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“My home office perfectly balances creativity and order,” says interior designer Shea McGee, cofounder of Studio McGee and McGee & Co. As a master of blending high-end design with approachable, comfortable living, McGee sought to create a beautiful, functional space where imagination could thrive.
“I love beautiful things, but they also need to serve a purpose,” she says. “My office has a large open work table and inspiration boards, but also hidden storage for samples and paperwork. The design feels welcoming, with comfortable furniture and layered textures, but it’s also highly functional. It reflects the same philosophy I bring to interiors: thoughtful, approachable design.”
Below, the entrepreneur takes us inside her home office in Salt Lake City, where many of her best design ideas are baked.
The Vision: An “Attic Remodel” With Character
“[My husband] Syd and I both work from home quite a bit, so we each have our own dedicated office spaces,” McGee says. “His office sits just off the entryway, enclosed by custom oak French doors and a dark navy paint color, with a view that looks out to the front yard. My office is more of a studio space above the garage—a light-filled room with a work table where I can spread out samples and design boards. It’s a space that feels creative and inspiring, perfectly suited to the way I work.
“When we were building our home, I wanted my office to feel like a charming attic remodel—something that felt discovered rather than newly built. We tucked it into the roofline, exposing the collar ties and embracing the quirky ceiling angles that give it so much character.
“Natural light is one of my biggest sources of inspiration, so I made sure the space captures it beautifully. It’s truly a working studio: a revolving door of creativity where design ideas take shape. The walls are clad in wide-plank shiplap, and the light oak floors create a neutral backdrop for the endless stream of samples, catalogs and product mock-ups I review daily.”
How The Space Inspires Her Work
“Within my role, I wear a lot of different hats, and the layout of my studio really reflects that. Each zone was created with a different type of work—and a different kind of energy—in mind. I like my studio to be a zone of focus and creativity.
“The computer area is where I do my most focused work. I can’t sit in the middle of a room when I need to concentrate—my eyes immediately zero in on all the things I could tweak or redesign—so this zone faces a wall or a window to help me stay centered and productive. The Arthur desk gives me a grounded, elegant workspace with enough surface area to keep both my computer work and design notes organized. My chair supports long stretches of focused work while still looking beautiful, and the leather desk pad creates a soft, warm surface to work on.
“The creative and swatch area sits right in the heart of the room. This is where I spread out books, touch materials and play with color and texture. I love being up and moving during this part of the process; it feels tactile and exploratory, and the openness of that zone invites ideas to flow.
“The pinboard wall is my visual brain where concepts come together. My pinboards act as a visual North Star, helping me see concepts, colors and ideas in one place so I can make creative decisions with vision alignment.
“The seating and cozy area is actually the most personal space—it’s where my kids sit when they wander in after school. They’ll color or do homework while I finish up work.”
What Her Work-From-Home Days Look Like
“If I’m not on-site touring projects, reviewing products in our warehouse or leading photo shoots, I’m in my studio on Zoom calls with designers and clients, going over product sketches or touching base on operations. After I wake up at 5:30 a.m. and work out, Syd and I get the kids ready and off to school, and I’m in my office by 9 a.m.
“What I wear absolutely affects my mindset—if I feel polished yet comfortable, I’m more confident and creative throughout the day. My work-from-home wardrobe is all about soft fabrics: I usually wear loose pants, a cashmere sweater and great jewelry to dress it up. I have to have shoes on to focus, and that can range from ballet flats to loafers or tennis shoes.
“I stack all my meetings back-to-back in the mornings and early afternoons for efficiency, usually eating snacks at my desk because there’s truly no downtime. My planner keeps my days structured and digestible, and I always reach for a simple black felt-tip pen because it makes even quick notes feel intentional. I write every single little to-do and mental note here.
“When I have dedicated creative work to do, I block out hours on my calendar with specific assignments—if I don’t protect that time, everything else takes over. Once my meetings wrap, the latter part of my workday is spent reviewing samples, sketching concepts and brainstorming for upcoming projects and collections. I typically end around 3:30 p.m., when the kids get home, and shift into family mode.”
How She Balances Order And Imagination
“My office really comes to life when my pinboards are full and the worktable is messy—they represent what is in my mind at the moment, and that is what makes the space one of a kind. My favorite piece in my office is an antique hutch I found at Round Top a few years ago. It has the most beautiful patina, and it adds a sense of history to the space. I use it to store samples and design books, so it’s both functional and full of character.
“This might not sound glamorous, but samples come and go constantly, so having accessible storage is essential to keeping the room feeling calm instead of chaotic (most of the time).
“I thrive in a tidy space, but during design projects, things can get a bit chaotic: Fabric swatches, paint samples and sketches tend to take over. As long as the rest of my home is tidy and clean, I usually thrive in the mess of swatches hidden behind a closed door in my studio that I leave at the end of each day. Order and a beautiful mess help me feel calm and creative at the same time.”
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