Meet Studio McGee Style Influencer, Shea McGee

Shea McGee, hit our screens in 2020 in the Netflix show Dream Home Makeover. From that moment, Shea, has never looked back, becoming a powerhouse design influencer. We chat to Shea about her career trajectory, family and design and takes a look around her beautiful home.

During lock down in October 2020, I stumbled upon a new show on Netflix called Dream Home Makeover. It was everything I needed at that moment, escapist television filled with beautiful but attainable design, led by two warm and down to earth stars, Shea and Syd McGee. The series went on to be a huge juggernaut for Netflix and along with their successful homewares label, McGee & Co and design studio, Studio McGee, this couple have become design superstars.

Shea and Syd’s story to stardom is what dreams are made of. Looking at the couple, you would think they were made for television but as Shea explains, it was not a clear path to becoming television stars ‘I took a more unconventional route to being a designer. I initially graduated with a degree in public relations, but soon found that I had a love for designing after Syd and I moved into our first apartment. From there, I started giving friends and family design advice, but my first “real” paid project was styling some built-ins for a client. After that, Syd and I bought our first home in California and it needed some updating. I went to work designing our home and documented the process on Instagram, bookshelves turned into rooms which turned into full home projects!’

As Shea’s online popularity grew, the couple were approached by other networks about making a show, but none of them ever felt like the right fit. ‘They always wanted Syd to be the contractor and he’s the CEO, so it didn’t feel authentic. We got a call from Netflix and actually created our own sizzle reel and presented it to them during our first meeting and the format was developed from there. They didn’t want to change who we are and what we do, so it was a very natural fit.’

It is well known that the couple nearly went broke building their business. Money, or lack of, placed major stress on their marriage as they tried to get their business off the ground. A decision to move from California to Utah and lower their cost of living, saw the business slowly start to build, but it was a hard slog. But the couple persevered, working all hours to build a successful business.

The rest is history. Dream Home Makeover has gone on to be a worldwide success and the McGee design studio has flourished. Those early days of Shea documenting her home on Instagram honed Shea’s ability to understand her audience. This acute knowledge of the McGee buyer has seen the couple successfully launch a multi-year collaboration with Target, publish a book ‘Make Life Beautiful’, and sign on for season three of Dream Home Makeover.

Personally, the family added daughter number three to the mix in 2021, with the birth of Margot, who joins big sisters, Wren and Ivy. When asked what Shea has taken away from the last few years of running a successful business during a pandemic and adding to her family she says ‘I’ve learned that so much of my happiness in life comes from the people I’m surrounded by and I’m so lucky to have my family by my side every day! The pandemic definitely made us slow down, appreciate our home and made me think about new ways of designing multi-use spaces!’ We can’t wait to see more from this design duo when season three of Dream Home Makeover hits Australian screens in 2022.

How would you describe your signature style?

Our signature look is all about mixing styles – juxtaposing modern and traditional, old and new, and layering lots of textures.

Your best interior design tip?

Trust your gut!

What designers inspire you?

While I love to look at other designers’ work, I actually find a lot of inspiration through traveling and spending time outside.

What do you love about your work?

I love that I get to create beautiful spaces that families can live in and create memories in for years to come!

Greatest budget buy or budget decorating tip?

Adding foraged branches to a vintage jar easily elevates your space, adding both personality and a lived-in feel!

Your show, Dream Home Makeover, is incredibly popular in Australia. What do you think it is about your style that appeals to such a varied audience?

I think our style mixes aspirational design and approachability which really resonates with people. I’m all about balancing beauty and comfort in the homes we design.

What’s your family’s favourite way to spend a day?

We love to get outside! Whether it’s swimming, playing on the beach or skiing, we love finding inspiration in nature and getting some good exercise in at the same time.

What’s your favourite project to date?

That’s such a tough question! Every project holds a special place in my heart, but I’d have to say my favourite is my own home! After years of renting, I’m so happy to finally have a space that I can truly make my own and that we can make memories as a family in for years to come!