INSIDE THE NEW ROMAN AND WILLIAMS GUILD

Grandlife guide

INSIDE THE NEW ROMAN AND WILLIAMS GUILD

back to list

The New York-based design studio Roman and Williams—with smash-hit projects like Le Coucou in New York, and Broken Shaker in Miami—has turned its attention to something new.

Part café, part design destination, the 7,000-square-foot Roman and Williams Guild on Howard Street in SoHo is the design studio’s first flagship store. The space is a celebration of all kinds of craftsmanship, from Japanese ceramics to flaky pastries to inspired flower arrangements.

Furniture, lighting, and accessories designed by Roman and Williams now have a home under the same roof as La Mercerie Café, from Chef Marie-Aude Rose, and a flower shop from Emily Thompson. Design, art, food, and flowers all share this timeless space, open seven days a week for coffee and pastries, French-inspired lunches, cocktails, and more.

“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,” say founders Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch on the store’s website. The Guild goes beyond a traditional furniture store, with a cozy library stocked with Phaidon books, an ever-changing flower shop, and a stylish all-day café.

La Mercerie Café feels like a slice of Paris in SoHo. Blue banquettes line the bright space, overlooking a big marble-clad kitchen. Each plate, napkin, coffee cup, and lamp is a temptation—they’re all available in the adjacent store.

Chef Marie-Aude Rose discovered a love of cooking early in life, with her grandparents in Paris and the French countryside. Her love of everyday French cooking is apparent at La Mercerie, where divine incarnations of classics fill the menu. From flaky croissants to ham and cheese crepes to delicate omelets, the menu here is a reminder that some of life’s most pleasurable moments aren’t very complicated.

The story of La Mercerie begins, much like Marie-Aude’s love of cooking, in Paris. Marie-Aude met her husband, Chef Daniel Rose, at his restaurant Spring in the French capital. In 2016, the couple moved to New York, where Daniel opened Le Coucou, two blocks east of the Guild on Howard Street. The café is a welcoming space with pastries, tarts, and turnovers on display. French cookies can be packed into tin boxes and taken away. It is equally attractive for a quick coffee break from shopping in SoHo or a leisurely late-afternoon lunch followed by cocktails.

The Guild manages an unexpected fluidity between spaces; guests may move from the café to the fragrant flower shop to browsing through the furniture, glassware, and ceramics. A coffee or cocktail in hand certainly elevates the shopping experience.

Roman and Williams once stated, “Our secret is to focus on things we love.” With the new Guild space in SoHo, that strategy has been successful once again.

Words Jessica Colley Clarke

Photography courtesy Roman and Williams Guild

You May Also Like

New York Film Festival 2019 Noah Baumbach Illyse Singer

Lens Crafters: New York Film Festival Musts

film
stories
Roxy Cinema curator Illyse Singer offers up her top picks and commentary. 
Babs Restaurant Greenwich Village New York Interview

New Classics: Babs Opens on MacDougal

restaurants
stories
We talk with the boys behind the newly opened neighborhood spot about the influence of the Basque Country, the importance of longevity, and why simplicity is key.
Editor Recap NYFW New York Fashion Week Laura Brown

NY Editors Recap the Week that Was

art & design
stories
As we close out NYFW, we get the lowdown from a few influential editors on the looks, the vibe, and the downtown hotspots they favor.
How to Travel: The Ultimate Survival Guide

How to Travel: The Ultimate Survival Guide

travel
stories
Two Condé Nast Travel Editors on the travel accessories to know about before your next long or short-haul flight.
Fort Tilden New York Best Swim Spots

Get the Skinny on New York's Best Dips

travel
stories
Get yourself to any of these locations and come back once the sun has backed off enough to enjoy the cool air of the city's beautiful summer nights. 
Downtown Karaoke Bars New York Baby Grand Planet Rose Sing Sing Up Stairs Bar

No-frills, all thrills: Downtown Karaoke Bars

bars & nightlife
stories
Our favorite downtown karaoke bars have something for everybody and we’re sharing them with you. 
Best Tacos NYC

A Taco Tour of NYC

restaurants
stories
These Mexican restaurants meet firmly in the middle between great taste and exciting atmosphere.
Summer Reads McNally Jackson Sam MacLaughlin

McNally Jackson Summer Reading List

art & design
stories
For your reading pleasure. McNally Jackson’s Sam MacLaughlin shares his must-read list. 
Choose Your Stay
logo-sg
the hotel that made soho grand
meet me at the roxy
Book Now