Novo’s Namesake

Novo Designs Co. came to life after weeks of careful consideration. I wanted a name that could encapsulate the mantra of my new company: giving old treasures new life, appreciating the history while living in the moment. I had other ideas like ‘Reclamation’ or ‘Enliven’ but finally landed on Novo. Novo comes from “de novo”, which is a Latin adverb that means ‘anew’, ‘from the beginning’, or ‘to make new again’. I LOVE this name, fell in love with it, and never turned back.

Next step was the logo and this one wasn’t as easy. How can you choose an image that signifies something old and turning into new (besides a recycle sign, obviously). I really was in a pickle with this one and couldn’t seem to find anything that felt right.

Mother’s Day approached and it was the day after our major haul at Brimfield Antique Show. My mom passed away in 2013 and she was fiercely creative. She was the President of the Garden Club for years (yes, that’s a real thing), painted regularly, beaded in her spare time, knitted, crocheted.. should I go on? She even was also an entrepreneur herself and owned her own yarn store, Angora’s. Going to these flea markets and renovating these old pieces makes me feel so connected to my mom, its invigorating and inspiring.

So Mother’s Day rolls in and I find myself surrounded by family photos, my mom’s paintings, and my pile of treasures from the Antique Show from the day before. Then the lightbulbs go off in my head. I decided to give a go at my best handwriting, took a black color pencil, and wrote ‘Novo Designs Co.’ on a scrap piece of paper. I then laid this scrap paper over a few of my mom’s paintings until I found the perfect one. I landed on one of her paintings of a beautiful window that she had signed from 2002.

Using one of my mom’s old paintings for my new logo feels perfect for Novo Designs Co. Finding something old and giving it a new purpose. Keeping the old memories while cherishing the present. Thank you, mom!

Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/NovoCo

Instagram: @novo_designsco