process of turning egg waste into the main ingredient for every object: paste. In its exploration, sanitised eggshells are crushed until they form a fine-smooth powder to mix with water and other eco-friendly materials as a batter, before being pressed to shape and left to dry under the sun.
The result is a fully-formed egg ware with a structure that gives the impression of raw ceramics; slightly rough to the touch and with a subtle cream colour derived from natural colouring. It’s certainly an item that calls for a playful observation, and while it’s a no-brainer that an egg tray is designed for storing your eggs, Hom Lab’s collection might lure you with its versatility, such as using it to stash your knicks-knacks. Even better for amateur home gardeners, the egg tray can also double as a plant fertiliser thanks to the naturally calcium-rich vessel.
It’s all the more reason to seize the item for the charm it represents. After an impromptu examination of Hom Lab’s one-of-a-kind egg tray and the story behind their crafts, comes the urge to simply become more aware of our surroundings, for it’s usually the things we often take for granted that can bear more values than one could possibly think of. As for Hom Lab, repurposing waste of eggshells from their nearest bakeries is a small step towards a more sustainable future, and their coveted egg tray is a grounding object that rekindles the philosophy where everything leads back to where it started.
Egg Tray of 6 from Hom Lab — IDR 358.000 — Hom Lab’s Instagram, Ruko Roxy Mas E2/30
