Atop a century-old manufacturing building in Manhattan’s buzzy Tribeca neighborhood, one Los Angeles-based family found the perfect sky-high sanctuary for their East Coast outpost. It had been reimagined by NYC’s BKSK Architects in 2015 and was in great shape, but it didn’t quite have the functionality to accommodate the live/work needs of the family. (The couple’s children are all over 18 years old and most family members work from home.) 

So, in a wise move, they made a call to Studio DB, a Manhattan-based architecture and interiors firm celebrated for its masterful layering of materiality, light, and form, headed by partners Damian and Britt Zunino. Damian and Britt work in tandem with a team of uniquely talented designers, blending craftsmanship with intuition to create spaces that feel as tactile as they are artful.

For the penthouse to function for the family, work and play had to blend effortlessly. “Each space needed to have a workspace, desk, or flat surface that could serve as a secondary ‘home office’ without compromising a palpable sense of warmth and refinement,” Britt says. Function couldn’t come at the cost of feeling. And there was the need for fun, Damian adds. “The family loves to entertain, so they wanted to have an inviting and sizable dining area with room for all of the children and their significant others.”

Visually, the goal was to create a sophisticated yet relaxed home that balanced urban polish with a sense of California ease—a place where tactile richness and handcrafted detail set the tone. Working with the layout that the developer and previous owner had left behind, Britt and Damian found harmony in the existing space, layering in new elements that would make the home feel both cohesive and considered. “While the overall palette is rather neutral, we brought in rich colors and highly textured, detailed, and patterned materials to bring character and craftsmanship to the spaces,” Britt explains. “We love to support artisans and makers. We put a large emphasis on finding handcrafted pieces to bring life and soul to each space.”

Embracing the colder climate of New York, the couple leaned into texture—requesting soft and cozy materials throughout. “Because the clients were primarily living in LA, they were excited to use chunkier fabrics like shearling, materials you wouldn’t find used much in LA because of the climate,” Damian says. 

A standout transformation is in the kitchen, where an uninspiring L-shape desk was replaced with a sculptural, multifunctional custom banquette upholstered in a soft leather. It now serves as the heart of the home. “This key feature captures the essence of the project—creating a space that feels both modern and inviting, with every detail carefully crafted to meet the owners’ needs,” Britt shares. 

In the connected dining room, a custom hand-glazed ceramic mantel from Jeff Martin Joinery transformed an otherwise plain off-white wall, its organic texture catching light throughout the day. “It brings in color and texture and anchors the clients’ art, making this a focal point of the space,” Damian tells us. “Previously the dining area was staged as more of a space only used when needed, though it sat in the middle of everything. We wanted to create a through line and, while many of the pieces are each so special on their own, they all speak to one another.”

Construction had to move quickly, as the family was residing in the penthouse during the process, and Studio DB pulled it off in three short months. “The clients were completely blown away when they finally saw the finished product,” Britt says. “They had seen the models and reviewed everything prior to installing, but seeing everything come together is always a special moment. The client kept going from room to room, detail to detail, calling to his partner to come see the vision brought to life.”