Roman and Williams Building and Interiors is an American-owned, New York-based design studio known for its work on hotels, restaurants, retail spaces, homes and product design. Founded in 2002 by Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch, the firm encompasses Roman and Williams Guild New York (RW Guild) - a brick-and-mortar store of premium, artful home furnishings, accessories and housewares which include Roman and Williams' own product design collection as well as specially crafted pieces produced by artisans from around the world. The RW Guild stand-alone is also home to Roman and Williams' French restaurant, La Mercerie, helmed by Chef Marie-Aude Rose and Emily Thompson Flowers.

Known for what the Wall Street Journal has named "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, and plumbing fittings and fixtures.

In 2011 the firm's principals, Standefer and Alesch, were recognized in Fast Company's list of "America's 50 Most Influential Designers.[2]" 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]

The firm won the 2010 Palladio Award for Multi-Unit Residential Project, it has topped Architectural Digest's biennial "AD 100" list three consecutive times since 2012, and in 2014 it received the Cooper Hewitt National Design Award for Interior Design.

In 2016, Roman and Williams was commissioned to redesign the British Galleries at The Metropolitan Museum of Art,[6] set to open in fall of 2019. This commission was the firm's first project in a museum.

Principals

Robin Standefer was born in New York City and studied at the Art Students League and the Academia di Belle Arti di Firenze. During this time, she also apprenticed with Robert Mapplethorpe and James Rosenquist[7] Standefer attended City University of New York to study art history[8] under the direction of Linda Nochlin. She also attended Smith College before graduating from Hampshire College. In 1993, she was hired by film director Martin Scorsese to work as a visual consultant for several of his films[9] which led to a 15-year career in film design.

Stephen Alesch is a designer, draftsman, photographer, painter, illustrator, etcher, and printer[10] who studied engineering and philosophy at Northern Arizona University. He left the university for an architectural apprenticeship and worked for architecture firms Bahram Nashat, Quentin Dart Parker, and Venice Atelier in Los Angeles.

Standefer and Alesch met in the 1990s while working in Hollywood as production designers and art directors.[11] Together, they designed more than 20 Hollywood films, including Practical Magic, Addicted to Love and Zoolander.

The couple are married and live in New York City; they also spend time at their residence in Montauk, New York.

Firm history

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,[12] leading to the founding of their firm, Roman and Williams Buildings and Interiors.[13]

The firm's first office was located on the lot of Paramount Pictures, before moving back to New York in 2004 and establishing its office on Lafayette Street.[14]

After the launch of their firm, Roman and Williams designed major residential projects for A-list celebrity clients including Kate Hudson, Elisabeth Shue and Davis Guggenheim, and Gwyneth Paltrow.[15][16][17][18] 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 perhaps the purest expression of their interests, and the homes act as design laboratories and inspirations for the firm's projects.[19] 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."[20]

The firm completed its first ground-up residential building at 211 Elizabeth Street, in NoLiTa, renowned for its use of traditional, hand-laid brick.[21]

Among the firm's completed commercial projects are: the renovation of the Royalton Hotel,[22] the interiors of the Standard Hotel (including The Standard Grill and the 18th Floor Club, also known as the Boom Boom Room),[23] for hotelier Andre Balazs, and the Ace Hotel,[24][25][26] for hotelier Alex Calderwood – including The Breslin and John Dory[27][28] restaurants, created by celebrated chef April Bloomfield and restaurateur Ken Friedman,[29][30] and Stumptown Coffee Shop.

Additional Manhattan projects have included Roman and Williams' 2015 design of Stephen Starr's Upland Restaurant and Andrew Carmellini's SoHo restaurant, The Dutch, followed up by Lafayette, which launched in 2013 and has been called "The Great Gatsby of restaurants" by the New York Observer.[31]

From 2013 to 2015, Roman and Williams finished several hotel projects in the United States including in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Connecticut and Chicago as well as the Freehand Miami in Miami Beach. The firm is the interior designer for the Freehand brand, which now includes hotels in Miami Beach, Florida and Chicago, IL with plans for future Freehand hotel openings in Los Angeles and New York.[32] During this period the firm also completed the interiors for the Award-winning Chicago Athletic Association, located on Millennial Park, which has been named the best new hotel in America by Men's Journal. Additional hotel projects include Viceroy Hotel New York, which opened in Midtown New York in October 2013 and features a Roman and Williams-designed exterior and interior, as well as custom designed lighting and furniture by the firm in the guest rooms.[33]

The firm's other completed projects include the design of the goop mrkt pop-up store, working with goop Creative Director Gwyneth Paltrow and featuring the designs of Valentino.[34] 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 debuted Spring 2012.

In 2014, Roman and Williams expanded beyond the United States with Cantinery, a restaurant located in the heart of Istanbul's Zorlu Center,[35] followed by the opening of Replay - The Stage,[36] the brand's flagship store in Milan which also includes a full-service restaurant, also designed by Roman and Williams.[32]

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.[37] The second, The Fitzroy, was designed for JDS Development and is located in Chelsea, near the High Line.[38]

In May 2016 The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced that Roman and Williams Buildings and Interiors is collaborating with The Met's Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts and other staff on an ambitious renovation project to create a "spectacular, narrative-rich, and profoundly sympathetic setting for the works of art".[39] Ten galleries devoted to British decorative arts and sculpture of the early 16th through 19th century will be reimagined and reinstalled, including three historic interiors.

Product design

Roman and Williams launched a product design division in September 2012, and since then have designed several product and furniture lines, including their R.W. Atlas line for Waterworks, released in September 2012.[40] Their furniture designs for MatterMade premiered at ICFF in May 2013 and the line was praised by the New York Times for having a "laserlike attention to details."[41]

Such work includes a custom-made credenza, The Eater, which debuted in Milan, Italy during Salone del Mobile as part of Wallpaper Magazine's Handmade Project.[42]

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.[43] The book shows the firm's work from the past decade, as well as the principals' previous work in film.

Works

Major residential projects by the duo include a refurbishment of the Usonian House.[44] Commercial works include the design of the Facebook cafeteria.[45] The firm has also designed the interiors of several hotels for the Sydell Group, including the Freehand Hotel in Miami [46] and the Ace Hotel in Brooklyn, New York City.[47]

Product

  • Waterworks – "RW Atlas" line of fixtures, bath furniture, and tiles (launched Fall 2012)[48][49]
  • Rizzoli International – Things We Made monograph (published Fall 2012)[50]
  • Matter – "Roman and Williams+MatterMade" line of furniture and lighting (launched Spring 2013)[51]
  • Waterworks – "R.W. Atlas" line of fixtures, lighting, and hardware (launched September 2014)[52]

Awards

  • 2018 – ELLE DÉCOR "The A-List", Roman and Williams Buildings and Interiors[53]
  • 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[54]
  • 2017 – Awards for Hospitality, Experience and Design, "Restaurant" category winner, Le Coucou[55]
  • 2017 – James Beard Award "2017 Best New Restaurant", Le Coucou[56]
  • 2017 – Hospitality Design Awards "Lifestyle Public Space", Ace Hotel New Orleans[57]
  • 2016 – Fast Company "100 Most Creative People in Business", Principals Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch of Roman and Williams[58]
  • 2016 – Architectural Digest  "AD100 – Hitmakers", Principals Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch of Roman and Williams[59]
  • 2016 – Conde Nast Traveler  "Top 10 Hotels in the United States, Hotel Emma[60]
  • 2015 – Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award Winner, Chicago Athletic Association[61]
  • 2015 – EuroShop Retail Design Award for "Best Store Design", Replay the Stage[62]
  • 2015 – Gold Key Award for Excellence in Hospitality Design "Best Upscale Hotel", Chicago Athletic Association[63]
  • 2014- Architectural Digest "AD100", Principals Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch of Roman and Williams[64]
  • 2014 – Wallpaper Magazine "Top 100 Designers", Principals Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch of Roman and Williams[65]
  • 2014 – Cooper Hewitt National Design Award for "Interior Design", Roman and Williams Buildings and Interiors[66]
  • 2013 – ELLE Décor "A List Designers", Principals Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch of Roman and Williams[67]
  • 2013 – Lawrence Israel Prize, Roman and Williams Buildings and Interiors[68]
  • 2013 – Eater Award "Stone Cold Stunner", Lafayette[69]
  • 2012 – Architectural Digest "AD100", Principals Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch of Roman and Williams[70]
  • 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[71]
  • 2010 – Palladio Award for Multi-Unit Residential Project, 211 Elizabeth Street[72]
  • 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

Robin Standefer film credits

Year Film Role
1989New York StoriesFine arts curator
1990GoodfellasArt department researcher
1991The RaptureProduction designer
1992MacProduction designer
1993The Age of InnocenceVideo research consultant
1994The New AgeProduction designer
1995Search and DestroyProduction designer
1996The PallbearerProduction designer
1997CommandmentsProduction designer
Addicted to Love[73]Production designer
1998IlluminataProduction designer
Practical Magic[74]Production designer
1999The Invisible CircusProduction designer
2001The Caveman's ValentineProduction designer
Get Over ItProduction designer
Zoolander[75]Production designer
2002The GuruProduction designer
2003Duplex[76]Production designer

Stephen Alesch film credits

Year Film Role
1993MatineeSet designer
1994Cabin BoySet designer
New NightmareSet designer
StargateSet designer
1995GalaxisSet designer
Search and DestroyArt director
1996The PallbearerArt director
1997CommandmentsArt director
Addicted to Love[73]Art director
GattacaSet designer
1998IlluminataArt director
What Dreams May ComeSet designer
Practical Magic[74]Architectural consultant
1999The Invisible CircusArt director
2000Gun ShyArt director
2001The Caveman's ValentineArt director/visual consultant (New York)
Get Over ItArt director
Zoolander[75]Art director
2002IssaquenaProduction designer
The GuruProduction designer
2003Duplex[76]Production designer

References

Notes
  1. ↑ Hartman, Darrell. "Married to the Job". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Infographic Of The Day: America's 50 Most Influential Designers". Fast Company. 14 September 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  3. ↑ "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.
  4. 1 2 "Soane Foundation - Gala Dinner in New York City". www.soanefoundation.com. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  5. 1 2 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.
  6. ↑ "The Met Announces Renovation of British Galleries". www.metmuseum.org (Press release). Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  7. ↑ Blum, Andrew. "Style and Substance". Metropolis. Archived from the original on 1 March 2012.
  8. ↑ Camita, Jenny. "Double Vision". W Magazine.
  9. ↑ Comita, Jenny. "Double Vision". W Magazine.
  10. ↑ "Robin and Standefer and Stephen Alesch". Roman and Williams. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
  11. ↑ Blum, Andrew. "Style and Substance". Metropolis.
  12. ↑ Swanson, Carl (10 October 2010). "Comfort Me With Flanges". New York Magazine. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  13. ↑ Del Signore, John (3 March 2010). "Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch". Gothamist. Archived from the original on 21 April 2010. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  14. ↑ Kellogg, Craig (1 March 2005). "Back in the Studio". Interior Design.
  15. ↑ West, Kevin (October 2005). "Kate Hudson: Homegirl". W Magazine. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  16. ↑ "Style & Substance | Metropolis Magazine". 1 March 2012. Archived from the original on 1 March 2012. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  17. ↑ Bryan, Meredith (18 February 2008). "Starck Contrast: Move Over Minimalism, Says Design Duo". The New York Observer. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  18. ↑ Arak, Joey (12 July 2010). "Gwyneth Paltrow's Fuzzy Nap Zones Exposed in Tribeca Penthouse". Curbed.com. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  19. ↑ Muhlke, Christine (30 April 2010). "Guest Room". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  20. ↑ 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.
  21. ↑ "Palladio Awards 2010". www.palladioawards.com. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  22. ↑ McKeough, Tim (19 December 2007). "Boutique Iconoclasm". Metropolis. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  23. ↑ "Roman And William Designers Stephen Alesch And Robin Standefer, The Stars Behind The Boom Boom Room Talk About Their Latest Pearl And Why They Can't Live Without Each Other". Guest of a Guest. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  24. ↑ Basulto, David (7 March 2010). "Ace Hotel, New York / Roman and Williams". ArchDaily.com. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  25. ↑ Tamarin, Nicholas (1 September 2009). "Ace is Wild". Interior Design. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  26. ↑ Viladas, Pilar (16 July 2009). "Study Hall: The Ace Hotel's Lobby". The New York Times T Magazine Blog. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  27. ↑ Fortunato, Patricia (5 November 2010). "Ace Hotel New York's John Dory Oyster Bar: Open Tonight". Conde Nast Traveler, Moveable Feast Blog. Archived from the original on 16 March 2012. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  28. ↑ "Keep on Shucking: Ace Hotel's New Oyster Bar". Urban Daddy Blog. 3 November 2010. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  29. ↑ Del Signore, John (20 October 2009). "A Look Inside The Breslin, Latest from Spotted Pig Owners, Open Soon in Ace Hotel". Gothamist. Archived from the original on 18 January 2012. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  30. ↑ Stein, Joshua David (21 September 2009). "Now Designing: The Breslin Restaurant". The New York Times T Magazine Blog. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  31. ↑ "Golden and Lavish, Andrew Carmellini's Lafayette is The Great Gatsby of Restaurants". New York Observer. 21 May 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
  32. 1 2 "Firm Chronology". Roman and Williams. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  33. ↑ "Chicago Athletic Association: 10 Historic Building Turned into Great Hotels". mensjournal.com. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  34. ↑ Martin, Hannah (23 November 2015). "Gwyneth Paltrow Opens Goop Pop-Up in New York Architectural Digest". Architectural Digest. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  35. ↑ "Cantinery". The Guide Istanbul. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
  36. ↑ "Cantinery, Istanbul". Roman and Williams. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  37. ↑ "Weight of History". Palladio Awards. 21 August 2014.
  38. ↑ Alberts, Hana R. (30 December 2015). "5 reasons why 2016 will be Gotham's biggest year in luxe-living". The New York Post. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
  39. ↑ "The Met Announces Upcoming Two-Year Renovation of British Galleries | The Metropolitan Museum of Art". www.metmuseum.org. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  40. ↑ Sturman, Tim McKeough,Christopher (September 2012). "Roman and Williams' New Collections for Waterworks". Architectural Digest. Retrieved 15 March 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  41. ↑ Hirst, Arlene (8 May 2013). "Roman and Williams Furniture for the SoHo Design Shop Matter". The New York Times. [31]
  42. ↑ Magazine, Wallpaper* (7 July 2015). "Side project: the making of Handmade 2015's 'The Eater' credenza, by Roman and Williams - Design - Wallpaper* Magazine". Wallpaper*. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  43. ↑ ローマン アンド ウィリアムスの軌跡 (in Japanese). Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  44. ↑ Alesch et al. 2012, pp. 162–171
  45. ↑ Alesch et al. 2012, pp. 228–239
  46. ↑ Suqi, Rima. "First Look - The Freehand Miami Beach". T Magazine. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  47. ↑ Brillon, James (15 August 2021). "Ace Hotel Brooklyn showcases the borough's artistic talent". DeZeen. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  48. ↑ Alesch et al. 2012, pp. 288–301
  49. ↑ "R.W. Atlas — Collections | Waterworks". www.waterworks.com. Archived from the original on 4 August 2012.
  50. ↑ Alesch et al. 2012
  51. ↑ "Roman & Williams". mattermatters.com. Archived from the original on 12 July 2011.
  52. ↑ Suqi, Rima (10 September 2014). "Industrial, but With a Softer Side". New York Times. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  53. ↑ "The 2018 A List: 100+ Of ELLE DECOR's Favorite Interior Designers". ELLE Decor. 8 May 2018. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  54. ↑ "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.
  55. ↑ "AHEAD Americas Awards Recognize Hospitality Design". LODGING. 6 July 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  56. ↑ "Le Coucou Named Best New Restaurant at James Beard Awards". Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  57. ↑ "Winners Announced at 13th Annual HD Awards | Hospitality Design". Hospitality Design. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  58. ↑ "Most Creative People in Business 2016 | Fast Company". Fast Company. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  59. ↑ "Top Architects and Designers – AD100 2017 | Architectural Digest". Architectural Digest. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  60. ↑ "Top 10 Hotels in the United States: Readers' Choice Awards 2016". Condé Nast Traveler. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  61. ↑ 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.
  62. ↑ Institute, EHI Retail. "Award-winners 2015 - Including EuroShop RetailDesign Award ceremony – EHI Retail Institute". www.euroshop-award.com. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  63. ↑ "Winners of 35th Gold Key Awards for Excellence in Hospitality Design announced | Hotel Management". www.hotelmanagement.net. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  64. ↑ "2014 AD100: Roman and Williams Buildings and Interiors | Architectural Digest". Architectural Digest. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  65. ↑ Magazine, Wallpaper* (3 September 2014). "The Wallpaper* 100: who are the design world's most wanted?". Wallpaper*. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  66. ↑ "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.
  67. ↑ "The 2018 A List: 100+ Of ELLE DECOR's Favorite Interior Designers". ELLE Decor. 8 May 2018. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  68. ↑ "FIT Awards Roman + Williams Lawrence Israel Prize". Interior Design. 4 April 2013. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  69. ↑ "Eater Awards Voting: New York's Stone Cold Stunner 2013". Eater NY. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  70. ↑ "2012 AD100: Roman and Williams Buildings and Interiors | Architectural Digest". Architectural Digest. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  71. ↑ "Announcing the 2011 Eater Award Winners for NYC". Eater NY. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  72. ↑ "Palladio Awards: 2010 Winners". The Traditional Building Conference Series. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  73. 1 2 Alesch et al. 2012, pp. 264–271
  74. 1 2 Alesch et al. 2012, pp. 280–285
  75. 1 2 Alesch et al. 2012, pp. 254–263
  76. 1 2 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.
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