Against a backdrop of grey – from the poured concrete floor to the painted radiators – the pastries of À La Folie in Montreal’s Mount-Royal neighbourhood stand out like tiny works of art. Atelier Moderno and Anne Sophie Goneau wanted the 60-square-metre shopfront, and its delectable merchandise, to stand out amid the bustle of the busy street. And they have succeeded.

The reception desk sets the scene, with Aim pendant lights designed by the Bouroullecs for Flos dangling above. Featuring the shop’s name in a flourish of white, the wall behind the reception is mid height to allow the aromas from the pastry kitchen in the rear to waft through the space. A swath of hemlock slats extends from the back of house all the way through the shop, like a conveyor belt running along the ceiling.

The pièces de resistance themselves – the macarons, choux, pointes de tarte and Grands folies – are lined up inside the black steel display cases, which are refrigerated. The designers placed the compressors in the basement so that the units could stand on slender, minimal legs. Above, the thinnest of LED suspension fixtures downlight the cases, and add to the interior’s deft composition of minimal lines. While the shop may feel like an upscale gallery, the art on sale is for everyone to enjoy.