About Us

2007

Jenny + Diana began as "Dream in Plastic" in a basement in Brooklyn as best friends since Kindergarten. We were obsessed with collecting designer vinyl art toys and always dreamt of opening our own business.

Jenny was a web developer at the time, so, a website was born. We maxed out our credit cards and stocked the site with everything we loved and shopped for. Always being notoriously good gift-givers, we extended our playful attitudes to our product offerings – an eclectic mix of housewares, art toys, cameras, crazy socks, stickers and more.

2009

After having to give up our sweet [free] basement shipping warehouse in Brooklyn, we opened our current brick-and-mortar store in 2009 in the charming Hudson River town of Beacon, New York.

We hosted monthly art shows in a small gallery space and continued to grow and evolve our inventory over the years.

Diana left to become a brilliant mixologist, but we are still besties!

2019

In August of 2019, Dream in Plastic changed its name to Zakka Joy.

After 10 years in Beacon, we knew the shop had evolved so far from its original form, that the name itself no longer reflected who we are. Also, we care very much about our environment, so it hurt our feelings (and our business) when people occasionally dismissed us as a store full of single-use plastics and useless junk solely based on our name. 

Zakka (thing) + Joy (the feeling when you discover the thing)

We had never encountered a word like zakka that sums us up so succinctly. Our shop really is about is that moment of happy (ahem, "Joy") you experience when you discover that one thing (or ten): a pencil that you cherish, a pair of socks with your favorite animal on them, a toy to keep you company, a hand-poured soy candle, or the perfect gift for someone. We strive to always curate the shop with the latest, greatest and most unexpected products.
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Zakka ("Zah-kah")

a Japanese word, for which there really is no English equivalent.
But, it means:

  • Seeing the beauty in something mundane.
  • Uncategorizable or miscellaneous things.
  • Everything and anything that improves your home, life and appearance.
  • Humble, everyday objects that bring their users great satisfaction.
  • Things that accompany our everyday lifestyle spaces and provide an element of decoration.
  • Things mixed together with great variety.

We hope we can bring a smile to your face!

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