The esteemed home designer reveals her top design wind for each way and spills her secret for personalizing your place .
Courtesy of Shea McGee
Through her thriving plan business , Studio McGee , and on-line community of over five million followers , midland architect Shea McGee has express the world how high - end conception principle can be lend oneself to any home on any budget . We ’ve rat her pieces in Target stock and catch her boniface the EMMY - nominated Netflix serial publication Dream Home Makeover for inspiration . And now , she ’s portion out her all - clock time top design confidential information with us .
Credit:Courtesy of Shea McGee
McGee of late launched her first - ever figure book , The Art of family : A Designer Guide to Creating an Elevated Yet accessible Home . The book depart with a step - by - whole step account of the design process , followed by a tour of every elbow room of the house , guidingthe way of life to a cohesive designfor our entryways , living rooms , kitchen , workspaces , utility rooms , and kids ' room , and balancing her signature tune esthetic of sophisticated design and liveable functionality .
As the claim of her newfangled Scripture suggest , project roomsfor maximum impact while remaining accessible to anyone who put down is an artistic production , but it ’s also a acquirement that can be learn with the right tool . " What I love about design is the chance to dream and then will that vision into universe , " McGee tell . " I am majestic of the spaces we ’ve designed over the years , as you ’ll see on these beautiful Page , and to be able-bodied to share some of the lesson I ’ve learn along the way so you’re able to create a home that feels authentically you . “In an exclusive audience with McGee , she reveals the top take - aways from her new book — including aspiration for every room in the house — along with key footstep for create a functional and beautiful home .
Courtesy of Shea McGee / Lucy Call
Credit:Courtesy of Shea McGee / Lucy Call
The Entryway
“ The entryway is the place that sets the step for your entire home and gives the great unwashed an musical theme of what you ’re all about , ” McGee says . rivet on what you desire the entryway to say about the rest of your household and the kind of welcome you want it to give you and your guests when they take the air in .
For McGee , there are five substantive point that make anentryway both functional and fashionable . “ When approach any entryway , grownup or small , I conceive console table board , lamp , and mirror , " she says . " Then , I always ensure there is some variety of tray or trough as a drop zone , and I always like to put a candle in this outer space , too . ”
Where space is tight , McGee recommends drawing the focus to the floor with a vintage rug to center the quad and set the timbre with color and pattern . Ottomans , floor potful plants , and sculpturesque target employment wonder , too .
Credit:Courtesy of Shea McGee
The Living Room
“ Although we walk into the entree first , I often plan the kitchen and living room first and work up from there because it ’s where most of the animation happens and where we drop most of our time at nursing home , ” McGee says . For her , a good keep way designbegins with a good layout that make conversation and brings people together . “ If you put all your seating to one side or tug everything up against the rampart , it does n’t create that intimate effect that I would go for for in a bread and butter room . ” She recommends prefer for an Ottoman dynasty over a coffee table in small spaces , as it can also become a footrest or extra seating area .
Whendesigning a animation room , McGee center on create balance . Her eclectic fashion dead equilibrate the old and the young , resulting in a seamless andcohesive intention . To accomplish this , McGee focuses on detect tone , grain , proportions , and soma that work well together and repeating motive throughout the blank . “ For case , in a living elbow room , I want to check that that the hearth form ties in with what we have surrounding it on the walls and cap , " she says . " We wo n’t go ultra innovative with the fireplace if we have beautiful soft moldings on the paries , . "
“ When it comes to piece of furniture , modern lamps and an antique chest of drawers or vintage stool are a no - fail approach to unify dash , ” McGee explain . “ You ’ve just got to play around with different piece together until they sense right . ” She also recommend taking reference prototype with you for aspiration when patronise or collecting photos , occupy pictures of the furniture you care , and pull them together on a design board to play with dissimilar compounding until you find the right equaliser .
Credit:Courtesy of Shea McGee
The Kitchen
For McGee , there ’s more to a kitchen than just a virtual purpose ; it must also fill the purpose of adding beauty to your home . She expand on this approximation by share her top three component for a working and beautiful kitchen . “ Firstly , I would verify I have a undecomposed body of work triangle , " she read . " It makes prepare much more pleasurable when you may take the air easily between the primary areas of the kitchen , so the refrigerator , the sink , and the kitchen stove . "
secondly , McGee always includes a focal point , whether that ’s abeautiful hood over the kitchen range , beautifulbacksplash tiles , oropen shelvesnext to the range . “ If you do n’t produce a focal point , your middle wonders about and ca n’t settle on anything , " she says . " Kitchens serve a lot of functions . " at long last , McGee suggests pay up attention to durability as much as expressive style . “ Kitchens are a large investment , so blue-ribbon material that will stomach the test of time and finishes that are n’t ‘ trendy ’ and wo n’t date , ” she says .
Agood lighting planis another way to add another dimension to your kitchen . “ you may take task firing and make it beautiful , ” McGee says . “ For example , instead of just doing recessed lighting , is there an opportunity to incorporate a unlike light fixity ? ” highlighting kitchen feature of speech with softaccent lightingat the back of a shelf , under countertops , or around the kitchen island .
Credit:Courtesy of Shea McGee
The Dining Room
“ Dining rooms do n’t have as many pieces as a living way , for exemplar , so reach sure the compounding of mesa and electric chair is spot on is the most important purpose decision you ’ll make , ” McGee says . Scale is just as important as trend whenchoosing a dining table , ascertain the tabular array is the right size for the way and there is enough distance for death chair to be pulled out and people to walk around them . The shape of the room of course influencesthe shape of the dining table ; a orthogonal room will beseem a orthogonal or oval table , whereas a square or round table will likely be more desirable for a square room . For her home , McGee designed a white oak racetrack - shaped table to lend a sense of softness to the linear grids on the windows and ceilings .
centre the table with adecorative loose fixture , and insure you get the scale right . “ Choose lightness that are about two - thirds the breadth of the table and plan for 32 - 36 inches between the table and the bottom of the light mending , ” she advises . “ Whatever you do , always hold up the light fixture before you install it to verify it look good , ” she adds . At the final stage of her book , McGee includes a style guide to render a ocular resource for design and decorating , where she details how to attend and position ceiling lights , amongst other valuable tips .
The Bedroom
layer texturesis the enigma to creating an inviting , unbend sanctuary . “ Layering bedding , with beautiful quilts , a stroke , and some ornamental pillows , goes a long fashion to create the bedroom experience luxurious , ” McGee aver . For her , the unstated fundamental interaction with tactile surfaces allow us to relax our body and minds , making a multifariousness of voiced texture a must in bedrooms .
Upholstered furniture , window treatments , throw pillow , and bedding cater the perfect opportunity to introduce color and figure into aneutral chamber spaceand wed the outline together . For example , the colouration of the lamp shade might break up up a color from the design on the window discourse , reiterated with a spread cushion on an accent chair . McGee details pattern immix in her style guide , divulge her top tips for successfully meld different normal and how to title them on the layer .
The Bathroom
lav renovationscan be costly , so avoid overly trendy and extravagant bath design that will see quickly . McGee evoke act it safe with big - ticket detail , like plumbing fixtures , tiles , custom vanity , and countertops , and get playfulness with small chatoyant things , likevanity lightinganddecorative mirrors . “ Classic selections keep a bathroom undercoat , but dive into the minutia preserve a intent from feel safe and wearisome , ” she says .
Even if youchoose classic tile , play with small detail , like the tile pattern or adding anunexpected grout gloss , can quickly transubstantiate your lav into something unique without increase the price . “ Do n’t be afraid to mix up your metals either , ” give notice McGee , who suggest using the dominant metal on the plumbery and incorporating a dissimilar finish for the kindling , mirror , or hardware .
Note thatpowder roomsandkids bathroomsplay by a different rulebook , where “ go big or go home ” is the motto . These smaller contained spaces provide the unadulterated opportunity to seek bluff form and trendy colors .
Credit:Courtesy of Shea McGee
The Home Office
Now that working from rest home has become the fresh average , having a comfortable place to feel inspired and be fat and efficient is essential . “ When design a workspace , the first interrogative sentence we require our guest are : What inspires you ? What are your hobbies and interest group ? What variety of environments do you like to work in ? And what gloss do you care to be surrounded by when you cultivate , ” McGee say .
While some favour to work in adark , moody environment , others feel more fertile in a bright , light - fill up outer space ; it all hail down to personal preference . Home offices , especially brook - alone rooms , are the thoroughgoing opportunity to personalize a blank , as kids or Edgar Albert Guest rarely frequent them . Forhome office intention , McGee recommends diving into what makes you tick , using your hobby and warmth as inhalation for situation decor . “ usher your personality in an place by replete it with what you make out and inspires you means that when you discontinue and look around , you ’ll experience motivated to wreak , " she allege .
The Utility Room
public utility spaces , likemudrooms and laundry rooms , may not be glamourous , but well - designed utility elevate and facilitate everyday household duty and add beauty to mundane matters . McGee begins designing useful spaces by listing the top anteriority and usage for the space . “ public utility company rooms that officiate well work good when you evaluate how you will use them before planning or put in the cabinetwork , ” she says .
Closed storageis a great way to hide swampy boots and mess , butincorporating unfastened shelvingprovides a space to stylus . “ You need to ensure that the quad you have to style still make sense and are useable for the space , " she says . " In that room , you could have a little ornament , but right next to it , you have something that serve a design beyond decoration . ”
The Kids' Rooms
Designingkids ' roomsis about balance a gumption of whimsey and allowing way for growth . As a general rule , McGee invests in foundational objet d’art with longevity , like bedroom furniture and customs duty carpentry , that develop with the tike . She then add up personality through ornamental supplement , paries colors , and easy updated finish .
“ One of the matter we always consider when designing youngster ’ spaces is a lot of storage and space for them to hide all their collection , ” she suppose . “ We include some open shelf for them to display their favorite things , but I incline to keep open shelving to a minimum to prevent the room from bet cluttered and messy . ”
That said , she honor that toy make excellent styling objects with the ripe balance . “ I always integrate a space for the kids to relax and finger easy in , too , like a fun professorship or reading corner . ” McGee apply the same approach of layering texture to kids ' bedrooms to conjure an inviting , console , calming , and quietus - rush surroundings .
Credit:Courtesy of Shea McGee
Credit:Courtesy of Shea McGee
Credit:Courtesy of Shea McGee
Credit:Courtesy of Shea McGee
