Quick Takes With: Flynn McGarry
Wunderkind: That’s a word that often appears around chef Flynn McGarry. Now 26 (his birthday is this month), Flynn has been in the kitchen since he was 10 years old and hosting a renegade supper club called Eureka out of his childhood home in LA. He opened his first New York restaurant, Gem, at the age of 19, followed by Gem Wine (when we met him). Along the way he’s hosted pop-up dinners around the globe, staged in the world’s best restaurants, and collected a slew of accolades that Carmy could only dream of (he’s been on the cover of The New York Times Magazine, was spotlighted as the subject of a documentary, *and* earned a coveted Pete Wells review).
But Flynn is also an avid vintage collector: He carries an extra suitcase when he travels (an excellent tip, if you can swing it), and now he sells his finds out of Gem Home, the latest space in the Gem world (filled with furniture that, yes, he hand-made for the space). Things in Flynn’s world are busy—but today he writes in from his flat above Gem home to share what’s on his nightstand, what he’s listening to while creating, and a spicy design opinion.
You’re invited to dinner. What’s your go-to gift?
Seasonal flowers.
What’s on your bedside table?
A nice water glass and my phone charger.
What’s your desert island design/art/architecture-related book?
What podcast or playlist do you put on when you need inspiration?
I like to have something mindless in the back, like jazz.
What’s a film or TV show whose aesthetic has stuck with you?
The Bird with the Crystal Plumage.
Which Instagram account do you go to for design inspiration?
What has been your best house upgrade?
A deeper bathtub.
A simple or budget-friendly design move you wish you’d known sooner?
Pre-glued tabletops.
My favorite sheets are…
Hastens.
My favorite paint color for the bedroom is…
My unpopular design opinion is…
There is too much stainless steel.
Your design pet peeve?
Floating shelves.
My go-to kitchen utensil is…
A microplane.
Three words that describe my design style:
Organic, intuitive, functional.
First design love?
What item from your closet do you have on repeat?
A Ralph Lauren cableknit sweater.
Favorite design shop to visit (online or in person)?
Bukowskis auctions.
What is the last thing you purchased for your house?
A new table lamp.
Something you’re coveting?
A good chaise lounge.
I don’t leave the house without…
My keys.
Anything else you’d like us to know?
Lots more to come always, and always updating the old!
Thanks so much, Flynn! You can follow his work at gemhomenyc.com and @diningwithflynn.
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