Housed in a storied white-marble landmark at Canal and Mercer, the Roman and Williams Guild carries forward nearly two centuries of New York’s spirit of craft and commerce. Built in 1857 as the “Marble House” for Arnold, Constable & Company — America’s first department store — the five-story emporium once offered everything “from cradle to grave” to patrons including the Astors, Vanderbilts, and Mary Todd Lincoln. By the 1960s, its marble halls were home to Industrial Plastics, supplying materials to Andy Warhol, Saturday Night Live set designers, and Saks Fifth Avenue window dressers.
Since 2017, founders Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch have transformed the space into a modern-day temple of design. The Guild presents the studio’s own original furniture and lighting alongside a meticulously curated collection of objects from master artisans around the world. Inside its midnight-blue façade, visitors can discover cut-crystal by Japanese kiriko master Kimiko Yasuda, KH Würtz’s cracked-glaze earthenware from Denmark, vases by Tokyo potter Kansai Noguchi, and ceramic furniture by Montana sculptor Casey Zablocki. Each piece embodies the collaborative spirit of historic craft guilds and the Bauhaus movement — timeless, functional, and deeply human.
The Guild also houses La Mercerie, a French restaurant whose menu is served on the same heirloom-quality tableware available for purchase. Guests can pause for a cocktail at the Guild Bar or linger over a meal surrounded by the very objects that define the Guild’s vision: beauty made to be lived with.
53 Howard St.
New York, NY
212-852-9099
inquiries@rwguild.com
Monday to Thursday,
10am—9pm
Friday to Sunday,
10am—10pm
