Nonfiction

Make Life Beautiful

Make Life Beautiful

  • Downloads：2569
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-06-13 09:54:46
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Syd McGee
  • ISBN：0785233873
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary

Now a NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER， Make Life Beautiful is the new autobiography from Syd and Shea McGee， the stars of the Netflix hit series Dream Home Makeover。 This book offers the fans of Syd and Shea McGee a new and intimate look into how they built their business。 

For the one million-plus followers who turn to Syd and Shea McGee for advice on building a beautiful home and life， Make Life Beautiful is a behind-the-scenes look into how the couple transformed Shea’s small room of fabric samples and big dream of becoming a designer into one of the most successful and fastest-growing interior design businesses in the country。

Both long-time and new fans will not only gain insight into how the McGees built such a successful company but also be inspired to apply design principles to their lives。 Inspirational topics to help readers build an authentic life include


Renovate your life
Visualize the outcome
Listen to your gut
Elevate the everyday
Want to live the best version of your life？ Read this book to follow Syd and Shea’s lead and learn how to Make Life Beautiful。

This is an essential book for:


Entrepreneurs
Interior Designers
Working Parents
Couples Building Family and Career
Self-Starters
and Anyone Chasing Their Dreams
New York Times Bestseller / Wall Street Journal Bestseller / USA Today Bestseller / Publishers Weekly Bestseller

Praise for Make Life Beautiful:

"Make Life Beautiful is a necessary reminder there is inherent beauty and warmth in all moments。 Shea and Syd invite us into endearing conversations filled with wit， humor， creativity and an honesty shining light on the couples beautiful focal points。" - Alyssa Rosenheck， interiors and architectural photographer， stylist， and author of the New Southern Style

“In a world of picture perfect， Syd & Shea are a much needed breath of fresh air。 It takes courage to admit that things aren’t always perfect。 I applaud them for authentically sharing their story with the world。” - Mikel Welch， interior designer， lifestyle expert， and TV show host

"Make Life Beautiful is raw， honest and motivating。 A captivating read as Shea & Syd navigate us through the early days of their relationship， family and growing business。 A form of a modern day romance success story。 I enjoyed reading about their compelling journey that shaped their design empire we know as Studio McGee。 Truly inspiring in every way。” - Monika Hibbs， Founder and Creative Director of Monika Hibbs and author of Gather at Home

"There’s nothing more beautiful than taking a leap and devoting your life and your heart and your work to helping other people enjoy beauty in their own homes。 We’ve all come to know and love and yearn for the Studio McGee look but hearing the humble “how's” behind the empire is even more moving and motivating。 This isn’t about just making your home beautiful—this is about making your LIFE beautiful。 Shea and Syd are talented （obviously） but they’re also dreamers and supporters and risk-takers and pioneers and somehow， still completely down-to-earth。 My heart is warm and I’m now taking notes on more than just mixing patterns。” - Julia Marcum， Co-Founder of Chris Loves Julia， Good Influnce_r and Proper Tee

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Reviews

D ，

syd and shea mcgee's memoir about their rise to prominence in the popular design world。 their back-and-forth narration， cheerfully earnest voice， and bootstrappy story made for a pleasant read。 （note: this is not a design book; no pix。） syd and shea mcgee's memoir about their rise to prominence in the popular design world。 their back-and-forth narration， cheerfully earnest voice， and bootstrappy story made for a pleasant read。 （note: this is not a design book; no pix。） 。。。more

Megan Gery ，

A design book with no pictures？？

Autumn ，

This is a story about Syd and Shea McGee and how they started their business。No photos。I wanted home decor advise。 This feels like a memoir。

Ryan MacLeod ，

Fun and easy readWell written and I enjoyed learning their story and descriptive design element。 Was surprised to learn how quickly they grew their brand。

Alisa ，

This was so interesting， I couldn’t put it down。 Both Shea and Syd have communication styles that are concise yet warm。 They are precise in word， which is a skill I always notice and admire in people。 This is a very down to earth book about entrepreneurship， partnership and huge risks taken。

Kassie Maher ，

I honestly loved this book， and looked forward to getting to sit down and read it every day。 I found both Syd and Shea to be good writers， easy to ready， and genuinely interesting and enjoyable people to learn about。 Some reviewers mentioned wishing for photos in the book， but I am sure these two will be getting another book sometime soon so I am not worried！ I for one found it fun getting to learn about them， their lives， families， and their growth to where they are today。 I feel it gives me th I honestly loved this book， and looked forward to getting to sit down and read it every day。 I found both Syd and Shea to be good writers， easy to ready， and genuinely interesting and enjoyable people to learn about。 Some reviewers mentioned wishing for photos in the book， but I am sure these two will be getting another book sometime soon so I am not worried！ I for one found it fun getting to learn about them， their lives， families， and their growth to where they are today。 I feel it gives me the background info I craved， because I always want to know more about them when I watch their show！ Very much loved this and look forward to the next。 。。。more

Carolyn ，

This book is a Target infomercial disguised as an autobiography。

Abigail ，

It captivated me。 A beautiful story where ones passions became her business and reality。

Kaylee Yarrington ，

i don’t typically enjoy audiobooks， but after getting eye surgery last week， audiobooks are my new bff。 if you’ve seen “dream home makeover” on netflix， you know who shea and syd mcgee are。 after binging both seasons of their show， i was excited to read their story！ this book gives all the details of how McGee & Co。 and Studio McGee came to be。 it’s got some sweet anecdotes of their relationship — how they met， how they started， raising 2 girls and success points along the way。 it also shows the i don’t typically enjoy audiobooks， but after getting eye surgery last week， audiobooks are my new bff。 if you’ve seen “dream home makeover” on netflix， you know who shea and syd mcgee are。 after binging both seasons of their show， i was excited to read their story！ this book gives all the details of how McGee & Co。 and Studio McGee came to be。 it’s got some sweet anecdotes of their relationship — how they met， how they started， raising 2 girls and success points along the way。 it also shows their struggle， their resilience and the moments each business owner faces on their way to greatness。 it’s got a similar feel to ‘the magnolia story’ and really shows the behind the scenes grind to the end result we often see。 i think this book might’ve been a slow physical read， but i enjoyed the audiobook （at 1。25 speed！） and hearing each of them read it！ rating: 📖📖📖 - i liked it 。。。more

A Westerhaus ，

I had no idea who the Magee’s were before the Netflix Show “Dream Home Makeover” and I totally just adore this family！ I super appreciated their rags to riches， story of how they became amazing home designers and made life beautiful！ It is so easy to look at where people end up and think， oh that’s just luck or circumstance or whatever， and yes those play into a successful person， but it is amazing to hear all the ins and outs of how people have accomplished their dreams - sometimes barely hangi I had no idea who the Magee’s were before the Netflix Show “Dream Home Makeover” and I totally just adore this family！ I super appreciated their rags to riches， story of how they became amazing home designers and made life beautiful！ It is so easy to look at where people end up and think， oh that’s just luck or circumstance or whatever， and yes those play into a successful person， but it is amazing to hear all the ins and outs of how people have accomplished their dreams - sometimes barely hanging on and being laughed at， but still persevering！ This book is a keeper！ 。。。more

Carolyn ，

Nothing earth-shattering here but it’s fun to hear the backstory of a design brand and show （Dream Home Makeover） that I enjoy。 Remarkable the parallels to the Gaines’ story。 I appreciate their honesty about their lessons learned along the way。 They’re not amazing readers， but good enough that I was glad they read it themselves。

veronica echeverria ，

Excelente Muy Fácil de leer。 Un libro que motiva a los emprendedores。Easy reading。 Great for entrepreneurs。 Súper recomendado！ Highly recommended。

Vera ，

Interesting， funny and courageous。 Nice reading。

Kelly Stewart ，

It was inspiring to hear their story to success。 At first I thought this would be a repeat of what I'd already learned on the Netflix series dream home makeover， but this book had a lot more detail on the business decisions and pioneering tactics they used to grow studio McGee。 If you enjoyed Dream Home Makeover， then you'll love this book。 It was inspiring to hear their story to success。 At first I thought this would be a repeat of what I'd already learned on the Netflix series dream home makeover， but this book had a lot more detail on the business decisions and pioneering tactics they used to grow studio McGee。 If you enjoyed Dream Home Makeover， then you'll love this book。 。。。more

Natalie ，

Interesting。 I enjoyed listening to the authors reading。 More than just a memoir， but there was nothing that grabbed me。 It was a story。 Nothing super inspiring。 I wish them success。

Melissa ，

I love watching this couple on Tv and I drool over all of Shea’s designs！ This book was fun to read more about who they are but fell short。 I felt they should have included some pictures of their designs they talked about in the book especially because they are a big part of their story。

Yesica ，

Love it！ Very inspirational 👏

Amber ，

This book was such an inspiration！ It talks about the highs and lows of a relationship。 The highs and lows of starting a business。 The highs and lows of life。 But it also shows that you can climb over the lows and soar along with the highs if you have people by your side to help you along！！

Kate ，

This was a bit more memoir than I expected， but I actually really enjoyed it！ I was vaguely familiar of the tv famous couple and their show， but I enjoyed learning more about them in this book。

Ashlee ，

I don’t remember who recommended this book， but I didn’t know anything about studio McGee。 It was an enjoyable， quick read

Almos Tatrai ，

My fiancee likes it but as a gift， I regret to choose this one。There is not a single picture！ Unacceptable from an interior design book。 Maybe it's just me and I don't get the point， i should have been warned at least， before I bought it。 Serious disappointment！Still， she loves it， that's why I did not rate one star。 My fiancee likes it but as a gift， I regret to choose this one。There is not a single picture！ Unacceptable from an interior design book。 Maybe it's just me and I don't get the point， i should have been warned at least， before I bought it。 Serious disappointment！Still， she loves it， that's why I did not rate one star。 。。。more

Lindsay InAustin ，

An interesting read about this couple and their entrepreneurial journey。 But the detailed descriptions of the room decor and furnishings， their offices， and their homes would have been much better with some pictures included！ I found myself skipping more and more of the descriptions because of that lack。 I would have loved having both！

Kim McCoy ，

I loved their show on Netflix， but their book didn’t hold the same interest for me。 I liked reading about how they got started， but it was a bit slow and boring。 Love their design work though！

Michelle Aponte ，

Loved their story！ I am obsessed with their designs and decor but it was nice to read the story of how it all came to be。 I think it was great that their personalities came out in the book just like they are in their show。

Kristin ，

This book came highly recommended from a friend。 She loved this book and their show on Netflix。 I had never heard of them so I watched several episodes and put their book on hold at the library。 I really like their style and aesthetic。This book was absolutely not what I expected。 I thought it would be similar to other design books。 Beautiful glossy pictures with some description but it is all narrative。 There isn't a single photograph in the entire book。 That is extremely unfortunate and a misst This book came highly recommended from a friend。 She loved this book and their show on Netflix。 I had never heard of them so I watched several episodes and put their book on hold at the library。 I really like their style and aesthetic。This book was absolutely not what I expected。 I thought it would be similar to other design books。 Beautiful glossy pictures with some description but it is all narrative。 There isn't a single photograph in the entire book。 That is extremely unfortunate and a misstep。This is not a home design book。 It is a memoir。 A memoir of famous home designers that reference their many famous projects and homes throughout the book and yet don't include a single picture。 They don't even include any pictures of their family or of them （besides the cover）。 Bizarre。 Memoirs usually include a few pictures。 I had to google projects that were referenced repeatedly in the book and with lengthy descriptions。 Irritating。 Show me。。。don't tell me。Yes， it was interesting to read how they grew their design business and about their non-traditional modern approach to business。 I applaud their entrepreneurship and creativity。 But I wasn't as interested in their personal life。The backstory of their relationship and how they built their business is told in a back and forth "he said/she said" format which I didn't love。 I wanted more of the business side from Syd （maybe he should write his own book） as well as the design side from Shea。This was a quick read。 I read it in one day。 If you are fans of Studio McGee and are already familiar with them and their work you will probably enjoy the book。 I would have liked it more if they included pictures of their work to illustrate their design concepts and pictures of themselves/family to feel more personal and relatable。My Rating: A little disappointing。 。。。more

Brooke ，

Been following Shea since the fall of 2017 when I started my journey to buying my first home。 Love her perspective on design and life and enjoyed finally being able to hear their story。

Amanda ，

Incredible story and super inspiring entrepreneurial journey。 I'm a huge fan of Shea's aesthetic and Studio McGee and this gives you the history and the behinds the scenes creation of an amazing brand and legacy in home design。 The passion and grit they show is inspiring and relatable。 They are the next Magnolia and beyond！ I also love the way the book is written， sharing their individual perspectives。 It's truly a front row seat of the couple behind the next generation brand。 Incredible story and super inspiring entrepreneurial journey。 I'm a huge fan of Shea's aesthetic and Studio McGee and this gives you the history and the behinds the scenes creation of an amazing brand and legacy in home design。 The passion and grit they show is inspiring and relatable。 They are the next Magnolia and beyond！ I also love the way the book is written， sharing their individual perspectives。 It's truly a front row seat of the couple behind the next generation brand。 。。。more

Kami Weeks ，

1/2 a star， at best。 Embodies perfectly what is wrong with style-centric popular culture - it's not interesting and it's not worthwhile。 Shallow， facile， and self-absorbed。 1/2 a star， at best。 Embodies perfectly what is wrong with style-centric popular culture - it's not interesting and it's not worthwhile。 Shallow， facile， and self-absorbed。 。。。more

Judith Tyler ，

This book is a great love story as well as the story of true teamwork。 They share their relationship struggles as well as the growth if their business。 Well worth the read。

Rachael Pawlak ，

I purchased Make Life Beautiful online thinking it was a design book full of pictures。 It isn’t that， but I was pleasantly surprised and am glad I read it。 I actually learned a lot and feel inspired to make our new house beautiful。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Make Life Beautiful

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Make Life Beautiful&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Make Life Beautiful&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0