During their regular long walks in Montauk, Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch—cofounders of the AD100 firm Roman and Williams—make a point to notice the details of their coastal surroundings. “There’s beautiful geometry in leaves and seeds,” says Standefer, reflecting on the genesis of the studio’s new OVO collection: a finely hewn table, available in two sizes, and chair inspired by the ovate foliage found on beech and elm trees.
The launch marks the 20th anniversary of Roman and Williams, whose projects now range from high-profile hotels to celebrity homes to hit restaurants, all in a variety of decorative vocabularies. “Our work is bound by an ethos, not a style,” Standefer notes of that diverse portfolio. So when she and Alesch started designing furniture, they wanted to merge form and function in ways that could work across environments and eras. One of their first pieces, a platform bed they made in 2000 to get their own mattress off paint cans and plywood, would become a customer favorite when they released a proper collection in 2017.
The OVO series, sold in walnut, oak, and maple at Roman and Williams Guild, achieves the same delicate balancing act, their timeless silhouettes stylistically untethered. Pieces are crafted to highlight the idiosyncrasies of each wood, accentuating the natural grain. “We never use stains,” notes Alesch, who spent hours sanding pieces into perfectly contoured prototypes and subjecting the chairs to a series of sit tests. (The final products are made by trusted woodworkers in Pennsylvania.) “They play well with others,” Alesch reflects of the versatile designs, which are already earmarked for a forthcoming project. “They’re natural forms that feel like they were made by nature.” rwguild.com
A Big Apple Tour of Roman and Williams’s Greatest Hits
The seaport’s newly revived Fulton Fish Market packs 12 Jean-Georges restaurants (Plus four bars and three retail concepts) into 53,000 impeccably outfitted square feet. tinbuilding.com
This aerie lounge, a.k.a The Boom Boom Room, continues to hold late-night court. (Roman and Williams toasts its anniversary there this month.) standardhotels.com
Peruse the duo’s latest obsessions and designs, then cozy into a banquette for a crêpe complète at this dine-in wunderkammer. rwguild.com
The museum’s transformed exhibition space for British art and design is a masterpiece unto itself. metmuseum.org
