Beautiful, solid, comfortable. When Simone Ferkul met ATTIC co-founders Melissa Gobeil and Susan Shaw, she asked them to choose three words that define their custom, ethically sourced gold jewellery and engagement rings. “Those are the three words they gave me, and they turned out to be very layered ideas about their brand, and who they are as makers and creators as well,” Ferkul says. These words served as the raw material — the diamond in the rough — from which Ferkul reimagined ATTIC’s multi-functional headquarters in a historic building in downtown Toronto. Equal parts office, workshop and by-appointment-only showroom, the space refracts the functional elegance of ATTIC’s work and provides daily inspiration for Shaw, Gobeil and the team.

Simone Ferkul designed ATTIC with a soothing palette. The Ceppo Antico marble jewellery bar is topped by whitewashed oak and sits beneath pendant lights by Anony.

What Ferkul created for ATTIC is unquestionably splendid. The centrepiece jewellery bar of Ceppo Antico marble and whitewashed oak offers display cases in which glimmering gold creations sit atop a juxtaposition of marshmallowy cushions and smooth chunks of walnut, which were carved by Ferkul and worked to feel like polished driftwood. The jewellery bar is lit by long, golden strips of custom lights courtesy of local designer Anony, while more oak lines the walls and a set of gently curved modular panels that delineates the space between the front and back of house.

The working side of the shop, tucked behind a pair of partitions, features a “golden triangle kitchen” set-up.

Ferkul is no stranger to striking interiors; she honed her skills at award-winning Canadian firm DIALOG and worked on several high-profile projects (including more than a few hotels) before going solo two years ago. For ATTIC, Ferkul’s drive to instill a sense of beauty in all aspects of her design had an even deeper purpose. “They create beautiful objects, but also they’re full of thought and intention,” she says. “Reflecting that was important, down to the detailing” — including her personal favourite touch: the playful use of three marble knobs for cabinet doors and shelf support in the point-of-service area.

An employee of ATTIC works on gold jewellery and engagement rings.

That notion of stability in triplicate speaks to the second of those three foundational words: solid. Marble and hardwood are solid materials, and Ferkul intentionally deploys thick slices of them throughout ATTIC’s Toronto showroom. “The idea of ‘solid’ was about bringing together two ideas: the timeless quality of their jewellery, as well as their space,” she says.

Gently curved partitions delineate the boutique’s two main spaces and provide a peek between them.

ATTIC is located in a century-old brick-and-beam building that once housed a piano factory but has since been carved up into smaller offices that play host to a wide range of companies — many of which are far removed from the facility’s industrial roots. The fact that goldsmiths chose to set up shop here feels entirely appropriate; there’s a permanence and timelessness to what Shaw and Gobeil create that naturally suits the masonry walls of the space. The downside of old buildings, though, is that they can sometimes be impractical places to work. This was a challenge Ferkul needed to address to ensure that her design was comfort- able — not just for ATTIC clients but for the team as well. The “working side” of ATTIC’s home is a case study in the efficient use of a relatively small space, and one to which Ferkul applied her experience in residential design. “At times, they can have several people working in the back area to get things out the door,” she explains, “so I used a version of the ‘golden triangle’ kitchen, but for their studio.”

The custom walnut stools were designed by Ferkul and built by Tetome House.

Perhaps the cleverest aspect of Ferkul’s design is the playful integration of the two sides of the space. A gap between each divider creates a “peek-through” from showroom to workroom, reminding visitors that the creations before them were crafted mere steps away. But the show- room is far from industrial; it’s a comfortable environment, featuring lovely objects, that’s highlighted by a set of four custom walnut stools designed by Ferkul and built by Tetome House.

Ferkul’s work for ATTIC represents form and function in perfect balance — and the team couldn’t be happier with its reimagined home. “It’s a beautiful setting to be working in, and it’s so functional,” Shaw says. “You don’t expect things to turn out better than people show you in a rendering, but she nailed it.”