Seven years ago, long before the doors of 2Cookinn opened here in Lisbon, I launched a Kickstarter project to create products that tell meaningful stories.
It was The Playground Stand, a multipurpose stand inspired by my own childhood memories of seeing it in a Hong Kong public housing estate. For anyone who grew up in Hong Kong, those vibrant concrete playgrounds are the colourful backdrops of leisure spaces built for community and imagination. We wanted to bring that exact sense of interactive play onto daily spaces.
The intention was to keep collecting meaningful stories around us, and inviting new design talents to create beautiful objects that people can enjoy in everyday life.
The World Changes
Since 2019, Hong Kong has undergone immense transitions. Those shifts eventually pushed my close circle of friends and backers -including myself – to scatter across the globe, packing up their lives and relocating to different parts of the world.
Last week, a thought came to me – “How is everyone doing?”. So, I reached out to see where those pieces of Hong Kong memory are living today. The photos they sent back left me deeply moved. Among them, we have:
- One backer bought a stand when her son was just a child. Today, he is a teenager studying for his A-levels in the U.K., using that same estate-inspired structure to hold his headphone.
- Another friend who now works from home has made the stand the anchor of his daily remote-work desk.
- In a beautiful twist of utility, one stand has been repurposed to hold and support a long-stemmed indoor plant a friend’s new home in Lisbon.
Though thousands of miles apart, we somehow remain bonded by The Playstand Stand. They carry the blueprint of a shared Hong Kong memory, surviving cross-continental moves and the steady march of time.
Shaping the Values of 2Cookinn
Looking at these photos made me realise that changes are constant. Yet, what really matter deep in our hearts remain unchanged. The spark behind that 2019 project is, to a degree, what drives 2Cookinn today.
Back then, the mission was to create “storytelling products” that brought art and interaction to everyday life. Today, at 2Cookinn, we believe that everyday routines – whether it is cooking, dining or working – should be treated as an art form.
We curate vibrant tablewares, international designs, and local crafts because we believe the objects we surround ourselves with have the power to tell stories, bring colour to our lives, and connect us to one another.
The Final 12 Pieces
There were 12 pieces of the original Playground Stand left in the world, quietly tucked away in a Hong Kong storage room—a physical capsule of 2019.
Recently, a wonderful friend of mine traveled back to Hong Kong. Knowing how much these objects meant to me, she kindly packed 3 of those precious pieces into her luggage and brought them safely to Lisbon.
Those 3 physical pieces are now sitting at 2Cookinn as an exclusive, last-chance offering. They are the only ones physically accessible in Europe.
As for the remaining 8 pieces? They are still waiting in Hong Kong, their future chapters unwritten, bound to an unknown possibility. We don’t know when, how, or if they will ever cross the ocean.
If you love objects that carry history, friendship, and a global journey, we invite you to come to our shop and see them in person.
The Story to be Continued…
At the bottom of each Playground Stand, a little line is engraved. It says:
“Inspired by your stories, Storyteller: Angela Yuen”.
At that point of my life, I could never imagine this product would be displayed in my own little shop, let alone dreaming about it being in Lisbon! I never knew the story would end up being here, and the story is to be continued…
- What was your dream seven years ago?
- Where are you now?
