Shea and Syd McGee have become international stars since their hit Netflix show Dream Home Makeover debuted back in early 2020.
MORE: 50 must-watch movies to check out on Netflix this week
The couple thought it was a hoax call when they were approached by the streaming service after years of making ends meet and endless sacrifices. And, as Shea explains, having their own TV programme was a dream they had shelved a long time ago.
"We actually at one point made a sizzle reel for a TV show and it did not go over well and after that experience, it was not good and we said we're never going to do TV and ultimately decided to do our YouTube channel," the soon-to-be mother-of-three tells HELLO!
WATCH: Shea and Syd talk Dream Home Makeover in fun trailer
"We launched our YouTube channel where we do lots of how-to videos, behind the scenes and house tours of our projects, and as we did that, we became more confident in front of the camera.
MORE: 24 shows to get excited about in 2021
RELATED: Emily in Paris: everything we know about season two so far
"Ultimately Netflix reached out and said, 'Hey, you know, let's have a meeting and we thought, 'cool'. I know we swore off TV, but you can't say no to Netflix."
The couple posing in their first office
After coming up with a concept together and filming for a year, because "home projects take so long", the show launched on Netflix and the rest is history.
Their road to success has had its fair share of ups and downs. Shea always had a passion for design, "it's always been important to me," she explains to HELLO! - but it was reignited when she and Syd moved into their first apartment.
"I became completely engrossed in the design, it was a very tiny apartment, once I started putting a fresh coat of paint on the walls and doing little things, I saw how much it transformed the way we felt at home and really became addicted to the process and the power of transformation."
The couple have admitted that their garden is their favourite space in their gorgeous home
With a degree in Communication and Public Relations, the 35-year-old decided to take a few courses in interior design and after Syd left his family job, they sold everything, including their car and furniture, and moved to Utah, which is a "more business-friendly environment".
MORE: 29 amazing films based on true stories
"I love what I do. Of course, things that we love to do come with some headaches and a lot of stress, but at the end of the day, when I see that I'm getting to create beautiful things, beautiful homes... I really am living my dream job," she admits, before confessing: "It all worked out but it is sad that I completely almost missed my calling."
While season three is still on the cards, Shea and her family are busy preparing for the arrival of a new family member. The couple announced their surprise pregnancy in January, and although they know the baby's gender, they are keeping it a secret for now.
Shea and Syd are expecting their third child together
"I'm excited. I'm so excited to expand our family," she happily tells HELLO! "The little bit of a gap between Ivy and this next baby... I was a little unsure about but seeing how excited they are, I'm so excited!"
As for the baby's nursery, which we cannot wait to see, Shea admits: "That's my happy place.
"The room the nursery will be, I need to clear it out, but my head is spinning with ideas. I love nurseries, so it'll be fun."
Shea has transformed incredible homes around the United States, some with astronomical budgets. "High-end interior design is definitely a luxury that is not always an affordable thing to do, but you can do it and I think that you can do it in ways where you take notes from how we are designing and then incorporate those in a paired down way," she suggests.
A look at the couple's stunning kitchen
"I think that that's one thing I love about design is that you can look at really aspirational homes and then you can still take notes from how they placed the furniture or colour palettes and general feel or style and incorporate those in a smaller way."
As for key items that every home should have, she says: "I love a mirror in an entryway or to create an entry space. I think a mirror really opens the space up. I also love vintage and antique rugs. I think every home, regardless of the style, could benefit from an antique rug because I think it adds a lot of character to the space and also they're very durable."
Shea's biggest home tip: add a mirror to an entryway and invest in a vintage rug
One home Shea is keen to get a sneak peek of is Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's £11million LA mansion.
SEE: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's £11.2million home is full of secret meanings - see inside
"Now that they are in LA, I would love to see inside their home for sure. I would love to collaborate with her, that would be awesome," she admits. Here's hoping!
