It is three days before the soft launch of Shea McGee’s McGee & Co. retail flagship in Salt Lake City, and despite the impending milestone, the atmosphere on the shop floor remains remarkably calm. Every detail is precisely in its place: a dining table is staged as though prepared for an intimate family gathering, complete with a wispy, elegant arrangement of white anemones; the shelves are thoughtfully filled without appearing overcrowded; throw pillows have been meticulously fluffed and plumped; and throws are draped with just the right touch of effortless insouciance. Glass cloches contain neatly arranged candles, while small piles of matches rest nearby, stacked with care.
The day prior marked the store’s major photo shoot ahead of its official public opening on September 25, leaving all the interior styling in pristine, magazine-ready condition. For Shea McGee—the chief creative officer and, alongside her husband Syd, co-founder of both the interior design firm Studio McGee and the lifestyle brand McGee & Co.—the perfection of the space mirrors her own polished presentation. She moves smoothly across the floor, projecting the same bright, approachable energy that has defined her public presence for more than a decade: a sparkling smile, wheat-blonde hair falling loosely over a crisp white wrap top, and an innate focus on spatial harmony.
She flutters around the expansive retail floor, guiding store associates from one carefully curated vignette to another. She offers real-time advice on styling nuances, product placement, and the finer operational details the team will need to master come Saturday. "I have a tendency to be an advocate for the thing that I love that isn’t our top seller," Shea reflects as she repositions an accessory. "I want to show people how good it is, and I know I can do that if I just get it in front of them."
A camera crew follows her every move, documenting the preparations. As Syd sits nearby discussing the broader trajectory of the business, it becomes clear that cameras have long since ceased to be a distraction. They are simply an integrated fixture of the couple’s professional life, a legacy of years spent filming, photographing, and sharing their journey online.
The couple’s rise to prominence began during the early days of Instagram, when Shea first documented the renovation of their personal home—an era they affectionately refer to as McGee 1.0. High-profile media coverage quickly followed, paving the way for a hit Netflix series, three bestselling books, and a dramatically expanded audience known as McGee 2.0. Today, the mother of three children, ages 12, 10, and 5, commands massive commercial success. Her enterprise boasts high-profile licensing partnerships with major household names including Target, Kohler, and Ann Sacks, alongside a staggering social media following that includes four million followers on the primary @studiomcgee Instagram account and nearly two million on @mcgeeandco, complemented by a heavily viewed YouTube channel.
The Salt Lake City-based entrepreneurs are managing a sprawling portfolio of ventures, but their latest endeavor represents a fundamental shift in strategy. Bringing the digital-first McGee world into physical brick-and-mortar retail is what Shea calls "McGee 3.0."
"We’ve been running a product business for years, and now it’s time to create the experience," she explains.
Located within Salt Lake City’s historic Trolley Square shopping district, the flagship spans a generous 7,500 square feet. While opening a brick-and-mortar retail destination was always written onto the early McGee vision board, the path to bringing it to life was far from linear. In the late 2010s, the couple operated a small pop-up shop in Costa Mesa, California. However, at a minuscule 600 square feet, that space lacked the necessary square footage to properly support a robust furniture-selling operation. They subsequently explored securing a more permanent, appropriately sized commercial property and were mere days away from executing a new lease when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, forcing them to temporarily shelve their physical retail ambitions.
Years later, the McGees learned of an available commercial space within Trolley Square’s distinctive red-brick architecture. Conveniently, the neighborhood also housed a Kohler showroom, establishing a natural synergy with one of their primary licensing partners. The building itself, however, presented a formidable challenge. Previously operating as a comedy club and a Hard Rock Cafe before that, the cavernous interior bore little resemblance to the gentle, transitional aesthetic that defines the signature McGee look.
Yet, possessing a practiced eye for architectural potential, Shea looked past the dark finishes and heavy modifications. The bones of the structure were exceptionally strong, featuring soaring ceilings and large windows that had been blacked out with film by the former nightclub. A comprehensive, two-year renovation ensued, entirely reimagining the space to translate the brand’s online identity into a tangible, physical environment.
While Studio McGee has designed residential properties for clients across the United States since 2014—many of which were featured across four seasons of their popular Netflix series, Dream Home Makeover—this brick-and-mortar retail debut marks the first time the general public can experience the McGee universe in three dimensions. Walking through the flagship days before its opening, visitors immediately sense the atmospheric translation of a physical Studio McGee home.
This immersion is entirely intentional. The floor plan is organized into layered vignettes featuring furnishings and accessories from the in-house McGee & Co. line, alongside carefully curated vintage pieces and complementary hand-picked lines such as Match pewter and Caroline Francis candles.
"It’s more of a home atmosphere than straight retail," Shea notes.
The space accommodates large showroom anchor pieces—such as the expansive Octavia upholstered U-chaise sectional that greets visitors near the entrance—alongside smaller, grab-and-go home goods like terra-cotta flower pots, books, and artisanal hand towels. Syd notes that they looked to successful contemporary retailers like Buck Mason for inspiration regarding approachability, lively merchandising, and attentive customer service, striving to hit a sweet spot between a massive big-box store and an intimate boutique. Despite the impressive scale of the flagship—and the couple’s active plans to open between three and six additional locations over the next two years—Shea continues to refer to the enterprise simply as a "shop."
That commitment to intimacy remains central to a brand built largely on personal connection and the democratization of interior design principles.
"We can design homes that are in the tens of millions of dollars, but we can apply the principles and teach people, and have a relatable, warm persona," Shea says.
Preserving that authentic, accessible feeling as the business scales nationally poses a distinct set of operational challenges. Shea is acutely aware that personality-driven brands require every frontline employee to act as an extension of the founders themselves. To ensure consistency, she spent the preceding two months developing a rigorous training manual for all store associates. The guide covers granular details, down to the exact number of inches Shea prefers to space a rug from a wall and her preferred layering sequence for bedding.
These signature styling guidelines will also form the foundation of the store’s dedicated design services area, where shoppers can receive free, personalized furniture recommendations. The overarching concept ensures that even consumers who cannot retain Studio McGee for a full-scale residential design project can still access and curate their living spaces within the broader world of Shea.
With the pillows fluffed, the shelves perfectly organized, and the vignettes fully realized, the final element missing from the equation is the public. Even before the doors officially open, curious passersby regularly stop to test the locked handles, prompting store associates to step forward and remind them of the upcoming weekend launch. As another prospective shopper cups their hands against the glass to peer inside the sunlit interior, Shea reflects on the anticipation surrounding the dress rehearsal.
"I’m not sure it will be as soft as we’re hoping it will be," she says with a smile.
