Shea McGee Just Shared 5 Bathroom Projects From Her Archives – This is the 1 Affordable Thing They All Have In Common

It's easy to introduce and adds grounding style to your bathroom

mcgee & co founder designer shea mcgee photographed stood beside a white fireplace in a neutral living room with a navy couch wearing a white shirt and blue and white stripe maxi skirt
(Image credit: McGee & Co.)

It's no secret by now that we are endlessly inspired by Shea McGee's layered designs. So when she shared a selection of bathrooms from her project archives, we immediately scrolled through for inspiration.

But there's one thing each of these spaces has in common – a vintage-style bathroom rug. It's a simple addition, but one that adds warmth, interest, and plenty of comfort. And it's something easy and affordable to add to your own space.

As you scroll through the archival bathrooms, you notice that each space has Shea McGee's signature layered neutral aesthetic, but each with its own style and identity. The first two lean heavily towards organic modern style, with sleek finishes and hints of organic textures.

The Oaks Project bathroom is cozier, softer, with curvaceous silhouettes with more traditional details, while the design from the Hilltop Estate project embraces a timeless, traditional aesthetic. It's fair to say they all showcase very different looks and architectural styles.

But the one thing that unites them all is the addition of a bathroom rug. From small rectangular designs to elongated runners and larger area rugs, it's a small (and relatively affordable) way to add warmth, texture, and a grounding feature to a bathroom.

And what's particularly interesting is that no matter the style of the bathroom, whether it's modern or traditional, Shea always embraces a more vintage-style rug to infuse character and interest.

It's also a way to add contrast. In each of these neutral bathrooms, the rug is darker, moodier, and in some cases, slightly more colorful. It creates balance in each scheme – a room solely designed around light neutrals can feel flat, so introducing one contrasting element creates depth and reinforces that sense of layering.

A bathroom rug might seem like a small detail, but it has such an impact on a design. It's the finishing touch in each of Shea's projects that elevates and completes the room – and proves these unexpected elements can be the most transformative.

Whether you have a small bathroom or a sprawling space, these vintage-inspired rugs are the detail your space is missing – and bring a dose of Shea's signature style to your bathroom.


Shea McGee's layered designs prove that a bathroom is more than just a functional room and should be decorated accordingly. Adding a chic, vintage-style rug, the same way you would to cozier rooms in your home, is the perfect finishing touch to add warmth and interest. If you're feeling inspired, check out our round-up of the best places to buy rugs.

Molly Malsom
Kitchens & Bathrooms Editor

I’ve worked in the interiors magazine industry for the past five years and joined Homes & Gardens at the beginning of 2024 as the Kitchens & Bathrooms editor. While I love every part of interior design, kitchens and bathrooms are some of the most exciting to design, conceptualize, and write about. There are so many trends, materials, colors, and playful decor elements to explore and experiment with.

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