Interior Porn: Roman and Williams "Things We Made" Book

I was first exposed to the interiors of Roman and Williams when I visited The Ace Hotel in New York. It had a romantic, classic New York mood without being artificially retro.

The duo behind the firm, former production designers Stephen Alesch and Robin Standefer, recently released a book celebrating 10 years of work. "Things We Made" ($47, Amazon) is filled with notable projects such as The Ace Hotel Manhattan, The Standard Hotel, Facebook headquarter's cafeteria and (my favorite) the loft in the movie Zoolander. 

Their spaces are consistent in theme. They're warm and inviting. Old yet new. Dark reclaimed woods, gloss blacks, aged metals, green foliage, worn leather seats, ethnic pattern throws and hand lettered signs mesh together seamlessly. They feel masculine, but avoid the slick nouveau riche Patrick Bateman vibe that we often associate with masculine interiors. It's exactly what I want for my own apartment.

Alesch sketches all the presentations by hand, which accompany the completed project photographs in the book. The drawings, like their spaces, sum up their philosophy. They're not composed of perfect lines and renderings like those aided by computers. It's a bit wabi-sabi. Perfectly imperfect.