Nicole Teng poses with a traditional Chinese palm tree bed board that she created from waste material, at her exhibition. photos provided to Shanghai Star

The island of Taiwan has a strong recycling culture. Now one of its residents has brought this eco-friendly movement to Shanghai and spiced it up with a little "brut" force. Yu Ran finds out the inspiration behind a hive of creativity in Anfu Road.

When Nicole Teng left Taiwan and moved to Shanghai four years ago, she began collecting recycled materials and turning them into handicrafts.

Teng took old, discarded items such as broken chairs, and transformed them into something completely different. She dreamed of quitting her job as a sales director at an advertising company and turning her new hobby into a business.

This dream was realized in December two years ago, when she opened her first brand concept showroom in Shanghai on Anfu Road, a popular street lined with boutique design stores and restaurants. But even before having her own show space, Teng's work was being displayed in more than 12 well-respected design shops.

She named her brand Brut Cake.

Brut refers to the Art Brut movement that originated in France, and is an accurate description of the raw, original elements of its products. "Cake" evokes images of the simple pleasures and happiness in life.