Bagels with the Boys: Inside Gwen Whiting's Upper East Side Apartment

One of our favorite parts of Bagels with the Boys happens before (and after) the cameras are rolling.

We always ask our guests a handful of quick-fire questions that have nothing—and somehow everything—to do with design. The answers often reveal just as much about a person as a home tour does.

This week, we’re checking in with Gwen Whiting, founder of The Laundress and founder of The Fill, whose Upper East Side apartment is as thoughtful, layered, and collected as the conversation we shared over bagels.

Our readers get an exclusive gift! For the next 48 hours (until 7/20), use code BROWNSTONEBOYS at checkout for a complimentary standard membership to The Fill.

Here’s the Guest Check with Gwen Whiting:

BB: Dream dinner party guest?

GW: It would be a dream to have my grandparents around my dining table for one night—but I live with so many little items of theirs around me, they sort of are always.

BB: What motivates you most?

GW: Bringing people together and having fun. I will move earth for both!

BB: One thing you can’t live without?

GW: My detergent (so much so, I started another company just to have it again).

BB: Favorite NYC neighborhood?

GW: I always lived below 14th Street until I moved here, so I’ll always consider the Village and West Village home. So much has changed in the West Village over the last few years—I feel like I’m always discovering something new.

BB: What’s one thing only New Yorkers understand?

GW: Doorman living.

BB: Where do you take out-of-town guests first?

GW: Now that we live across the street from The Frick, that’s always a must.

BB: Favorite object in your home?

GW: Our pink George Sherlock sofa. My husband and I both love it, and it’s where we enjoy relaxing together.

BB: Most recent home purchase?

GW: An apartment in London.

BB: Favorite room to design?

GW: Something ‘new’—meaning using a new medium, print, or wallpaper. I had a lot of fun with this powder room

There’s something we loved about Gwen’s perspective throughout this conversation. Whether she’s talking about detergent, design, or dinner parties, it all comes back to creating rituals, caring for the things you love, and making home a place where people want to gather.

If you haven’t watched our full conversation yet, we think you’ll really enjoy it. We tour Gwen’s beautiful home, chat about building iconic brands, the objects that tell our stories, and why home is so much more than the space itself.

If Gwen inspired you as much as she inspired us, here’s a little something extra. For the next 48 hours (7/20), use code BROWNSTONEBOYS at checkout to enjoy a complimentary standard membership to The Fill and explore all of the member benefits, including a free subscription to her Substack, The Laundry List where she shares her musings on travel, wellness, design, entertaining and more.

Sending love from our stoop,

Jordan & Barry