When goldsmiths Melissa Gobeil and Susan Shaw cofounded the fine jewelry brand Attic eight years ago, they and their clients loved the sights and sounds of their busy studio, whether it was the clang of a hammer or the whir of a cleaning machine.

“We always knew we wanted this beautiful studio space where we could have these intimate, one-on-one experiences with clients and bring them into our world,” Gobeil says. “And then we started to grow. Clients could see everything that was happening, but it was a bit disruptive at times. The question was how to hold on to that transparency?”

At its new Toronto studio, Attic has created a space where clients are the focus. The open, symmetrical layout, which includes a custom-­design area, walks the line between a traditional jewelry store and an independent studio jeweler, Gobeil says. And clients can still get that peek behind the proverbial curtain.

Gobeil spoke to JCK about Attic’s new salon, its sustainability pledge, and why taking two weeks off twice a year has proven good for business.

How did you approach the design of the new space?

We wanted people to come in and feel at ease. We wanted clean, uncluttered lines. It’s like our collections. Honestly, we gave our designer a lot of room to do her thing because we know that is really successful—let your designer do what they do best! We just had to let go and trust. And I think that’s where you get the most beautiful pieces.

We were involved, of course—how can you be a designer and not be? There were days when we were all collaborating on the layout or the design of the cases. We were cutting out shapes and all plotting together. There was a very macro creative brief down to this very granular functionality of the space. But then you had to know when to step back. It turned out stunningly.

Why do you think transparency and connection with clients is the future of jewelry?

You naturally make connections with people as you’re sharing. We’re women-led and -run, but we all have our specialties. For example, my business partner [Susan] does all of our 3D modeling. Our goldsmith is Jhenae. Valerie is taking over some of the design work. But as a small team, you all need to be able to flex. And, being women, people are going on maternity leave or will be. We’re all in that reality that we need to be able to step in as needed.

We really believe in making pieces that last and stand the test of time, which is why we got into fine jewelry. So, from material selection to the design itself, we’re really thinking about what will give a piece longevity in someone’s life, in their wardrobe, in their family. That’s one way we’re approaching it. We don’t follow any traditional fashion cycles. We’re instead releasing collection pieces when we feel the design is right. We’re trying to take the time we need to execute the design.

We’re offering a pretty curated and uncluttered collection at the end of the day. That’s just who we are. That also results in less of an environmental footprint. We also design and make our pieces here in Toronto, and they’re mostly made to order. We’re also members of 1% for the Planet. That means we donate 1% of our revenues to nonprofits for the environment—that’s super meaningful to us.

You offer your staff biannual ­sabbaticals. How do they work?

We can all have a better work/life balance. We shut down for two weeks every winter and every summer. It was crazy when we first did it. We wondered how we were going to do it, but then we decided to take the chance. We wanted to give people time to recharge and be with their families. We took the chance, and we’ve been doing those four weeks every year. We’re all off and doing our own thing. Clients were surprisingly supportive, and ultimately people are supportive of a business that supports their people.

Top: the new studio space (interior design by Simone Ferkul Projects; photographs by Riley Snelling)