Ever wonder how professional designers decorate for the holidays—and beyond in the new year—when it’s out with old trends and in with the new? “Dream Home Makeover” stars Shea and Syd McGee were kind enough to share what their own home looks like, and what to expect in 2023.
With more than 250 dream homes completed and counting (the fourth season of their hit HGTV show premiered earlier this month), these Salt Lake City designers have a firm handle on what’s hot—and not—in terms of home decor.
To help provide some inspiration and guidance for furnishing your own abode, the McGees revealed their holiday decor must-haves, weighed in on the staying power of popular design choices—from open floor plans to all-white kitchens—and picked the best trends to try in 2023.
How are you decorating for the holidays this year?
Shea: Greenery everywhere! I love it so much; that, and some pretty ribbon. This year I added dried oranges to our tree and mixed that in with our collected ornaments from over the years. I love wreaths, not just on the door. I love to put them on our range hood or over a window.
Syd: And on the back of the seats.
What’s your stance on faux Christmas trees?
Syd: Faux sho!
What about colored string lights?
Shea: If that’s your thing, that’s great, but it’s not…
Syd: … our thing.
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What’s your favorite upgrade in your home?
Syd: The skate ramp area next to the gym. You can find me down there most times.
Shea: We have a half-pipe in our basement. That was our agreement: I can design upstairs, [Syd] can do all the things down in the basement. The kitchen is my favorite because we spend so much time there. I enjoy cooking, I love hosting, and really it’s the heart of everything.
Is there any part of your home you still want to renovate?
Shea: [There’s a] closet behind double doors that is empty. I use [the room it’s in] for my studio, but I know that for resale value, it would be wise to have a bathroom attached so someone could use [it] as a guest suite, so we’ll be adding a bathroom.
What are the most common design and decor mistakes you see?
Shea: The scale being off. A lot of times when I’m walking into [a client’s] home, it’s like everything’s too small. Usually, people buy too small because they’re afraid it won’t fit into their space, but then it looks jumbled because they don’t have stately pieces that ground the room.
I also think people get too stuck on trends. If you can tell exactly what year the home was built, then it’s probably a sign they leaned too hard into too many trends.
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If you were to make a time capsule of items that define 2022 design, what would you put in it?
Shea: We’ve seen traditional design really take center stage in this past year, which I personally love, but it also means we’ve seen a lot of wallpaper. I think that you would see wallpaper, vintage accent stools, and [vintage] console tables.
What home trends do you project will be popular in 2023?
Shea: We’re still going to see a lot of traditional design. And I think that we’re seeing maximalism—a lot of layered pattern on pattern on pattern. That’s exciting for me; I think it’s really fun. I love neutrals, but we’re seeing more color as well. I love to pair traditional and modern pieces and throw in some vintage into the mix. I love a layered and textural aesthetic.
Will open floor plans remain in style?
Shea: It’s cool to say that they’re out, but all of our clients still want them. I think people [still] want some open spaces in their home. But we are past the time where you walk into the door and everything is all one room.
What’s your stance on classic all-white kitchens?
Shea: I still love them.
Syd: I don’t like them. I’m over it. I like color and contrast in the kitchen.
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As parents and designers, how do you balance a clean design with the clutter that often comes with having kids?
Syd: Lots of baskets and lots of drawers to put things. We put the house to sleep every night. Our kids know that, they clean up, [and] we clean up our main living space.
Shea: We just hide everything away when we can. It gets messy throughout the day, and then at the end of the night, it’s like, throw everything back into those baskets. And I like closed storage.
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What’s your strategy for accessorizing a home without crowding the space?
Shea: Find a really beautiful piece that functions well for you because then you can leave it out and it still looks nice. A salt and pepper shaker, for example, you can find a beautiful one.
We have clients who have so many personal picture frame photos, and I think you can have those, but narrow down the photos. If you have a shelf, put a few there, but it gets cluttered when you start doing a lot. Scale back a little bit.
What’s your best advice for hiring the right designer?
Shea: You need to look at their portfolio and make sure the work they’ve done in the past resonates with you. If it does, then they’ll be able to get the look for you. You also need to know your working style. If you need someone holding your hand in person, then definitely look locally. A lot of designers [also] travel or work remotely, so if you can’t find someone in your area that really speaks to your design style, look outside of that [because] the world has opened up a lot of virtual opportunities.
“Dream Home Makeover” is streaming now on Netflix.