If you’ve ever scrolled through the #HomeInspiration tag on Instagram, or if you have a “Dream Home” Pinterest board filled with interior design aesthetics, chances are you’ve come across a photo of a Studio McGee project without even realizing. The creative duo behind Studio McGee, an interior design firm based in Salt Lake City, is husband and wife Syd and Shea McGee. The two not only custom-design multimillion dollar dream homes across the United States, but they also run a successful YouTube channel that led to the creation of the Netflix original series, Dream Home Makeover (which can be easily binge-watched in a single weekend, in case you were wondering).
Tune into Dream Home Makeover and you’ll learn the difference between “California Cool” and “Modern Farmhouse,” you’ll “ooh” and “ahh” at all the stunning lakeside mansions and mountain retreats, and you’ll probably end up jotting down every one of their design tricks and tips. But you’ll only get a small glimpse into the personal life of the couple themselves. What led them to sell everything they own, move across the country, and start a business? How do they juggle a design business, a furnishing business, and a huge social media presence all while raising a family? If Dream Home Makeover left you wanting more, read on to learn eight fun facts about Syd and Shea McGee.
Related: What This Interior Designer Says All Couples Need to Know About Decorating Together
Netflix / Courtesy of NETFLIX
Syd and Shea Were Originally Against the Idea of Having a TV Show
When Syd and Shea officially started their business in 2014, they were approached by a production company interested in making a show about them. “They came to town, filmed us, and it was kind of a disaster,” Shea explained on a Studio McGee’s vlog. “They tried to make Syd the handyman and the contractor – which he is not – and the whole thing was just really rough.” After that experience, Syd and Shea made a point to decline any TV offers, and instead decided to start a YouTube channel so they could control the content they shared with the world.
Netflix / Courtesy of NETFLIX
You Can Buy Syd and Shea’s Designs at Your Local Target
Two years after building Studio McGee, Syd and Shea launched an e-commerce company, McGee & Co., which features home decor and furnishings all curated by the McGees and their team of designers. McGee and Co. has steadily grown alongside Studio McGee, and through an exclusive collaboration with Target, your living room can finally look just like the ones on Dream Home Makeover.
Netflix / Courtesy of NETFLIX
The Couple Doesn’t Watch Home Remodeling Shows
Syd and Shea’s YouTube subscribers have often compared them to Chip and Joanna Gaines and their show Fixer Upper, but ironically enough, the couple rarely watches home remodeling shows. “We’re like, ‘We know what they did there.’ Before, I could turn off my design brain. Now I can’t. It took away the magic,” Shea told Oprah Magazine. Apparently when you’re remodeling houses 24/7, the last thing you want to do is watch more of it on TV.
