Earlier this month, HAGS, the just-opened, East Village–based queer fine-dining restaurant, posted a photo of their bathroom on Instagram. It showed a wall of shelves lined with amber-tinted, lidded jars containing individual flossers, Red Bird peppermint butter mints, fentanyl test strips, tampons and pads, and condoms, because as co-owner and chef Telly Justice says, “it feels quintessentially queer to think of the extracurricular activities that might occur after dinner.” But while there was an online flurry over these offerings that put the fancy hand soap and bottle of Purell of a typical bathroom to shame, we were particularly curious about the jars themselves.
Turns out, they’re $20 apothecary glass canisters from West Elm, sourced by architect Sarah Carpenter of Carpenter and Mason, who designed the whole interior. Co-owner and beverage director Camille Lindsley specifically chose the amber version — as opposed to clear glass — for the discretion and uniformity the nearly opaque tint provides. “Some of the things don’t fit as well as others, like the test strips versus the butter mints,” Lindsley says. “But these mean everything looks equal in a way.” Justice agrees, adding that the lids make the whole display feel neat and intentional.
That level of thought reinforces the goal of the bathroom (and really, the whole restaurant): to create an environment where every detail is considered, and where many different types of diners feel accommodated and cared for. “We made this elegant, restful space that works for everybody,” Justice says. “Or as many people as we could possibly imagine.”
Create your own HAGS bathroom
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