“Etonnez moi! Astonish me!” These were the words of the French modernist, writer and dramatist, Jean Cocteau that resonate when we look at the new collection from 18 Karat, soon to be on display at Attica on Barrington Street in Halifax. From last season’s whiteness, this fall we’re moving into a burst of oceanic blue and orange accessories, so fresh and alive. 
From there we go to the black and white cava vases, which tower a surprising seventy-seven inches tall. Added to this is an expansion of the furniture collection, with more variations in solid wood, marble, stainless steel, leather, wool and linen.The beauty of the natural forms and the sensitivity to materials let the forms stand the test of time. So, come to Attica and be astonished with something new.
Attica is thrilled to bring back the Corteza collection, made from Fireland cherry. Fireland cherry, as it is commercially known, is grown in cold, mountainous terrain. The forests in Chile fall under rigid government control, a measure to ensure the sustainability and continuance of such environmental treasures.
This is repeated on the Corteza coffee table. The dark, simple block legs allow the viewer to focus on the luxurious edges of the table top.
To assist the audience members, Jonathan created four mini storyboards of four different rooms: foyer, living room, dining room and bedroom. Each of these featured something that the imaginary owner has collected, and served as inspiration for each room. With an artist's eye, Jonathan explained how each piece selected created visual balance and interest in the room. 
15 years ago two art college graduates, Christopher Joyce and Suzanne Saul, didn't have any money but they had an idea about bringing good design, in all price points, to the good people of Halifax and beyond. They found a really large studio space on the second floor of a building Gottingen Street. The space was over 3000 sq. ft., and it had hardwood floors and track lighting. Chris only needed about 1000 sq. ft. for his furniture workshop, so Suzanne said, "Let's go in with a big idea - let's start a store in the other part of the space."
Chris made accessories and furniture in his workshop (stone, steel and wood end table by Chris is shown above), and the new Attica showroom was filled with work by local craftspeople and artists. It was difficult to get customers to visit this second storey location, and if eight people came over an eight hour period, then that was considered a good day. It was Chris's custom work that paid the bills, and after struggling for two years, Suzanne and Chris realized that if Attica was to survive they would have to move.
In 1997, they took a leap of faith and secured a location in Halifax's downtown core on Granville Street. While the street was quiet, it was street level. With a $5,000 line of credit to buy inventory and renovate the space, combined with a whole lot of sweat equity, Attica opened again to the public. Slowly, as funds would allow, in addition to the handmade items, Attica expanded into contemporary production furniture and accessories.
