Roman and Williams
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Roman and Williams is an American-owned, New York-based multidisciplinary design studio known for its work on museums, hotels, restaurants, retail spaces, homes and product design. Founded in 2002 by principals Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch, the firm consists of four interconnected enterprises: Roman and Williams Buildings and Interiors, an architecture and interior design firm; Roman and Williams Guild New York (RW Guild), a brick-and-mortar store and online retailer offering handmade high craft in furniture, accessories, and housewares by Roman and Williams Guild Original Designs and a guild of independent artists from around the world; La Mercerie, an award-winning French restaurant and bar helmed by executive chef Marie-Aude Rose; and Guild Gallery, an art gallery in SoHo showing established and emerging artists.
Known for what the Wall Street Journal called "slow design," with its emphasis on craft and substance,[1] the firm undertakes building design, interior design, branding, as well as the design of custom furniture, lighting, tableware, glassware, and other home goods.
In 2011, the firm's principals, Standefer and Alesch, were recognized in Fast Company's list of "America's 50 Most Influential Designers.[2]" In 2014, they received the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum’s National Design Award for Interior Design. They went on to win The Wall Street Journal's 2017 Innovators Award in the Design category,[3] and in 2018 the pair received the "Visionaries Award" by the Sir John Soane's Museum Foundation[4] as well as an award for "Architecture" by Fashion Group International.[5] They have made Architectural Digest's annual "AD 100" list 11 times since 2012, and Elle Decor’s A-List five times since 2013.
In 2016, Roman and Williams was commissioned to redesign the British Galleries at The Metropolitan Museum of Art,[6] which opened in March of 2020. This commission was the firm's first project in a museum. They were later commissioned to design an exhibition space for a special section of Frieze Masters 2023.
Firm history and projects[edit]
Standefer and Alesch's first residential design project was for Ben Stiller, who hired the pair to design his family's Los Angeles home after working with them on the set of his film Duplex,[7] leading to the founding of their firm, Roman and Williams Buildings and Interiors.[8]
Named for the founders’ maternal grandfathers, the firm opened its first office on the lot of Paramount Pictures. In 2004, it relocated to New York and established its office on Lafayette Street[9] before moving to Canal Street in 2023.
Roman and Williams has designed major residential projects for celebrity clients including Kate Hudson, Elisabeth Shue and Davis Guggenheim, and Gwyneth Paltrow.[10][11][12][13] Other residential projects include the renovation and expansion of one of Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonian Houses.
Standefer and Alesch view their own homes, in Manhattan and Montauk, as an expression of their interests, and the homes act as design laboratories and inspirations for the firm's projects.[14] The New York Times called their East Fourth Street loft "an appealing hybrid, as if an apartment from the Apthorp had been reassembled by the furniture designers Pierre Chareau or Jean Prouve."[15]
With a reputation as “luxury’s default designers of atmosphere” (the Financial Times), the firm has designed the interiors of more than a dozen hotels, including the Ace Hotel’s Brooklyn, Manhattan, and New Orleans locations; Freehand’s New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami locations; the Standard High Line, including The Standard Grill and the 18th Floor Club, also known as the Boom Boom Room; the Chicago Athletic Association; the NoMad London; Maison Estelle, a private members’ club in London; and its partner countryside property, Estelle Manor, a luxury hotel and private members’ club in Oxfordshire, England, for which they also restored the property’s historic Neo-Jacobean buildings and designed and built 20 ground-up structures.
The firm has designed two ground-up residential buildings. The first, at 211 Elizabeth Street in NoLiTa, was praised for its use of traditional, hand-laid brick.[16] The second, The Fitzroy, was inspired by Art Deco architecture and is located in Chelsea, near the High Line.
Roman and Williams Buildings and Interiors has also designed a number of restaurants and bars, including Upland, The Dutch, Lafayette, Le Coucou, Veronika, John Dory Oyster Bar, The Breslin, Simon and the Whale, and the firm’s own restaurant, La Mercerie, in New York; La Rotonde de la Muette in Paris; Octavius Bar in Milan; and Cantinery in Istanbul. Additionally, the firm designed the Tin Building by Jean-Georges, a 53,000-square-foot culinary complex featuring six full-service restaurants, six fast casual outlets, three bars, and private dining, housed in the former Fulton Fish Market in Manhattan’s Seaport neighborhood.
The firm's other completed projects include the design of the goop mrkt pop-up store, on which they worked with goop Creative Director Gwyneth Paltrow.[17] Other projects include a mess hall on the new Facebook campus in Menlo Park, California, and the HuffPost Live studio set and offices in New York, which opened in Spring of 2012.
In 2014, Roman and Williams was commissioned to redesign the British Galleries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York—an ambitious renovation project to create what the Museum called a "spectacular, narrative-rich, and profoundly sympathetic setting for the works of art." The firm designed ten galleries devoted to British decorative arts and sculpture of the early 16th through 19th century, including three historic interiors. The renovated British Galleries reopened in 2020, the year of The Met’s 150th anniversary.
Selected projects[edit]
| Project | City | Year Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Estelle Manor | Oxfordshire, UK | 2023 |
| Tin Building | New York City | 2022 |
| Maison Estelle | London, UK | 2022 |
| Nomad London | London, UK | 2021 |
| Paltrow Residence | Montecito | 2021 |
| Ace Hotel Brooklyn | New York City | 2021 |
| Veronika | New York City | 2020 |
| British Galleries at the Met | New York City | 2020 |
| The Fitzroy | New York City | 2019 |
| Aoyama Building | Tokyo, Japan | 2018 |
| Freehand New York | New York City | 2018 |
| La Mercerie | New York City | 2017 |
| Freehand LA | Los Angeles | 2017 |
| Goop Lab | Los Angeles | 2017 |
| Ace Hotel New Orleans | New Orleans | 2016 |
| La Rotonde de Muette | Paris, France | 2016 |
| Greydon House | Nantucket | 2016 |
| Le Coucou | New York City | 2016 |
| Hotel Emma | San Antonio | 2015 |
| Chicago Athletic Association | Chicago | 2015 |
| Freehand Chicago | Chicago | 2015 |
| Cantinery | Istanbul, Turkey | 2014 |
| Freehand Miami | Miami | 2012 |
| John Dory Oyster Bar | New York City | 2010 |
| Tribeca Penthouse for Gwyneth Paltrow | New York City | 2010 |
| Ace Hotel New York | New York City | 2009 |
| The Standard High Line & Boom Boom Room | New York City | 2009 |
| 211 Elizabeth Street | New York City | 2009 |
| New Moon Residence for Kate Hudson | Los Angeles | 2005 |
| Castilian Residence for Ben Stiller | Los Angeles | 2002 |
Product design[edit]
Roman and Williams launched a product design division in September 2012. Their Roman and Williams Guild Original Design products—which include light fixtures, furnishings, tableware, glassware, and beyond—are designed and prototyped by Alesch and Standefer, who then partner with master artisans around the world to produce their pieces, all of which are made by hand, employing heritage techniques.
In celebration of their tenth year, the firm released a monograph, Things We Made, with Rizzoli, in October 2012, followed by the release of a Japanese edition in May 2014 with Graphic-Sha.[18] The book shows the firm's work from the past decade, as well as the principals' previous work in film.
Selected products[edit]
| Product Name | Year Launched |
|---|---|
| Angelica Console | 2017 |
| Catalpa Sofa | 2017 |
| Dado Bench | 2023 |
| Davenport Chair | 2020 |
| Napper Sofa | 2017 |
| Ovo Dining Chair | 2022 |
| Ovo Table | 2022 |
| RW Montauk Sofa | 2017 |
| Riser Coffee Table | 2023 |
| Teneresque Credenza | 2017 |
| Product Name | Year Launched |
|---|---|
| Alabaster Rotonde | 2023 |
| Dahlia Table Lamp | 2024 |
| Calyx | 2017 |
| Oscar Counterweight | 2017 |
| Oscar Flushmount | 2017 |
| Oscar Pendant Light | 2017 |
| Rotonde X | 2021 |
| Seed Pendant Light | 2022 |
| Solna | 2017 |
| Woodrum Chandelier | 2017 |
Awards[edit]
- 2023—Architectural Digest Top 100 Designers
- 2022—Architectural Digest Top 100 Designers
- 2021—AHEAD Global 2021 Ultimate Accolade Award (NoMad London)
- 2021—European Hotel of the Year (NoMad London)
- 2021—Architectural Digest Top 100 Designers
- 2021—Elle Décor A-List Designers
- 2020—Elle Décor A-List Designers
- 2020—Architectural Digest Top 100 Designers
- 2019—Elle Décor A-List Designers
- 2019—Architectural Digest Top 100 Designers
- 2019—Hospitality Design Platinum Circle Award
- 2019—AFAR Media Travel Vanguard Award
- 2018—Architectural Digest Top 100 Designers
- 2018 – ELLE DÉCOR "The A-List", Roman and Williams Buildings and Interiors[19]
- 2018 – Soane Foundation Honors Award "Visionaries", Principals Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch of Roman and Williams Buildings and Interiors[4]
- 2018 – Fashion Group International "Architecture Award", Principals Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch of Roman and Williams[5]
- 2017 – WSJ Magazine "Design Innovators", Principals Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch of Roman and Williams[20]
- 2017 – Awards for Hospitality, Experience and Design, "Restaurant" category winner, Le Coucou[21]
- 2017 – James Beard Award "2017 Best New Restaurant", Le Coucou[22]
- 2017 – Hospitality Design Awards "Lifestyle Public Space", Ace Hotel New Orleans[23]
- 2016 – Fast Company "100 Most Creative People in Business", Principals Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch of Roman and Williams[24]
- 2016 – Architectural Digest "AD100 – Hitmakers", Principals Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch of Roman and Williams[25]
- 2016 – Conde Nast Traveler "Top 10 Hotels in the United States, Hotel Emma[26]
- 2015 – Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award Winner, Chicago Athletic Association[27]
- 2015 – EuroShop Retail Design Award for "Best Store Design", Replay the Stage[28]
- 2015 – Gold Key Award for Excellence in Hospitality Design "Best Upscale Hotel", Chicago Athletic Association[29]
- 2014- Architectural Digest "AD100", Principals Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch of Roman and Williams[30]
- 2014 – Wallpaper Magazine "Top 100 Designers", Principals Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch of Roman and Williams[31]
- 2014 – Cooper Hewitt National Design Award for "Interior Design", Roman and Williams Buildings and Interiors[32]
- 2013 – ELLE Décor "A List Designers", Principals Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch of Roman and Williams[33]
- 2013 – Lawrence Israel Prize, Roman and Williams Buildings and Interiors[34]
- 2013 – Eater Award "Stone Cold Stunner", Lafayette[35]
- 2012 – Architectural Digest "AD100", Principals Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch of Roman and Williams[36]
- 2011 – Fast Company FastCo Design's 50 Most Influential Designers, Principals Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch of Roman and Williams[2]
- 2011 – Eater Award "Restaurant of the Year", The Dutch[37]
- 2010 – Palladio Award for Multi-Unit Residential Project, 211 Elizabeth Street[38]
- 2009 – Interior Design "Best of Year – Boutique Hotel", Ace Hotel New York
- 2009 – The New York Times "The Nifty 50" Principals Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch of Roman and Williams
- 2008 – Hospitality Design Magazine "Luxury Hotel Design" Finalist, Freehand New York
Work for film[edit]
Robin Standefer film credits[edit]
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | New York Stories | Fine arts curator |
| 1990 | Goodfellas | Art department researcher |
| 1991 | The Rapture | Production designer |
| 1992 | Mac | Production designer |
| 1993 | The Age of Innocence | Video research consultant |
| 1994 | The New Age | Production designer |
| 1995 | Search and Destroy | Production designer |
| 1996 | The Pallbearer | Production designer |
| 1997 | Commandments | Production designer |
| Addicted to Love[39] | Production designer | |
| 1998 | Illuminata | Production designer |
| Practical Magic[40] | Production designer | |
| 1999 | The Invisible Circus | Production designer |
| 2001 | The Caveman's Valentine | Production designer |
| Get Over It | Production designer | |
| Zoolander[41] | Production designer | |
| 2002 | The Guru | Production designer |
| 2003 | Duplex[42] | Production designer |
Stephen Alesch film credits[edit]
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Matinee | Set designer |
| 1994 | Cabin Boy | Set designer |
| New Nightmare | Set designer | |
| Stargate | Set designer | |
| 1995 | Galaxis | Set designer |
| Search and Destroy | Art director | |
| 1996 | The Pallbearer | Art director |
| 1997 | Commandments | Art director |
| Addicted to Love[39] | Art director | |
| Gattaca | Set designer | |
| 1998 | Illuminata | Art director |
| What Dreams May Come | Set designer | |
| Practical Magic[40] | Architectural consultant | |
| 1999 | The Invisible Circus | Art director |
| 2000 | Gun Shy | Art director |
| 2001 | The Caveman's Valentine | Art director/visual consultant (New York) |
| Get Over It | Art director | |
| Zoolander[41] | Art director | |
| 2002 | Issaquena | Production designer |
| The Guru | Production designer | |
| 2003 | Duplex[42] | Production designer |
References[edit]
- Notes
- ^ Hartman, Darrell. "Married to the Job". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
- ^ a b "Infographic Of The Day: America's 50 Most Influential Designers". Fast Company. 14 September 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ^ "Since 2002, WSJ. Magazine 2017 Design Innovator: Roman and Williams, have been re-defining modern design to create spaces that are inviting, warm, and create a deep sense of belonging". MediaStorm. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ^ a b "Soane Foundation - Gala Dinner in New York City". www.soanefoundation.com. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ^ a b Feitelberg, Rosemary (17 July 2018). "Vera Wang, Olivier Rousteing, Anna Sui, Carol Lim, Humberto Leon and Moncler to Be Honored at FGI's Night of Stars". WWD. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ^ "The Met Announces Renovation of British Galleries". www.metmuseum.org (Press release). Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ^ Swanson, Carl (10 October 2010). "Comfort Me With Flanges". New York Magazine. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
- ^ Del Signore, John (3 March 2010). "Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch". Gothamist. Archived from the original on 21 April 2010. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
- ^ Kellogg, Craig (1 March 2005). "Back in the Studio". Interior Design.
- ^ West, Kevin (October 2005). "Kate Hudson: Homegirl". W Magazine. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
- ^ "Style & Substance | Metropolis Magazine". 1 March 2012. Archived from the original on 1 March 2012. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
- ^ Bryan, Meredith (18 February 2008). "Starck Contrast: Move Over Minimalism, Says Design Duo". The New York Observer. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
- ^ Arak, Joey (12 July 2010). "Gwyneth Paltrow's Fuzzy Nap Zones Exposed in Tribeca Penthouse". Curbed.com. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
- ^ Muhlke, Christine (30 April 2010). "Guest Room". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
- ^ Green, Penelope (31 October 2004). "A Movie Couple's Home Reflects the Joy of Sets". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
- ^ "Palladio Awards 2010". www.palladioawards.com. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
- ^ Martin, Hannah (23 November 2015). "Gwyneth Paltrow Opens Goop Pop-Up in New York Architectural Digest". Architectural Digest. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
- ^ ローマン アンド ウィリアムスの軌跡 (in Japanese). Retrieved 1 July 2014.
- ^ "The 2018 A List: 100+ Of ELLE DECOR's Favorite Interior Designers". ELLE Decor. 8 May 2018. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ^ "Since 2002, WSJ. Magazine 2017 Design Innovator: Roman and Williams, have been re-defining modern design to create spaces that are inviting, warm, and create a deep sense of belonging". MediaStorm. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ^ "AHEAD Americas Awards Recognize Hospitality Design". LODGING. 6 July 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ^ "Le Coucou Named Best New Restaurant at James Beard Awards". Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ^ "Winners Announced at 13th Annual HD Awards | Hospitality Design". Hospitality Design. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ^ "Most Creative People in Business 2016 | Fast Company". Fast Company. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ^ "Top Architects and Designers – AD100 2017 | Architectural Digest". Architectural Digest. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ^ "Top 10 Hotels in the United States: Readers' Choice Awards 2016". Condé Nast Traveler. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ^ Roberts, Maggie (1 August 2013). "Cats come first for award winner". BSAVA Companion. 2013 (8): 26–27. doi:10.22233/20412495.0813.26. ISSN 2041-2487.
- ^ Institute, EHI Retail. "Award-winners 2015 - Including EuroShop RetailDesign Award ceremony – EHI Retail Institute". www.euroshop-award.com. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ^ "Winners of 35th Gold Key Awards for Excellence in Hospitality Design announced | Hotel Management". www.hotelmanagement.net. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ^ "2014 AD100: Roman and Williams Buildings and Interiors | Architectural Digest". Architectural Digest. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ^ Magazine, Wallpaper* (3 September 2014). "The Wallpaper* 100: who are the design world's most wanted?". Wallpaper*. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ^ "Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum Announces Winners of the 15th Annual National Design Awards | Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum". Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum. 1 May 2014. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ^ "The 2018 A List: 100+ Of ELLE DECOR's Favorite Interior Designers". ELLE Decor. 8 May 2018. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ^ "FIT Awards Roman + Williams Lawrence Israel Prize". Interior Design. 4 April 2013. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ^ "Eater Awards Voting: New York's Stone Cold Stunner 2013". Eater NY. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ^ "2012 AD100: Roman and Williams Buildings and Interiors | Architectural Digest". Architectural Digest. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ^ "Announcing the 2011 Eater Award Winners for NYC". Eater NY. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ^ "Palladio Awards: 2010 Winners". The Traditional Building Conference Series. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ^ a b Alesch et al. 2012, pp. 264–271
- ^ a b Alesch et al. 2012, pp. 280–285
- ^ a b Alesch et al. 2012, pp. 254–263
- ^ a b Alesch et al. 2012, pp. 272–279
- Bibliography
- Alesch, Stephen; Standefer, Robin; Brisick, Jamie; Stiller, Ben (16 October 2012). Roman and Williams Buildings & Interiors: Things We Made. Rizzoli. ISBN 978-0-8478-3883-7.
- Hagberg, Eva (29 September 2009). Dark Nostalgia. The Monacelli Press. ISBN 978-1-5809-3232-5.