In the McGee household , there ’s almost always a fresh standard candle burning and a write to - do tilt getting done .
In 10 brusque years , Shea McGee has much become a house name . ( In certain invention - oriented or Target - loving household , she ’s hold that lofty household name status for years . ) Since startingStudio McGeein 2014 with her husband , Syd , Shea has built a following of million on Instagram . Studio McGee has launched compendium with Target , plus its ownMcGee & Co.line ( and plenty of other brand collaborations ) . The McGees have been on Netflix , Shea has compose a well - sell book ( The Art of Home ) , and she even has aMasterClass courseon designing a distance you love .
The last 10 years have been engaged , to say the least , for the McGees . But even a decennium into her Studio McGee journeying , Shea still holds the same passion for what she does : “ I rightfully bonk what I do , ” she tells Better Homes & Gardens .
Credit:Studio McGee | Design: Better Homes & Gardens
As Studio McGee celebrates its 10th twelvemonth — the official anniversary is in September 2024 — Shea verbalise with us about what keeps the McGee house run smoothly ( even with three immature children around ) , how Guest can guarantee a second invite , and whether the overhead light should stay on or off ( coddler : “ Sometimes you just require it because you demand to see ! ” ) .
Shea McGee’s House Rules
In the McGee home , there need to be some story of parliamentary law . So while Shea is n’t a stickler for ironclad mandates , she does maintain a few house rules to keep everything useable . Read on for the rules she does uphold , her coming to scents , and more .
Q: What are your house rules, whether they’re spoken, unspoken, or hanging on a list by the door?
We are not large on having nonindulgent firm rules , but we have a few based around our kids and give things finger tidy . I try not to be really vainglorious on house rules . They ’re not on our bulwark , I guess I could say . I wish a tidy sign of the zodiac .
I keep a basket of horseshoe by the door . I do not make every single person take their shoes off when they come into the sign of the zodiac , but it ’s nice if they do , the hoop is there . I have a lot of people in and out of my theater on a very regular base for work and so it ’s not wholly pragmatic to have everybody get hold of off their shoes while going in and out like that .
The bottom of my stairs is the collector pile for my kids , all their thing . And so the formula is that if you ’re survive up the stairs , take something from the pile back up to your way .
Credit:Studio McGee | Design: Better Homes & Gardens
And shutting the door to the backyard . Keep it closed ! [ Laughs ] Really bare , but those are the thing when you have three kids . It ’s like , just keep the threshold closed please .
Studio McGee | Design : Better Homes & Gardens
Q: I love your stairwell rule—every home needs that. Do you keep a basket there for carrying things upstairs, or is it a “grab one thing” rule?
We do n’t have a basket because I have a lot of baskets all over my house , and I can not put more basket on my stairs . But the big one is more at the end of the night . Things can collect there through the daylight , but at night those stairs need to be cleaned off , and everyone needs to take an armful and head up .
Q: What are a few things that make your house feel like home to you and your family?
I ’m bragging on fragrance . I typically have a candela going . And that ’s usually in the entry or the kitchen , at lower limit . When you walk into a house and it smells like your theater or your rest home , you feel recognize .
Shea McGee
When you take the air into a house and it smell like your house or your household , you feel recognise .
And I would say just making sure that nothing feel so fancy or fussy . And that ’s how I approach figure , so that it feels well-heeled . But then I ’m also in love with my house at the same time .
Q: Being in love with where you live is so important. Do you feel like you’re continually adapting your home to suit your changing interests, or do you feel like home is home and it’s just going to stay the same?
I ’m always messing with my home . [ Laughs ] Whether it ’s a raw accessory I found on a trip or a new bowl or knockout or something , it ’s evolving . The large thing typically remain the same , but I love to break up up little mementos and things and seasonal piece that we ’ve contrive at McGee & Co. I care to trade in and out , like , “ Oh , we have a new vase or a young bowl , ” and it just bring me joy .
Q: Going back to scent, do you use seasonal scents? Or do you just have some you use year round?
I am all over the position . Candles are one of those memento items that I ’ll buy for myself . If I locomote somewhere and I was revolutionize by a scent , I ’ll bring it home , and it just reminds me of the trip . But typically I seek to make them seasonal , so I do n’t have a signature perfume for my plate . It ’s more what I ’m inspired by at the moment , and I wish the olfactory property to fit the season . So correctly now I have a more leap - oriented scent going .
Q: Do you find yourself returning to any scents year after year?
I am big on a sea common salt perfume . We have one at McGee & Co. call Salt and Sea . I practice that one , that one ’s always a go to . Anytime I ’m shopping , if it has a ocean salt scent , it just smells sweet and I ordinarily wo n’t get stock of it . I also love a sandalwood - based fragrance . I reckon I like to feel like I ’m on holiday . [ Laughs ]
Q: What’s the number one thing a houseguest can or should do to be invited back?
We have guests at our house a mass , and I eff to cook , but it is the greatest thing for me when someone just sneaks in and does the dishes at the terminal .
The greatest affair for me when someone just slip in and does the dish at the end .
That for me is an immediate , “ They ’re coming back , ” because I just swarm all of my affectionateness and love into doing meals and things like that and relieve oneself sure our house felt really good . But if they do that at the remainder , I ’m wish , “ Oh , that ’s great . ”
Credit:Studio McGee | Design: Better Homes & Gardens
Q: Do you have any hosting must-dos, whether people are just stopping by or staying overnight?
wax light for sure . I keep a vase in my incoming and a vase on my kitchen island , and those usually get refreshed with — it could just be Trader Joe ’s pickup — but just a reinvigorated blossom of sorts . And I always wish to check that we ’ve got a really amazing hand goop in the powder bathroom and a fresh hand towel .
Q: Do you have any favorite hand soap scents right now?
I change those out . Right now I ’m using a citrus and birchen one , but I really love theFlamingo Estateone . This is kind of random but Ouai haircare , their hand soapsmells really good . [ Laughs ] I bonk to pick them up when I ’m on trips typically , too .
Q: You’ve built a hugely successful career out of home design. Is decorating your personal home still fun? Is it fun, or is it work, or is it a little bit of both?
I truly love what I do . But the trouble for me is that I ca n’t work it off . My studio had an empty wardrobe , and I just hold thinking , “ That should be a john , ” and so it ’s being turned into a bathroom . So I ’m working from the basement aright now . I just cease a small remodel in other area of my house . And I just go into the next project , and then I will look around and be like , “ Oh , we got this fresh McGee & Co. piece that I need to switch in and swap out here . ” So I ca n’t turn it off . And that ’s the probably the problem because I ’m always looking and thinking of what to do , but the skillful news is that I love it .
Q: Can you turn your design brain off when you’re traveling or visiting the homes of friends or family?
I ’m pretty good at being able to sour it off in other people ’s homes . I do n’t know , some peoplecannotturn it off . I can . I can take the air into a friend ’s base and just talk to them and make no suggestion . I evaluate everything , I notice everything , but I ’m not going to say anything unless they ask me , and then of course I would make suggestions if they asked .
When I ’m travel , I take in everything as brainchild .
When I ’m traveling , I take in everything as inspiration , from the sconce next to my seam at a hotel elbow room to a piece of furniture in a hall or the architectural details in a storefront . I am taking everything in and filing it away for afterwards .
Q: What organizational rules of thumb keep your life and household running smoothly?
Syd and I inhabit and go bad by our deal Google Calendar . But then I am a tactile someone when it fare to my lists , so I have my notebook in good order here , and every single day I pen a new to - do tilt .
My older two are starting to get to the age where they can make written to - do tilt , and there ’s just something about physically being able to check it off . And so that is something that keeps our household going . On a Saturday dawning , if they have their to - dos , it ’s more potential to get done if they compose them down . We always do that before they can go play with Friend — they’ve sustain to get those to - doh checked off .
And then online grocery store order and pitch . That for me is a game changer because I can do it on my telephone really promptly . It eliminates the time , and then it just can keep our home running more smoothly , and it allows me to be capable to fudge from domicile .
Q: When you’re hosting, do you prefer a casual setting or a more formal one? Or does it really depend on the occasion and who’s coming over?
It depends on the function . If it is my family , it ’s typically always hold out to be a mix of casual and a fiddling bit something pretty , but I would n’t call it formal . We ’re not doing the extreme point when it comes to place mise en scene and things like that when we ’re have seat - down dinners except for when it ’s a special occasion like Thanksgiving . I really care to do a casual assemblage [ where I ] reckon of the inside information that make it palpate beautiful , but in a relaxed way true to our design style . But if the occasion call for something stately , I would go all in and that ’s fun , too .
Q: We’ve talked about how scent is a huge part of how you set an atmosphere or a mood, but are there any other things you do to create a certain atmosphere when you have guests coming over?
I do music . Always . Even if it ’s just really soft in the background , it occupy away some of that quiet between when people are first arrive . It create them feel like , “ OK , fourth dimension to take root in . ” And then if it ’s a nice spring or summer day , I have doors across my back that will open up so we can have an indoor - outdoor experience .
I used to stress about make everything done mighty when everyone puzzle there , but then I read that if there are last - minute thing , people like to chip off in and help me bring a tray of whatever outside , because at the rootage as people first start to arrive , people are just warming up . And so having something for people to do actually really go a foresightful way for everyone to feel well-to-do .
Having something for people to do really really goes a long way for everyone to feel comfortable .
I think inflammation makes a big difference . In the eve , I make trusted that our overhead light are off , but our accent lights are on to set a mood , or maybe it ’s wick candles or something , but I think that makes a bountiful difference as well .
Q: Where do you stand on the overhead light debate?
I ’m kind of in the middle , where sometimes you just need it because you need to see ! But for a party , I do n’t want my overhead lights on .
Q: How do you unwind at the end of the day?
For a typical daytime ? Syd and I are other riser . We put the kids down and we ’re headed to layer ! We like to hang out and chitchat at the end of the daytime . Sometimes , look on our schedule , we ’ll watch a show and just relax , but we ’re not very fun . [ Laughs ]
Syd and I — even though we bleed a business together , we never end up overlap in our roles . It ’s nice to just see each other , gossip , hang out .
Syd and I — even though we run a business organization together , we never end up overlap in our roles . It ’s nice to just see each other , shoot the breeze , fall out , even if it ’s as uncomplicated as just sitting down , grabbing a collation , and then bask each other ’s companionship .
Q: Are there any house rules that you grew up with that you uphold now?
My pappa was always bugging us to turn the lights off . Like , always . I think I ’ve done the opposite where I was told so many times to turn the lights off , that I would rather just be the one that turns the Light off , because I heard it so much grow up . [ Laughs ]
I grew up in Houston , and the bugs are terrible . It was always like , “ Shut the windowpane ! Shut the doors ! ” You heard me that one of our rules is to keep the door close — we do n’t even have bugs like Texas , but that is one that has translate for certain .
Q: Time for a few quick-fire questions. Top sheet or no top sheet?
Top canvas .
Q: Faux or living plants?
Both .
Q: Should the toilet paper roll go over or under?
Over .
Q: Shoes on or off inside?
Off ? On ? We ’re off and on .
Q: Do you clean as you cook, or do you clean it all up at the end?
Clean as I misrepresent .
Q: You’re loading the dishwasher: Do you rinse first, or put dishes in as they are?
I rinse first .
Q: Do you let dishes soak in the sink for a while, or do you do them immediately?
knockout in the sink and then we do them .
Q: Colors or neutrals?
Probably more neutrals .
