What does the ultimate Manhattan pied-à-terre look like?

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For a fun-loving couple who reside in Los Angeles, it calls for unfiltered views of Central Park, an abundance of closet space, and ample room to pour a tequila on the rocks (for him), or mix a mean Manhattan (her favorite).

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With their children all grown up and at college, Studio LIFE/STYLE’s long-standing clients shuffled the deck on their priorities, snapping up a one-bedroom apartment on the Upper East Side that’s a stone's throw from everything the city has to offer.

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Top of their wish list? A bar—and not one shoe-horned into an alcove. So, where a Murphy bed had once catered to extra house guests, studio co-founder Shannon Wollack designed a generous run of millwork to house specialist drinks fridges, liquors, and a healthy selection of glassware. “We’d created a bar for their home in Brentwood, so I was really excited to do it again,” she explains. “They love to host and entertain… The bar feels like the heart of the home.”

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No detail went overlooked: the cabinet doors boast elegant radius edges, and the back wall, clad in antique mirroring, recalls a hotel lobby bar. An island in Taj Mahal stone with counter stools creates the impression of bagging a seat in the coolest new nightspot—minus the tab and unpredictable playlist.

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Shannon and her partner, Brittany Zwickl, had worked with the clients on five previous projects, so there was an established shorthand that helped speed up some of the core design decisions. The owners’ love of lacquer (their L.A. dining room is wrapped in gloss paint) made high-sheen ceilings a natural choice. “The way it makes the light bounce around is really beautiful,” says Shannon. Mirrors are another weak spot, so a panel in the entryway proved an impactful way to open up the space and add some drama.

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But pushing a client out of their comfort zone is arguably a designer’s duty, and so, not wanting to repeat similar shades of blue that feature in their main home, Shannon opened up her Farrow & Ball deck. After flirting with a dark, reddish-brown, together they landed on Chine Green for the bar, a moody off-black. In the bedroom, Pigeon, with its gray-green nuances, lends a serene feel. Coupled with the original floors freshly sanded back to a light, white oak, “it all feels so airy and inviting,” explains Shannon.

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Owing to construction regulations, the project had to be completed within an ambitious timeframe. Quick wins were had by simply re-painting the existing kitchen cabinets (previously a heavy mahogany color) and swapping out the countertop and backsplash for a cohesive run of honed, Taj Mahal stone. The primary bath also only needed a light touch; painting the door and changing the wall sconces for an elegant curved style by Rose Uniacke instantly refreshed the space.

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This jewelbox of an apartment is a way for the clients to dip their toes back into New York (the family lived here for a time before relocating to the West Coast). Should the guest list of their cocktail nights swell, they’ll know who to call to graduate to a larger place.

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