The journey began on November 14, 2012, to be exact. At the time, Sébastien Boucquey, founder and lead designer of JOA, had been working for two years on the first developments of sustainable furniture and initial design concepts. In his garage, with his tools at hand, the first projects began to take shape. Family and close friends were among the first to enjoy the prototypes.
The guiding principle: durability. The creations are designed to be strong and lasting, far removed from passing trends.
JOA’s first core value was born: promoting thoughtful, sustainable consumption, in contrast to disposable products. The furniture is intended to be architectural, tailored closely to the client’s needs. The first projects were completed, and a clear vision began to emerge.
In September 2013, Sébastien was joined by Olivier Doré, a wood engineer. Under their combined vision, JOA was officially founded initially under the name Jo-a, before becoming JOA permanently.
Their story? A meeting born from previous professional experiences. Sébastien was developing childcare products in his company IOL, while Olivier was in charge of testing and producing them at Indowoods.
A natural affinity developed, trust grew, and the idea of partnering on a project rooted in shared values began to take shape. But why JOA? It’s not the founders’ initials. The name comes from “Joie”—the feeling of fulfillment that tells us our lives are moving in the right direction.
The great adventure begins !
Over the months and years, Sébastien continued to create and develop new ideas and concepts for sustainable furniture. His instinct for beauty, his understanding of spaces, and the unique requests of clients drove him to completely rethink storage solutions. The aesthetics of his creations were always in service of their ergonomics—durable furniture full of details that clients enjoy discovering or rediscovering over time.
Meanwhile, Olivier took the production of projects into his own hands. The selection of partners began and evolved with each project. The specifications were refined, and quality steadily improved until the desired results were achieved. These partners are from Brussels, Wallonia, and Flanders, and they too carry the JOA vision forward. These local Belgian talents, often little known, include Bambootouch, Skiall, Lexiago, and many others—each with their own area of expertise.
From the very beginning, flow within a space has been a key element of JOA’s creations. The inspiring presence of nature offers curves as a response to this design challenge. Interiors gain softness and a sense of well-being, perspectives open up, and a soul of the space is revealed.
Our clients often share their experiences: our creations have completely transformed their perception of their spaces, and they wouldn’t go back for anything in the world.
JOA today
Encouraged by this feedback, JOA has grown, and the first team members gradually joined the adventure. One by one, they discovered JOA and absorbed its values. They brought their own personalities, ideas, and skills—whether designing concepts for clients at their screens, presenting our solutions and discussing client needs over the phone, or bringing projects to life in our woodworking workshop.
And here we are today, far from Sébastien’s garage. Our approach has evolved over time, shaped by experiences and encounters. Furniture is no longer just a ready-made solution to a specific need. It has become the final expression of a broader concept, taking into account the architecture of the space, the way our clients live in it, circulation, and ergonomics.
Today, JOA is two happy founders, seven motivated team members, a showroom in Brussels, a workshop in Braine-l’Alleud, numerous completed projects, and still so much more to create and discover…