Three days before the official opening, the new McGee & Co. flagship in Salt Lake City sits quiet, its tables set, pillows fluffed and candles poised behind glass cloches. The space is arranged for a photo shoot, not yet for shoppers.
Flagship store readies for launch
Chief creative officer Shea McGee walks the aisles, pointing out vignettes to staff and adjusting a throw here, a lamp there. “I have a tendency to be an advocate for the thing that I love that isn’t our top seller,” she tells the team, emphasizing a broader product mix.
She is filmed as she moves, a camera crew trailing her like a familiar companion. Her appearance matches the polished image fans have followed for a decade: wheat-blonde hair, crisp white wrap top and a bright smile.
The store spans 7,500 square feet, arranged into layered rooms that blend furniture, accessories and select vintage pieces. A grand Octavia sectional greets visitors, while smaller items—terra-cotta pots, books, hand towels—invite impulse buys.
Studio McGee has built a reputation through Instagram renovations, a Netflix series and three books. The couple also holds licensing deals with Target, Kohler and Ann Sacks, and their social-media accounts draw nearly six million followers combined.
From pop-ups to a permanent space
In the late 2010s, the McGees ran a 600-square-foot pop-up in Costa Mesa, but the space was too small for their furniture line. Plans for a larger shop were halted when the pandemic struck.
Later, a vacant commercial property in Trolley Square became available. Once a comedy club and a Hard Rock Café, the building featured high ceilings and large windows that had been darkened with film.
Renovation took two years, converting the rough shell into a bright, home-like showroom. The location also sits next to a Kohler showroom, linking the new store to an existing licensing partner.
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Opening the brick-and-mortar shop marks what Shea calls “McGee 3.0.” After years of selling products online, they want shoppers to experience the brand in three dimensions.
Providing that experience requires precise staff training. Shea spent months drafting a guide that details everything from rug placement inches to preferred bedding layers, ensuring each associate can echo her aesthetic.
Maintaining the warm, relatable tone that attracted a massive online audience will be important as they consider future growth.
Every few minutes, a passerby reaches for the locked door, only to be greeted by an associate who explains that the shop opens on September 25.
Curated spaces guide visitors
Each vignette reflects the studio’s signature layering, inviting shoppers to imagine whole rooms rather than isolated pieces.
Throughout the space, subtle nods to the brand’s licensing partners appear, such as bathroom fixtures that echo the nearby Kohler showroom.
Future expansion and brand stewardship
Looking beyond the flagship, the team plans to open additional locations in the coming years, aiming for a balanced national presence.
