Roman and Williams was founded by Stephen Alesch and Robin Standefer in 2002 as a multidisciplinary architecture and design studio focused on creating buildings and interiors rooted in a modern paradigm of craftsmanship and history. Kindred spirits drawn together by an innate artistic devotion, Alesch and Standefer met on the set of Hollywood films, the first vehicles for their storytelling. They brought a shared love of nature, geometries, form, and historical archetypes to the worlds that they created. They began their practice after an acclaimed actor asked them to create a home that would last longer than a film set. They named their studio Roman and Williams after their maternal grandfathers, with the vision of creating something that would live beyond them. In the two decades since its founding, Roman and Williams has created renowned hotels, restaurants, homes, and cultural spaces around the world. Celebrated for their ability to translate timeless traditions into a modern context, Roman and Williams has become synonymous with beauty and integrity, creating spaces that heighten the senses and objects that elevate the everyday. From their first collaborations, Alesch and Standefer have expanded their vision for living, growing new branches in their family tree: their original designs for furniture and lighting, the restaurant La Mercerie, and RW Guild and Guild Gallery on New York’s Canal Street, where they nurture a contemporary guild of artists and artisans through their shop and exhibitions.