Shea McGee Designed This Arizona Home to Look Better in 20 Years Than It Does Today – Here's How She 'Wrote the History' of a New Build

Designing a new-build home comes with a unique challenge: how do you create a sense of history in a place that has none? For Studio McGee founder Shea McGee, the answer wasn't to imitate age, but to design for it. In Arizona, just outside Phoenix, Shea created a family home that feels layered with character from the moment you step inside. Natural materials, patinated details, vintage finds, and custom craftsmanship all work together to give the house a warmth that belies its brand-new status.

'When you're working with a new build, you get to write the history,' says Shea. 'We wanted this home to feel like it had already been lived in, even on day one.' Inspired by the colors of the Sonoran Desert and shaped by the homeowners' East Coast roots, the result is a house design that balances timelessness with relaxed family living – a home designed, in Shea's words, to look even better in 20 years than it does today.

For Shea, creating a timeless home isn't about trends but about designing for longevity. Because Studio McGee joined the project from its earliest stages, the team was able to influence everything from the architecture and floor plan to the way light moves through the house. Rather than simply decorating completed rooms, they helped shape the experience of living in them.

The setting played a key role. 'The landscape was our starting point,' Shea explains. 'The palette came directly from the environment: warm ochres, soft terracottas, that subtle desert sage. The wide windows were designed to frame the views – we never wanted you to forget where you were.' The result is a home that feels deeply connected to its surroundings without ever feeling cliched. 'People often default to a very specific aesthetic when they design in Arizona,' says Shea. 'But there are so many other ways to respond to this landscape. Texture, material, silhouette. You don't have to announce that you're in the desert; you can just let the land lead.'

Yet the project wasn't shaped solely by its roots. One of the homeowners grew up on the East Coast, and 'she brought that sensibility with her,' says Shea. It was this combination that ultimately gave the home its identity. As Shea puts it, 'it's a home with East Coast bones and a desert soul.'

The approach reflects her 'New Heritage' philosophy – interiors rooted in tradition but designed for modern family life, as Shea describes it. Classic architecture and traditional proportions are layered with earthy materials that will only become more beautiful over time. 'Nothing trendy. Nothing that's going to feel dated in five years.'

'We chose materials and made decisions we knew would age beautifully and develop patina over time,' she adds, noting the hand-drawn parquet floors in the entry – 'You can't half-commit to an entry. We went all in' – the unlacquered brass fixtures in the kitchen, and the vintage finds throughout the home. 'Those are the things that will look better in twenty years than they do today.'

'We sourced things that brought soul to a new build, including a runner in the butler's pantry, a wall hanging tapestry in the entry, woven textiles, and pieces with age and patina,' Shea continues. 'That layering of things collected over time is what gives a new build soul.'

While the palette and mood were shaped by the landscape, the wooden kitchen was defined by the family who would use it. Designed as both a gathering spot and a hardworking hub, the room strikes a balance between being beautiful enough to wow but practical enough to withstand the realities of family life. At its center sits a custom island measuring more than 13 feet long, conceived as a piece of furniture with an open base that displays the family's collections. Opposite, a Lacanche range dominates the wall, while zellige tile, marble countertops, and unlacquered brass fixtures introduce the texture and patina found throughout the rest of the house. 'The vision was for the kitchen to feel like it belonged in the home, not like a kitchen that happened to be installed there,' says Shea. 'There's a difference, and you feel it.'

Yet for all its carefully considered details, one of the room's defining features came directly from the homeowners themselves. The client had a single request: a sink under a window opening directly to the backyard. 'They plan to host a lot in this home, and she understood instinctively that design should serve how you actually live,' says Shea. 'That window changes the whole feel of the kitchen. You're never cut off from the outdoor space. The inside and outside breathe together.' Supporting the heart of the home is an equally thoughtful butler's pantry concealed behind the main kitchen, where porcelain countertops, open shelving, and a vintage runner allow the practical work of daily life to happen out of sight.

For all its thoughtful detailing and careful layering, this was never intended to be a show home. From the outset, the clients – a family with four children and a love of entertaining – wanted a house that felt 'elevated but never stiff.' That balance informed everything from the layout of the main living spaces to the smaller decisions that make daily life run more smoothly. 'The brief was really about family: spaces that could handle real life, but also felt intentional and considered at every turn,' says Shea.

That idea is perhaps most evident in the spaces designed purely for enjoyment. The games room, complete with tongue-and-groove paneling, oversized woven pendants, pool and shuffleboard tables, was imagined as a place where the family could gather, entertain, and make noise without worrying about perfection. 'It's a room that wants to be used loudly,' she notes. 'The gallery wall even has skate decks on it because one of the kids skates. That's the kind of detail that makes a room actually belong to the family.' Elsewhere, practicality is elevated rather than hidden away. The laundry room pairs reclaimed stone floors and soapstone countertops and boasts two washers and two dryers. 'Even utility spaces got the same level of attention. That's always the goal,' she adds.

Throughout the home, Studio McGee looked for opportunities to layer in pieces with meaning and history, introducing a sense of age that new construction often struggles to achieve. Some of those details are immediately visible, such as the custom parquet floor that greets visitors in the intimate entryway. 'You genuinely don't need a rug in here; the floor IS the rug. From there, you move through leaded glass windows into the great room, and the scale opens up completely. I love a house that makes you slow down before revealing itself,' says Shea. Together, this establishes the tone for everything that follows.

Many of the most meaningful details, however, are easy to miss. In the kitchen, heirloom plates once belonging to the client's grandmother are displayed on custom plate racks, woven naturally into the kitchen rather than preserved behind glass. Elsewhere, a piece of the grandmother's needlepoint hangs in the primary bathroom. 'You could come through this house and never notice either of them,' Shea explains. 'But the family will notice them every single day, and that's the whole point.' Even the blue herringbone stone lining the fireplace in the great room speaks to the studio's belief in details that need closer attention. These are not elements that command attention, but they are the ones that linger longest.

The butler's pantry – or 'back kitchen' – may sit discreetly behind the kitchen, but hidden as it may be, it is one of Shea's favorite spaces in the home. 'I know that might seem like a surprising answer, but the butler's pantry is where the philosophy of this entire home lives,' she explains. Designed with porcelain countertops, antique brass hardware, tile extending to the ceiling, open shelving, and a vintage runner underfoot, the room balances utility with beauty in a way that feels distinctly 'McGee'. 'It exists almost entirely behind a door. Nobody sees it except the family and whoever's close enough to be back there,' she adds.

Although the kitchen may be the home's natural gathering place, the adjoining dining area plays an equally important role in the flow of everyday life. Positioned between the kitchen and great room, it acts as a transition between cooking, entertaining, and relaxing, while maintaining the openness that defines the home's layout. Framed by floor-to-ceiling drapery and generous windows, the space is filled with natural light throughout the day. 'Window placement was everything,' Shea explains. 'We designed wide windows specifically to frame the landscape like living art. They're not incidental, they're deliberate. In the Arizona desert, you're managing the sun as much as welcoming it.'

After the openness and activity of the home's entertaining spaces, the primary suite offers a quieter note. 'It's calm. It does what a primary bedroom should do,' says Shea. While the room shares the same warm palette and natural materials found throughout the house, it feels noticeably more restrained. 'The freshness comes from restraint, from not doing too much,' she notes. 'The palette is warm and tonal, pulled directly from the desert. The handwoven textiles add warmth without the weight.' Marble-top nightstands sit alongside collected decorative pieces, while the McGee & Co. Clemence settee at the foot of the bed provides both function and elegance.

The primary bathroom pairs traditional design with natural materials chosen for their longevity and warmth. Arabescato Calacatta marble wraps the floors, countertops, and shower enclosure, creating a sense of quiet luxury, while a vaulted ceiling introduces texture overhead. 'The ceiling gets tongue and groove, which adds warmth to all that stone,' Shea explains. 'The vanity is color-matched to the trim throughout the house, and the shower door is powder-coated to match. Tucked in just the right spot is the client's grandmother's needlepoint – that's the piece that makes the room personal,' she adds.

Perhaps nowhere is the family's personality more evident than in the children's bedrooms. Rather than following a single decorative scheme throughout, Studio McGee approached each room as an individual reflection of the child who would inhabit it. One bedroom features framed drumsticks and a vintage map of Paris for a music-loving son, while another embraces a softer palette with a scalloped headboard for a Taylor Swift fan. Elsewhere, cowboy influences, a gallery wall of meaningful collections, and Morris & Co. wallpaper bring character and individuality to such playful spaces.

'Morris and Co. wallpaper in Lou's room is probably the boldest pattern statement in the house, and even that is rooted in heritage. It belongs,' she continues. For Shea, these rooms represent the most personal side of the project. 'The best projects come from clients who trust you but also bring their own personality to the table,' she says. The children's spaces became a natural extension of that collaboration. 'Those rooms are the most joyful spaces in this house,' Shea adds. 'Every one of them could only belong to exactly that child.'

One of the clearest indicators of a thoughtfully designed home is how much care is given to the rooms visitors rarely see. Rather than treating the laundry and mudroom as purely functional spaces, Studio McGee approached them with the same attention to detail found throughout the rest of the house. Tongue-and-groove wall paneling, soapstone countertops, custom cabinetry, and reclaimed stone flooring elevate the everyday rituals, while generous storage ensures the spaces work hard behind the scenes – 'and two washers and two dryers, because this family is serious.'

While the interiors are rich with texture and personal details, the landscape was the true starting point for this home. The clients envisioned a house that could comfortably accommodate family life and frequent entertaining, and the outdoor areas play an important role in achieving that. 'The deep overhangs aren't just beautiful, they're functional,' Shea explains. 'They invite you to actually use the outdoor spaces, which in Arizona is everything.' The pool sits at the heart of the backyard, extending the home's entertaining spaces beyond its walls.

Despite its scale, the home never feels stark. Instead, every decision appears rooted in the needs of the family that lives here. For Shea, that was always the ultimate goal. 'At home. Not impressed: at home. There's a difference,' she says when asked how she hopes visitors feel when they walk through the front door. 'I want people to walk in and feel the warmth of the materials, feel the care that went into every decision, and feel like this house was made for exactly the family that lives here. More than anything, I just want this home to feel like somewhere you could exhale,' says Shea.

When asked to describe this home in just three words, Shea's answer is simple: 'Rooted. Personal. Earned.' Sure, this may be a brand-new build, but through thoughtful design, meaningful details, and a deep connection to the surroundings, Studio McGee has created a house that already feels as though it has a story to tell – even on day one.

Love beautiful design ideas, expert advice, and inspiring decor trends? Sign up for our newsletter and get the latest features delivered straight to your inbox.