You wouldn't know how to get there unless he told you. Some 100 meters away from the ice-cream landmark Azrak, you'll find Joy Khoury's enchanting studio, hidden in a dead-end street off of central Baabdat.
I have much to thank Instagram for, including my discovery of the one-man-show Wood of Joy. Joy, a man with a contagiously-friendly spirit, welcomes you with a beaming smile. His comfortable attitude reveals that his wooden haven is the place he calls home, a cedar-arched cove where he fine-crafts each and every item from start to varnish on a team of one: himself.
He'll tell you he's an advertising exec by day, and you'll look around you at the huge variety and wonder if there are any oompa loompas in hiding between the cracks of cedar wood. But there are none to be seen.
Joy launched his line of wood furnishings three years ago. Since then, the brand has taken off and now includes almost any form of furniture you can imagine - from bathroom interiors, to roofing, to home basics for dining, living and sleeping.
The pieces are refreshingly minimal with little detailing on their surfaces. The uniqueness of each piece is in the structure of each piece and the natural wooden inlining of reclaimed wood, collected from places where they would otherwise be disposed of.
I apologize for the poor mobile photos. Browse his collection on his website, and for a more updated version, on Instagram.
Wood of Joy on Instagram