“Looking at art and design keeps me more engaged in work and is also inspiring,” Roya Sullivan said. Adrienne Grunwald for The New York Times

How Roya Sullivan, Designer of Macy’s Holiday Windows, Spends Her Sundays

For the woman behind the festive department store displays: family, art and plenty of Earl Grey tea.

Sunday Routine

By SHIVANI VORA DEC. 15, 2017

During the holiday season, it’s hard to miss the six festive windows at Macy’s Herald Square. Roya Sullivan, 51, is the person who oversees their presentation. Around this time of year, her schedule ramps up to 70 hours a week, so on Sundays, Ms. Sullivan is happy for a little solitude, mixed in with family time. She lives in TriBeCa with her husband, Bill Sullivan, 52, who is the creative director for Forest Hills Stadium, in Queens, and their two sons, Oscar, 19, and Luke, 15.

In the morning, Ms. Sullivan drinks a large mug of Earl Grey tea without milk and sugar. Credit Adrienne Grunwald for The New York Times

EARL GREY, NEAT During the week, I’m at work by 7:30 and up by 6. Sundays, however, I don’t think about getting out of bed before 8, sometimes 8:30. I start off the day with a big mug of Earl Grey tea without milk and sugar. This is my moment of peace. Bill wakes up at 9:30, and Oscar and Luke, being teenagers, don’t surface until 11.

WORKOUT WITH JANE PAULEY After my tea, I head to Asphalt Green, in Battery Park City. I run a few miles on the treadmill and hit the rowing machine for 20 minutes. I like to watch “CBS Sunday Morning” while I’m exercising because it makes the time go by much faster.

“Bill and I will read The New York Times and always fight over who gets the Style section first,” said Ms. Sullivan, clearly the victor, sitting between her husband, Bill Sullivan, left, and her son Luke. Credit Adrienne Grunwald for The New York Times

PAGES, SCREENS By the time I’m back home, it’s 11, and everyone else is awake. We all hang out on the couch. Bill and I will read The New York Times and always fight over who gets the Styles section first, and the boys catch up on the latest sports news on their iPads.

Ms. Sullivan, right, along with her son Luke and her husband, Bill, have been regulars at Edward’s for 15 years. Credit Adrienne Grunwald for The New York Times

LUNCH AT EDWARD’S We all head out for lunch around noon and always go to Edward’s, which is around the corner. We’ve been going almost once a week for the last 15 years. I love the warm frisée salad — it has bacon and crumbled blue cheese. Bill and Oscar usually get burgers, and Luke always gets penne with butter. We know the staff, and it’s like being home.

In the afternoon, Ms. Sullivan likes to walk or bike ride around Lower Manhattan. Credit Adrienne Grunwald for The New York Times

SCATTER In the afternoon, we all split up to do our own thing. The boys meet friends, Bill does photography and art on the side and usually edits pictures or art on his computer, and I go for either a walk or bike ride around Lower Manhattan. I like to check out furniture and design stores on Howard Street. M. Crow is one of my favorites. The handmade furniture there is beautiful. The pieces incorporate wood, mirror and leather and are very creative. I also hit art shows at the Whitney and the New Museum. Looking at art and design keeps me more engaged in work and is also inspiring.

Solo reading time. Credit Adrienne Grunwald for The New York Times

SOLITUDE On my way back home, I stop at Elizabeth Street Garden, which has beautiful sculptures. It’s a hidden gem in the city, and I go no matter what season it is. I get a cup of Earl Grey from a cafe nearby and sit there for at least an hour enjoying the setting and also reading. I love both fiction and nonfiction and like to be immersed in a good story. Right now, I’m reading “The Girls,” by Emma Cline, which is about girls being involved in a cult, and “Blue Nights,” by Joan Didion, which is about her grief following her daughter’s death.

Ms. Sullivan always tries to meet up with her husband, Bill, in the late afternoon for a drink at the Ear Inn before they head home for dinner. Credit Adrienne Grunwald for The New York Times

COUPLES TIME I ride or walk back down the West Side Highway and meet Bill at his favorite pub, the Ear Inn. It’s been our go-to date spot for the last 10 years. He gets a beer, and I get wine, rose in the summer and sauvignon blanc during every other season. We make a vow not to talk about the kids, but we inevitably end up talking about them anyway.

”We make a vow not to talk about the kids, but we inevitably end up talking about them anyway,” said Ms. Sullivan. Credit Adrienne Grunwald for The New York Times

FAMILY DINNER We head back home around 6 or so, and I start cooking dinner for us right away. I’m not a gourmet cook but do basics well, and my family appreciates a home-cooked meal. Steak is often on the menu, but I also make roast chicken or pasta with mussels. We always have a side of broccoli because it’s a vegetable we all love, and salad, too.

WINDOW WATCHING Bill and the boys clean up, and I usually head up to Macy’s around 8:30 so I can check out whatever installation I’m working on. The night setting helps me see the detail in the window much better and tells me if I need to do any tweaks.

NO-SHAME TELEVISION By the time I’m home, it’s close to 10. The boys are doing homework or watching sports on their iPads, and Bill and I may watch a bit of TV. I like “Shameless.” It’s a comedy about a family struggling to stay afloat. I’m in bed by 11.