Sham Shui Po, located on the edge of the prosperous city centre of Kowloon, is an interesting community where the trendy meets the old. There are many characteristic small shops in the district, including old shops that witness social changes and trendy shops that carry the dreams of young people. In order to let young people have a deeper understanding of Sham Shui Po, “10 Stories 100 Pieces” under the Association’s Sham Shui Po Integrated Social Service Centre cooperated with students, shop owners and the hostel “Wontonmeen”, and use recycled materials to create a series of furniture at shop fronts.

Since last summer, “10 Stories 100 Pieces” has invited young people and shop owners in the district to participate in "#ppl_upcycle_dd", a project to create recycled furniture that highlighted the unique characteristics of the shops. Hip Yee Hing Embroidery, a traditional bedding shop at Shek Kip Mei Estate, was one of the participating shops. The rattan mats it sells were once a must-have item for grassroots families in summer. Young people learned upholstering from the owner and turned an old school chair into a leisure chair.

On the other hand, a mobile sitting unit was added to Alri Star Leather Factory’s shop front on Tai Nan Street. It was made of different bicycle parts and wooden boards. It served as the shop owner’s workbench, and also a chair for the tired pedestrians. Participants of the project gathered bicycle parts from a cycling shop nearby and used the woodworking and welding skills learned from the workshop to assemble them into a piece of furniture. The final product met the owner’s expectations and was easy to move.

The furniture created in “#ppl_upcycle_dd" was displayed in "SSP_People" exhibition organised by Design District Hong Kong. The exhibition ended in March, and the furniture are sent back to the shops to serve the owners and the neighbourhood. Their presence reminds people the possibility of upcycling in the community.