This 600-Square-Foot In-Law Unit Is Inspired by Japanese Listening Bars

Morgan Goldberg
·3 min read

While many Los Angeles properties include an in-law unit behind the main residence for housing guests, few feature a guest house speakeasy like the one MeUndies founder Jonathan Shokrian recently built in the Hollywood Hills. Inspired by Japanese listening bars, the 600-square-foot space is decked out in white oak, from the wide-plank flooring to the built-in with an integrated fireplace and cubbies sized specifically for storing vinyl records.

“We wanted to make it look very clean and crisp and new, but we also added details, like the imported Japanese accessories and the lighting fixtures, that have this aged feel,” says Lisa Checo of OOAK Design Studio, who collaborated with Jonathan on the in-law unit’s interior and pulled design ideas from her own world travels.

Lisa designed a built-in stone bench at the base of the fireplace. “I wanted to create some sort of a bench for people to sit on because this space isn't that big,” she explains. “It’s this more informal hangout spot, rather than everything having to be so cookie cutter.”
Lisa designed a built-in stone bench at the base of the fireplace. “I wanted to create some sort of a bench for people to sit on because this space isn't that big,” she explains. “It’s this more informal hangout spot, rather than everything having to be so cookie cutter.”

The speakeasy is anchored by a striking, wraparound bar that was created using a single slab of Calacatta Viola marble. It’s paired with an antique mirror backsplash, brass fixtures from Waterworks, and a set of Soho Home linen and grooved wood Bryden Stools. A hand-painted fabric Taiwan-Lantern, which was finished with tung oil for a smooth satin effect, hangs above.

Above the caramel Lawson-Fenning sofa, Lisa hung an ethereal Lisa Dengler diptych.
Above the caramel Lawson-Fenning sofa, Lisa hung an ethereal Lisa Dengler diptych.

In the first of two seating areas, a vintage Daniel Wenger Lotus Chair mingles with a teak Torbjörn Afdal Krobo bench (that serves as a coffee table) and a rectilinear Lawson-Fenning Mesa Sectional in rich caramel velvet. “I wanted to lean into the warmth of this space and the client loves midcentury, so that’s why we picked this beautiful orangey color,” Lisa explains of the upholstery. “It makes everything feel a bit funkier, rather than classical.”

“The bar has this beautiful antique mirror, keeping everything slightly vintage feeling, rather than just having a pure reflective frame,” Lisa says. “We wanted everything to feel slightly aged where it could be.”
“The bar has this beautiful antique mirror, keeping everything slightly vintage feeling, rather than just having a pure reflective frame,” Lisa says. “We wanted everything to feel slightly aged where it could be.”

The second lounge zone is outfitted with a low-slung, black leather Ligne Roset Yoko Sofa, a sculptural Nikolai Lafuge Murici Coffee Table, and two Lawson-Fenning Petite Moreno Ottomans in walnut and bouclé. “I just wanted it to be informal and, leaning on the Asian culture, almost like a tea sitting area, where people could just pull up a stool,” shares Lisa. “Everything’s also low-profile because I didn’t want to hide the beautiful finishes on the bar.”

For the bathroom, Lisa crafted a jewel box with terra-cotta-hued lime-based plaster walls and maroon zellige Zia Tile floors. A veiny Ann Sacks Mia marble floating vanity and another Taiwan-Lantern, this time made of plant-dyed cotton, round off the immersive experience. “It’s like, ‘Wow, I just entered a completely different dimension,’” she describes. “It is the opposite from the vibe of the rest of the speakeasy. It is a Moroccan oasis. You’re transported elsewhere.”

A custom white oak door leads to the spa-like bathroom.
A custom white oak door leads to the spa-like bathroom.

But the best parthas to be the sweeping views of the city through the folding glass doors, which can totally open up for indoor-outdoor living. Sipping on a cocktail, listening to a vinyl record, and hanging with friends—all while admiring the sprawl of LA—is precisely what this in-law unit was made for.

“I really wanted the star to be the floors,” Lisa says of the maroon zellige Zia Tile. “The floors are reflective when you walk in, which is really cool.”

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest

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