From episode 1 of the Netflix series Dream Home MakeoverSalt Lake City–based interior designer Shea McGee had our attention, teaching us new ways to see colors, patterns, and earth tones with a mountain-modern twist. Whether she was repurposing an unused dining room space into an enviable butler’s pantry or transforming a meh bedroom into a textural retreat, we were taking detailed notes as she tackled any design challenge that came her way. And now, McGee’s taking on a new project with typical no-holds-barred optimism: her first ever spec house.
The three-bedroom house is located in Heber City, Utah, about an hour’s drive from Salt Lake City and just minutes from the slopes, an equestrian center, and downtown Park City. “I have been trying to convince Syd [her husband] for years to invest in a high-end spec home,” McGee points out in a blog posts. Once the two were in agreement, the land was purchased, architect Aaron Inouye and the team at Killowen Construction were brought on to design and build the house, and, finally, McGee stepped in to bring his signature classic modern rustic touch.
“Even though it’s a mountain community, I didn’t want to lean too hard into a mountain cabin aesthetic,” McGee explains. “The interiors are cozy and traditional, with a lot of natural materials that reflect the vast amount of nature that surrounds it.”
The entrance of the 3,553-square-foot house opens to a double-height living room that stretches across regal floor-to-ceiling stone inlays. The space is a skillful curation of farmhouse patterns and classic sofas, paired with contrasting modern side tables and metallic light fixtures. The color scheme? Muted ocher, soft browns, and pale blues, pinks, and greens—all in ultrasoft fabrics that you can’t help but touch. “To me, the space should be just as pleasing to the touch as it is to the eye,” McGee added.
Each room exudes effortless warmth and personality, from the elegantly playful nursery that is shrouded in barely-there patterned wallpaper and vintage prints to the cozy layered primary bedroom that opens to a country French bathtub the moment that has us rethinking the long-adored clawfoot look. Meanwhile, a sage-green mudroom is punctuated by a neighboring office clad in cavelike rich brown paint with floor-to-ceiling built-ins that offer a welcome moody moment. “This space reads “grandpa chic,” and I love the cozy, sophisticated vibes it gives off,” McGee adds.
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Rachel Silva, the Assistant Digital Editor at ELLE DECOR, covers design, architecture, trends, and anything to do with haute couture. She has previously written for Time, The Wall Street Journal, and Citywire.