Modern romance often starts with an online match and a slow build toward something real. As it turns out, so do some of the best design partnerships.

At least that’s the lived experience of Britt and Damian Zunino, the husband-and-wife duo behind Manhattan-based Studio DB. Over several years the pair had matched with dozens of clients on The Expert, but one couple kept coming back, first for one rental and then a second. “We developed a really strong rapport,” says Britt. “So when they bought their first apartment, they reached out to us. It was nice to get to know them in a more casual way initially—just like dating!”

Having welcomed two children, the clients put down roots in Tribeca, but the decor they inherited skewed a little too ‘uptown’ for their taste. They’d been drawn to Studio DB’s family-conscious design (Britt and Damian have four children) and confidence with color that feels whimsical yet sophisticated. “They did not want a beige apartment,” explains Britt of the brief. “They wanted it to be unique and true to them.” On child-proofing, Damian chimes in: “We’re thoughtful about fabrics and favor rounded edges—for example, we wouldn’t have a glass coffee table. But we're not too fussy about it all, and the clients shared the same attitude.”

Because the property was built just a few years ago, some key features were worth keeping, like the marble flooring in the entry. Other elements got an update: the walls were wrapped in a Phillip Jeffries vinyl, and in the oak kitchen, a new dining table and pendant personalized the family-friendly space. Anchoring it all is a color-drenched hallway in Baywood Brown by Benjamin Moore, a shade lifted from the artwork that hangs there. “Whenever we're choosing a color palette, we start with a textile or a piece of art, then branch off,” explains Britt. “We like each room to feel distinct, while referring back to one central starting point.”

Elsewhere, Studio DB let its imagination run wild, and after years of compromising in rentals, the clients had zero commitment issues. In came pattern: a Kelly Ventura wallpaper in the powder room, and unexpectedly, across the ceiling of the atmospheric library. “We had wanted to do that in a project for a while and liked the idea of the botanicals growing across the ceiling,” says Britt of the grasscloth designed by her friend, Expert Josh Greene.

The designers had fun furnishing the living room, Britt dreaming up a sizeable sectional covered in a deep cognac velvet. “It’s a bold choice and takes up a lot of space in the room,” she says. “I was really excited that the clients were open to it.” Newly acquired vintage pieces got a fresh lease on life, too: a midcentury daybed wrapped in a graphic Pierre Frey fabric. “The clients went into this understanding that they were investment pieces and wanted to buy things that they could recover down the road,” says Britt.

Even the little ones got in on the decor, with the eldest specifying orange and blue for his room’s color scheme. “He was very engaged and into design,” says Britt. “He notices all the little details.” Together they landed on a celestial-themed wallpaper by Schumacher.

Adding a bathtub to the primary bathroom was a major logistical challenge, closely followed by working the slab of quattro stagioni marble up from the sink into a thin frame flanking the large mirror, and a slim trim for the tub’s tile. “The stone is brittle and we were after that delicate radius edge,” explains Damian. But the contractor pulled it off, and the result is an indulgent, spa-like retreat. What began as a couple of low-stakes rentals has turned into the kind of project you build a life around. In design, as in love, it pays to commit.