Jul 4

Jul 4 The W+ Interior: The Guild by Roman and Williams / New York City

While in New York I went to visit Roman and Williams Guild in the city’s SOHO District shortly after having brunch at Chef David Rose’s Le Coucou, also designed by the Roman and Williams Studio. Roman and Williams Guild is an all-around lifestyle establishment and showroom founded by the studio’s award-winning designers, the husband and wife team of Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch aka Roman and Williams. RWG sells furniture, homewares, lighting, textiles, glassware, ceramics, China, and books supplied by Phaidon. Most furniture and lighting are designed by Standefer and Alesch, while other items are handcrafted by artisans from around the world and are curated from Standefer and Alesch’s travels and offered in the shop.

In addition to the showroom, RWG is also home to Chef Marie-Aude Rose’s Le Mercerie, a French cafe serving simple and casual French fare inspired by the Chef’s childhood. Coincidentally, Chef Rose’s parter is Le Coucou’s Chef David Rose. Flowers are also on offer from Emily Thompson’s floristry at RWG. Her wild, playful, and unstructured compositions also serve as a stage setting of the wild flora and fauna outside the showroom as well as the in front of the adjacent Le Coucou restaurant.

A sofa designed by RW Guild- also in the couple’s Montauk home.

The large cavernous ground floor space plus basement of the building located at Fifty-Three Howard Street houses all the programming for the Showroom. Standefer and Alesch’s background in film set design is on full show here, as they are able to balance the feel of their need to display artisanry with that of their Montauk influences. According to their website, “Roman and Williams Guild is a global community that transcends boundaries and borders with a sensibility that embraces excellence, beauty, and a dedication to technique,” adding that, “the Guild is, yes, a furniture store, but it’s also a democratic sanctuary, which celebrates quality and the creative daring of craftspeople and artists. One doesn’t have to buy a $42,000 bed to enjoy looking at it.” Maybe have a coffee or a cake at least. Next time I may come back for that “Lab Table Lamp” that’s all over the Ace Hotel where I stayed, also by Roman and Williams.

Thompson’s flora and fauna sets the scene outside the Roman and Williams Guild

The Medium at the Ace Hotel NYC by Roman and Williams

Bespoke lighting outside the coffee shop at the Ace Hotel NYC by Roman and WIlliams

This blog post was made possible with the Camera, Photo, and SquareSpace apps, all on the iPhone XS MAX and the iPad Pro 2018.

VISIT Roman and Williams Guild / La Mercerie / Emily Thompson Flowers . 53 Howard St, NYC, New York, USA . T: +1-212-852-9099 . W: http://www.rwguild.com

VISIT Ace Hotel NYC . 20 W 29th Street, NYC, New York, USA . T: +212-679-2222 W: http://acehotel.com/NewYork

JJ.