Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Decorating with Color
In "60 Seconds With," ELLE Decor editor Charles Curkin chats with creatives and industry leaders, getting the scoop on their life and work in one minute or less. In this installment, he chats with Rayman Boozer, the New York City-based interior designer and founder of Apartment 48 who was featured as part of a story on the Black Artists + Designers Guild in the April 2019 issue of ELLE Decor. He is best known for his use of bright and vivid colors in residential and commercial projects. Boozer's one minute starts...now.
When designing your home, how much color is too much?
Ideally, you want a focal point. So, one color should dominate while the other colors and patterns are secondary. Even in bohemian interiors like mine you never want chaos. There's a thin line between a person who wishes to paint like a child, and a child's painting.
Which designers from the past are a great source of inspiration for you when it comes to working with color?
Albert Hadley and David Hicks. Hadley's interiors always contain vivid colors and an element of surprise. Hicks's method of mixing red and pink absolutely inspires me.
In general, what are your favorite colors to use?
For me, any shade of blue plus hot pink. Gender norms are over!
ELLE Decor is turning 30 years old this year, so we’re curious to know which colors you think defined the 1990s, 2000s, and the current decade.
In the ’90s, it was aqua; the aughts were ruled by Ralph Lauren Navy Blue; and this decade, it's been 500 shades of gray.
Are there any that have become unpopular that you’d like to see have a renaissance?
Emerald green and royal blue are in the midst of a comeback. People are slowly but surely dipping back into the pool of saturated colors. It should make for a much more interesting decade to come.
What are common mistakes people tend to make when painting their home?
Painting every room a different color is a common mistake. Unless you're making over Pee-Wee's Playhouse, it's better to keep a cohesive theme or a thread to tie the home together.
Which paint companies do you tend to use and why?
Benjamin Moore. They have really clean colors that hold light well.
Do you think about wall color before choosing furniture or the other way around?
Walls first, almost always. I begin every project with a story I want to tell related to specific colors, textures, and patterns. The furniture is a big part of the story but is usually informed by the theme and color scheme.
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