William Roy Designer Kitchens | Form = Function

William Roy is eclectic, smart, creative, funny and the nicest man you'll ever meet. I first ran into him at a local church and eventually got to work with him while an intern at Lodestone Communications downtown Portland. Five years later, I still walk by his studio in the Pearl and am caught off-guard by the logo I constructed being shown on the signs and windows. Apparently it's served him well. I stopped in earlier this week to say, "Hi!" and he shared how many people come in and are surprised to find out that William Roy Designer Kitchens isn't an international brand. Very cool. I'm confident that this assumption isn't created solely based on the logo. For starters, the studio's location is prime. It's on the corner of NW 9th and Flanders. Secondly, the studio is gorgeous. Spacious, clean and well-designed (go figure). Thirdly, it's the only Oregon showroom that partners with Neff - a premium cabinet manufacturer. They can basically make anything you can sketch, render, think or dream as far as cabinetry goes. All that said, William Roy has obviously done well making a name for himself by doing really great work. (See some of it below, and more of it here.)

While I absolutely love love love his kitchen designs, what I love more is the philosophy behind them: "While everyone knows the phrase 'form follows function,' I think the concept needs rethinking. I believe that form should equal function. One does not need to override the other. You can strike the perfect balance."

Here are a few articles featuring William Roy:

OregonLive > Rummer Redo

Oregon Home Magazine > 16 Tips for Kitchen Islands

You'll also see him in architectural and other print publications - He's been published a lot. I'm obviously not the only one enamored with his work.