8 design lessons from Flynn McGarry, Star Chef and Self-Taught Carpenter
Photography by Sean Davidson unless noted, courtesy of Gem Wine (@gem.wine).
Precocious doesn’t begin to cover it. Flynn says he’s now ready for a new New York restaurant.
And while that’s in the planning/investment-procuring stages, he decided to turn Gem into a wine bar (and to keep his existing wine bar around the corner as an event space).
1. Adopt a sunny outlook.
The wine bar is on a humble Lower East Side block that’s mainly residential. To make his establishment stand out, Flynn painted the exterior a welcoming yellow with striped awnings and a hand-painted sign.
2. Build a room around a few compelling ingredients.
The previous setup had white walls, round metal tables, and a shou sugi ban divider off the entry (scroll to the end to see the difference).
Flynn approached the makeover with a few things he loves—a rope fish of unknown provenance from the Brimfield flea market (he attends every May and September)...
...six small paintings commissioned from a friend, and some vintage ship models bought after going to a sailing club with his girlfriend and feeling inspired by nautical design.
Photograph by Lucas Creighton.
3. Teach yourself what you want to know.
Chef Flynn took over his family’s cooking after his parents divorced and he grew tired of his mother’s repertoire: his mom is Meg and Gem is named after her.
Both of his parents encouraged his passion and at one point his childhood bedroom was set up with a pro kitchen made up 0f parts—including an immersion circulator—that he received as presents over time.
Gem is filled with the work of young, creative friends of Flynn’s.
4. Enlist friends to contribute to your vision.
Flynn did the carpentry work himself after investing in a Festool track saw for precision cutting: he built the tables out of cherry—walnut...
...his first choice, was too pricey—and modeled the bases after George Nakashima joinery: “traditionally, you just have a bottom beam, but mine have side beams for stability.” The tabletops are finished with food-safe Rubio Monocoat, which is durable and waterproof.
The two friends who assisted and helped with heavy lifting are Luis, a chef and wine sommelier at Gem, and Cameron, Flynn’s tennis partner, who works in creative marketing but was between jobs.
5. Wooden bars + burlap = a great window screen.
To mask the outside world while letting in light, Flynn installed wooden rails in the existing window.
He bought yards of burlap from Zarin, the beloved discount fabric store in the neighborhood, and used a nail gun and glue to affix it in place.
The chairs, Flynn tells us, are “from everywhere: 1st Dibs, Etsy, Chairish...
6. Dining chairs can be similar but different.
...auctions, friends.” The straight-backed versions are Vico Magistretti’s Carimate Chairs by Cassina from the 1960s and ’70s, and the round-backed designs are Charlotte Perriand Blonde Wood Dining Chairs along with vintage lookalikes.
7. Dried flowers are the perfect no-fuss plants.
During the months that fresh local flowers aren’t available, string-tied bundles of hydrangea add life to the room.
The flamboyant amaranthus displayed at the bar is a plant that retains its color when it dries. The bar has a rattan and wood theme: the Dutch high stools are 1960s designs by Dirk Van Sliedregt for Rohe.
8. Art doesn’t have to be big to be impactful.
Flynn commissioned the 6-by-8-inh paintings to introduce a bit of color and intrigue to the otherwise understated room.
Each table is designed to be a little tableau.
Flynn bought the Bumling vintage pendant lights just before opening in 2018, and clustered potted plants in the entry.
Before
The carpenter-built tables had shelf-style dividers and bench seating along with bentwood chairs. Also check out our Trend Alert: Feast of the (Many) Fishes: 17 Times Fish Made an Appearance Beyond the Plate.
