diff --git a/src/db/index.ts b/src/db/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..389a02f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/db/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+import Database from "@tauri-apps/plugin-sql";
+
+/**
+ * Thin typed data layer over the Tauri SQL plugin (SQLite).
+ * All persistence goes through here — components never touch SQL directly.
+ */
+
+let db: Database | null = null;
+
+export async function getDb(): Promise<Database> {
+  if (!db) {
+    // Migrations (src-tauri/migrations) run automatically on first load.
+    db = await Database.load("sqlite:workspace.db");
+  }
+  return db;
+}
+
+export interface WorkspaceMeta {
+  id: number;
+  name: string;
+  theme: "light" | "dark" | "system";
+  accent: string;
+  onboarded: number;
+  last_page_id: string | null;
+  settings: string;
+}
+
+export async function getWorkspaceMeta(): Promise<WorkspaceMeta> {
+  const d = await getDb();
+  const rows = await d.select<WorkspaceMeta[]>(
+    "SELECT * FROM workspace_meta WHERE id = 1",
+  );
+  return rows[0];
+}
+
+export async function updateWorkspaceMeta(
+  patch: Partial<Omit<WorkspaceMeta, "id">>,
+): Promise<void> {
+  const d = await getDb();
+  const keys = Object.keys(patch) as (keyof typeof patch)[];
+  if (keys.length === 0) return;
+  const sets = keys.map((k, i) => `${k} = $${i + 1}`).join(", ");
+  await d.execute(
+    `UPDATE workspace_meta SET ${sets} WHERE id = 1`,
+    keys.map((k) => patch[k]),
+  );
+}
+
+export function newId(): string {
+  return crypto.randomUUID();
+}
+
+export function now(): number {
+  return Date.now();
+}