The residential concept of retail space may not seem like a new idea today as mega brands settle in accommodations all over the world. But when AD100 recruit Rayman Boozer opened his beloved Manhattan store, Apartment 48, in 1994, his approach was groundbreaking. Tucked into the garden level of a country house at 48 West 17th Street, the shop unfolds into a collection of rooms, with every corner (kitchen, bathroom, bed) outfitted as if it were haunted. For Bowser, who studied interior design at Indiana University before moving to New York to work for the likes of Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdale’s, Apartment 48 was more than just an opportunity to push products. It was an opportunity to promote his point of view. “I was trying to find a way to express all my thoughts at once,” he mused. “My greatest desire was to be understood.”
Among those who got the concept straight away, as well as the guy, was Maureen Sullivan, then 20, living with roommates. “Apartment 48 was ahead of its time,” says Sullivan, a consumer technology executive. “There was nothing precious or frightening; I felt warm, welcome, and full of inspiration.” Her regular visits to the store gave way to an enduring friendship after she used Bowser to decorate her and her husband’s one-bedroom bedroom. Over the years, their lives have evolved step by step—Sullivan has three children, Bowser focuses on interior design full time and is closing the store. Along the way, he built five homes for her and her family.
Rayman Boozer from apartment 48 in a Southampton home he designed for Maureen Sullivan and her family.
Boozer repainted the existing kitchen cabinet in white; The wallpaper is from Thibault and the pendants are by Williams-Sonoma Home.
The most recent was an epidemic project, resulting from the sudden sale of a former Bowser-designed Long Island resort. “We got an offer we couldn’t refuse,” Sullivan explains. “Suddenly we’re in the weird situation where we want a new home really, really fast.” Friends directed her to Shingle Style’s home on the market in Southampton. “What opportunities can be perfect?” She remembers the five-bedroom home, whose traditional design and decorative details sealed the deal. “My next call was with Rayman.”
Colour, a shared passion, has always been the starting point for their collaboration. “People who don’t catch color don’t understand me,” notes Boozer, best known for his use of bold colors. Although Sullivan defines himself as a “blue and white person,” Bowser made it his mission to incorporate green into the painting. (“She likes to match things; I like things to clash.”) Sylvan tones now creep into the mix like vines, appearing in pillows, artwork, and wallpapers. “Rayman always pushes me outside my comfort zone,” Sullivan says. “He knows how to make it more fun and interesting.” From the plentiful pink in the girls’ room to the nautical scheme in the sons’ room, the charter just got bolder, brighter, and more fun!
“It’s an upbeat home for optimistic people,” Bowser says. “I like to do happy projects. This is what I always strive to achieve, to spread positive emotions in the world.” For Sullivan, who moved into his home in July 2020 after just four weeks of Zoom decorating meetings, those feelings were powerful medicine. Her family has weathered the pandemic in the Hamptons, with school far away at the dining room table and outdoor gatherings by the pool. “Rayman has been with us through all phases of our lives as a family,” Sullivan says, noting that Boozer put the same love and care into his first one-bedroom as he did in this home. “It will forever be my go.” Sam Cochran.